blueprint of a business plan

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Simple Business Plan

By Joe Weller | October 11, 2021

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A business plan is the cornerstone of any successful company, regardless of size or industry. This step-by-step guide provides information on writing a business plan for organizations at any stage, complete with free templates and expert advice. 

Included on this page, you’ll find a step-by-step guide to writing a business plan and a chart to identify which type of business plan you should write . Plus, find information on how a business plan can help grow a business and expert tips on writing one .

What Is a Business Plan?

A business plan is a document that communicates a company’s goals and ambitions, along with the timeline, finances, and methods needed to achieve them. Additionally, it may include a mission statement and details about the specific products or services offered.

A business plan can highlight varying time periods, depending on the stage of your company and its goals. That said, a typical business plan will include the following benchmarks:

• Product goals and deadlines for each month
• Monthly financials for the first two years
• Profit and loss statements for the first three to five years
• Balance sheet projections for the first three to five years

Startups, entrepreneurs, and small businesses all create business plans to use as a guide as their new company progresses. Larger organizations may also create (and update) a business plan to keep high-level goals, financials, and timelines in check.

While you certainly need to have a formalized outline of your business’s goals and finances, creating a business plan can also help you determine a company’s viability, its profitability (including when it will first turn a profit), and how much money you will need from investors. In turn, a business plan has functional value as well: Not only does outlining goals help keep you accountable on a timeline, it can also attract investors in and of itself and, therefore, act as an effective strategy for growth.

For more information, visit our comprehensive guide to writing a strategic plan or download free strategic plan templates . This page focuses on for-profit business plans, but you can read our article with nonprofit business plan templates .

Business Plan Steps

The specific information in your business plan will vary, depending on the needs and goals of your venture, but a typical plan includes the following ordered elements:

• Executive summary
• Description of business
• Market analysis
• Competitive analysis
• Description of organizational management
• Description of product or services
• Marketing plan
• Sales strategy
• Funding details (or request for funding)
• Financial projections

If your plan is particularly long or complicated, consider adding a table of contents or an appendix for reference. For an in-depth description of each step listed above, read “ How to Write a Business Plan Step by Step ” below.

Broadly speaking, your audience includes anyone with a vested interest in your organization. They can include potential and existing investors, as well as customers, internal team members, suppliers, and vendors.

Do I Need a Simple or Detailed Plan?

Your business’s stage and intended audience dictates the level of detail your plan needs. Corporations require a thorough business plan — up to 100 pages. Small businesses or startups should have a concise plan focusing on financials and strategy.

How to Choose the Right Plan for Your Business

In order to identify which type of business plan you need to create, ask: “What do we want the plan to do?” Identify function first, and form will follow.

Use the chart below as a guide for what type of business plan to create:

Is the Order of Your Business Plan Important?

There is no set order for a business plan, with the exception of the executive summary, which should always come first. Beyond that, simply ensure that you organize the plan in a way that makes sense and flows naturally.

The Difference Between Traditional and Lean Business Plans

A traditional business plan follows the standard structure — because these plans encourage detail, they tend to require more work upfront and can run dozens of pages. A Lean business plan is less common and focuses on summarizing critical points for each section. These plans take much less work and typically run one page in length.

In general, you should use a traditional model for a legacy company, a large company, or any business that does not adhere to Lean (or another Agile method ). Use Lean if you expect the company to pivot quickly or if you already employ a Lean strategy with other business operations. Additionally, a Lean business plan can suffice if the document is for internal use only. Stick to a traditional version for investors, as they may be more sensitive to sudden changes or a high degree of built-in flexibility in the plan.

How to Write a Business Plan Step by Step

Writing a strong business plan requires research and attention to detail for each section. Below, you’ll find a 10-step guide to researching and defining each element in the plan.

Step 1: Executive Summary

The executive summary will always be the first section of your business plan. The goal is to answer the following questions:

• What is the vision and mission of the company?
• What are the company’s short- and long-term goals?

See our  roundup of executive summary examples and templates for samples. Read our executive summary guide to learn more about writing one.

Step 2: Description of Business

The goal of this section is to define the realm, scope, and intent of your venture. To do so, answer the following questions as clearly and concisely as possible:

• What business are we in?
• What does our business do?

Step 3: Market Analysis

In this section, provide evidence that you have surveyed and understand the current marketplace, and that your product or service satisfies a niche in the market. To do so, answer these questions:

• Who is our customer? 
• What does that customer value?

Step 4: Competitive Analysis

In many cases, a business plan proposes not a brand-new (or even market-disrupting) venture, but a more competitive version — whether via features, pricing, integrations, etc. — than what is currently available. In this section, answer the following questions to show that your product or service stands to outpace competitors:

• Who is the competition? 
• What do they do best? 
• What is our unique value proposition?

Step 5: Description of Organizational Management

In this section, write an overview of the team members and other key personnel who are integral to success. List roles and responsibilities, and if possible, note the hierarchy or team structure.

Step 6: Description of Products or Services

In this section, clearly define your product or service, as well as all the effort and resources that go into producing it. The strength of your product largely defines the success of your business, so it’s imperative that you take time to test and refine the product before launching into marketing, sales, or funding details.

Questions to answer in this section are as follows:

• What is the product or service?
• How do we produce it, and what resources are necessary for production?

Step 7: Marketing Plan

In this section, define the marketing strategy for your product or service. This doesn’t need to be as fleshed out as a full marketing plan , but it should answer basic questions, such as the following:

• Who is the target market (if different from existing customer base)?
• What channels will you use to reach your target market?
• What resources does your marketing strategy require, and do you have access to them?
• If possible, do you have a rough estimate of timeline and budget?
• How will you measure success?

Step 8: Sales Plan

Write an overview of the sales strategy, including the priorities of each cycle, steps to achieve these goals, and metrics for success. For the purposes of a business plan, this section does not need to be a comprehensive, in-depth sales plan , but can simply outline the high-level objectives and strategies of your sales efforts. 

Start by answering the following questions:

• What is the sales strategy?
• What are the tools and tactics you will use to achieve your goals?
• What are the potential obstacles, and how will you overcome them?
• What is the timeline for sales and turning a profit?
• What are the metrics of success?

Step 9: Funding Details (or Request for Funding)

This section is one of the most critical parts of your business plan, particularly if you are sharing it with investors. You do not need to provide a full financial plan, but you should be able to answer the following questions:

• How much capital do you currently have? How much capital do you need?
• How will you grow the team (onboarding, team structure, training and development)?
• What are your physical needs and constraints (space, equipment, etc.)?

Step 10: Financial Projections

Apart from the fundraising analysis, investors like to see thought-out financial projections for the future. As discussed earlier, depending on the scope and stage of your business, this could be anywhere from one to five years. 

While these projections won’t be exact — and will need to be somewhat flexible — you should be able to gauge the following:

• How and when will the company first generate a profit?
• How will the company maintain profit thereafter?

Business Plan Template

Download Business Plan Template

Microsoft Excel | Smartsheet

This basic business plan template has space for all the traditional elements: an executive summary, product or service details, target audience, marketing and sales strategies, etc. In the finances sections, input your baseline numbers, and the template will automatically calculate projections for sales forecasting, financial statements, and more.

For templates tailored to more specific needs, visit this business plan template roundup or download a fill-in-the-blank business plan template to make things easy. 

If you are looking for a particular template by file type, visit our pages dedicated exclusively to Microsoft Excel , Microsoft Word , and Adobe PDF business plan templates.

How to Write a Simple Business Plan

A simple business plan is a streamlined, lightweight version of the large, traditional model. As opposed to a one-page business plan , which communicates high-level information for quick overviews (such as a stakeholder presentation), a simple business plan can exceed one page.

Below are the steps for creating a generic simple business plan, which are reflected in the template below .

• Write the Executive Summary This section is the same as in the traditional business plan — simply offer an overview of what’s in the business plan, the prospect or core offering, and the short- and long-term goals of the company. 
• Add a Company Overview Document the larger company mission and vision. 
• Provide the Problem and Solution In straightforward terms, define the problem you are attempting to solve with your product or service and how your company will attempt to do it. Think of this section as the gap in the market you are attempting to close.
• Identify the Target Market Who is your company (and its products or services) attempting to reach? If possible, briefly define your buyer personas .
• Write About the Competition In this section, demonstrate your knowledge of the market by listing the current competitors and outlining your competitive advantage.
• Describe Your Product or Service Offerings Get down to brass tacks and define your product or service. What exactly are you selling?
• Outline Your Marketing Tactics Without getting into too much detail, describe your planned marketing initiatives.
• Add a Timeline and the Metrics You Will Use to Measure Success Offer a rough timeline, including milestones and key performance indicators (KPIs) that you will use to measure your progress.
• Include Your Financial Forecasts Write an overview of your financial plan that demonstrates you have done your research and adequate modeling. You can also list key assumptions that go into this forecasting. 
• Identify Your Financing Needs This section is where you will make your funding request. Based on everything in the business plan, list your proposed sources of funding, as well as how you will use it.

Simple Business Plan Template

Download Simple Business Plan Template

Microsoft Excel |  Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF  | Smartsheet

Use this simple business plan template to outline each aspect of your organization, including information about financing and opportunities to seek out further funding. This template is completely customizable to fit the needs of any business, whether it’s a startup or large company.

Read our article offering free simple business plan templates or free 30-60-90-day business plan templates to find more tailored options. You can also explore our collection of one page business templates . 

How to Write a Business Plan for a Lean Startup

A Lean startup business plan is a more Agile approach to a traditional version. The plan focuses more on activities, processes, and relationships (and maintains flexibility in all aspects), rather than on concrete deliverables and timelines.

While there is some overlap between a traditional and a Lean business plan, you can write a Lean plan by following the steps below:

• Add Your Value Proposition Take a streamlined approach to describing your product or service. What is the unique value your startup aims to deliver to customers? Make sure the team is aligned on the core offering and that you can state it in clear, simple language.
• List Your Key Partners List any other businesses you will work with to realize your vision, including external vendors, suppliers, and partners. This section demonstrates that you have thoughtfully considered the resources you can provide internally, identified areas for external assistance, and conducted research to find alternatives.
• Note the Key Activities Describe the key activities of your business, including sourcing, production, marketing, distribution channels, and customer relationships.
• Include Your Key Resources List the critical resources — including personnel, equipment, space, and intellectual property — that will enable you to deliver your unique value.
• Identify Your Customer Relationships and Channels In this section, document how you will reach and build relationships with customers. Provide a high-level map of the customer experience from start to finish, including the spaces in which you will interact with the customer (online, retail, etc.). 
• Detail Your Marketing Channels Describe the marketing methods and communication platforms you will use to identify and nurture your relationships with customers. These could be email, advertising, social media, etc.
• Explain the Cost Structure This section is especially necessary in the early stages of a business. Will you prioritize maximizing value or keeping costs low? List the foundational startup costs and how you will move toward profit over time.
• Share Your Revenue Streams Over time, how will the company make money? Include both the direct product or service purchase, as well as secondary sources of revenue, such as subscriptions, selling advertising space, fundraising, etc.

Lean Business Plan Template for Startups

Download Lean Business Plan Template for Startups

Microsoft Word | Adobe PDF

Startup leaders can use this Lean business plan template to relay the most critical information from a traditional plan. You’ll find all the sections listed above, including spaces for industry and product overviews, cost structure and sources of revenue, and key metrics, and a timeline. The template is completely customizable, so you can edit it to suit the objectives of your Lean startups.

See our wide variety of  startup business plan templates for more options.

How to Write a Business Plan for a Loan

A business plan for a loan, often called a loan proposal , includes many of the same aspects of a traditional business plan, as well as additional financial documents, such as a credit history, a loan request, and a loan repayment plan.

In addition, you may be asked to include personal and business financial statements, a form of collateral, and equity investment information.

Download free financial templates to support your business plan.

Tips for Writing a Business Plan

Outside of including all the key details in your business plan, you have several options to elevate the document for the highest chance of winning funding and other resources. Follow these tips from experts:.

• Keep It Simple: Avner Brodsky , the Co-Founder and CEO of Lezgo Limited, an online marketing company, uses the acronym KISS (keep it short and simple) as a variation on this idea. “The business plan is not a college thesis,” he says. “Just focus on providing the essential information.”
• Do Adequate Research: Michael Dean, the Co-Founder of Pool Research , encourages business leaders to “invest time in research, both internal and external (market, finance, legal etc.). Avoid being overly ambitious or presumptive. Instead, keep everything objective, balanced, and accurate.” Your plan needs to stand on its own, and you must have the data to back up any claims or forecasting you make. As Brodsky explains, “Your business needs to be grounded on the realities of the market in your chosen location. Get the most recent data from authoritative sources so that the figures are vetted by experts and are reliable.”
• Set Clear Goals: Make sure your plan includes clear, time-based goals. “Short-term goals are key to momentum growth and are especially important to identify for new businesses,” advises Dean.
• Know (and Address) Your Weaknesses: “This awareness sets you up to overcome your weak points much quicker than waiting for them to arise,” shares Dean. Brodsky recommends performing a full SWOT analysis to identify your weaknesses, too. “Your business will fare better with self-knowledge, which will help you better define the mission of your business, as well as the strategies you will choose to achieve your objectives,” he adds.
• Seek Peer or Mentor Review: “Ask for feedback on your drafts and for areas to improve,” advises Brodsky. “When your mind is filled with dreams for your business, sometimes it is an outsider who can tell you what you’re missing and will save your business from being a product of whimsy.”

Outside of these more practical tips, the language you use is also important and may make or break your business plan.

Shaun Heng, VP of Operations at Coin Market Cap , gives the following advice on the writing, “Your business plan is your sales pitch to an investor. And as with any sales pitch, you need to strike the right tone and hit a few emotional chords. This is a little tricky in a business plan, because you also need to be formal and matter-of-fact. But you can still impress by weaving in descriptive language and saying things in a more elegant way.

“A great way to do this is by expanding your vocabulary, avoiding word repetition, and using business language. Instead of saying that something ‘will bring in as many customers as possible,’ try saying ‘will garner the largest possible market segment.’ Elevate your writing with precise descriptive words and you'll impress even the busiest investor.”

Additionally, Dean recommends that you “stay consistent and concise by keeping your tone and style steady throughout, and your language clear and precise. Include only what is 100 percent necessary.”

Resources for Writing a Business Plan

While a template provides a great outline of what to include in a business plan, a live document or more robust program can provide additional functionality, visibility, and real-time updates. The U.S. Small Business Association also curates resources for writing a business plan.

Additionally, you can use business plan software to house data, attach documentation, and share information with stakeholders. Popular options include LivePlan, Enloop, BizPlanner, PlanGuru, and iPlanner.

How a Business Plan Helps to Grow Your Business

A business plan — both the exercise of creating one and the document — can grow your business by helping you to refine your product, target audience, sales plan, identify opportunities, secure funding, and build new partnerships. 

Outside of these immediate returns, writing a business plan is a useful exercise in that it forces you to research the market, which prompts you to forge your unique value proposition and identify ways to beat the competition. Doing so will also help you build (and keep you accountable to) attainable financial and product milestones. And down the line, it will serve as a welcome guide as hurdles inevitably arise.

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How to make a business plan

Table of Contents

How to make a good business plan: step-by-step guide.

A business plan is a strategic roadmap used to navigate the challenging journey of entrepreneurship. It's the foundation upon which you build a successful business.

A well-crafted business plan can help you define your vision, clarify your goals, and identify potential problems before they arise.

But where do you start? How do you create a business plan that sets you up for success?

This article will explore the step-by-step process of creating a comprehensive business plan.

What is a business plan?

A business plan is a formal document that outlines a business's objectives, strategies, and operational procedures. It typically includes the following information about a company:

Products or services

Target market

Competitors

Marketing and sales strategies

Financial plan

Management team

A business plan serves as a roadmap for a company's success and provides a blueprint for its growth and development. It helps entrepreneurs and business owners organize their ideas, evaluate the feasibility, and identify potential challenges and opportunities.

As well as serving as a guide for business owners, a business plan can attract investors and secure funding. It demonstrates the company's understanding of the market, its ability to generate revenue and profits, and its strategy for managing risks and achieving success.

Business plan vs. business model canvas

A business plan may seem similar to a business model canvas, but each document serves a different purpose.

A business model canvas is a high-level overview that helps entrepreneurs and business owners quickly test and iterate their ideas. It is often a one-page document that briefly outlines the following:

Key partnerships

Key activities

Key propositions

Customer relationships

Customer segments

Key resources

Cost structure

Revenue streams

On the other hand, a Business Plan Template provides a more in-depth analysis of a company's strategy and operations. It is typically a lengthy document and requires significant time and effort to develop.

A business model shouldn’t replace a business plan, and vice versa. Business owners should lay the foundations and visually capture the most important information with a Business Model Canvas Template . Because this is a fast and efficient way to communicate a business idea, a business model canvas is a good starting point before developing a more comprehensive business plan.

A business plan can aim to secure funding from investors or lenders, while a business model canvas communicates a business idea to potential customers or partners.

Why is a business plan important?

A business plan is crucial for any entrepreneur or business owner wanting to increase their chances of success.

Here are some of the many benefits of having a thorough business plan.

Helps to define the business goals and objectives

A business plan encourages you to think critically about your goals and objectives. Doing so lets you clearly understand what you want to achieve and how you plan to get there.

A well-defined set of goals, objectives, and key results also provides a sense of direction and purpose, which helps keep business owners focused and motivated.

Guides decision-making

A business plan requires you to consider different scenarios and potential problems that may arise in your business. This awareness allows you to devise strategies to deal with these issues and avoid pitfalls.

With a clear plan, entrepreneurs can make informed decisions aligning with their overall business goals and objectives. This helps reduce the risk of making costly mistakes and ensures they make decisions with long-term success in mind.

Attracts investors and secures funding

Investors and lenders often require a business plan before considering investing in your business. A document that outlines the company's goals, objectives, and financial forecasts can help instill confidence in potential investors and lenders.

A well-written business plan demonstrates that you have thoroughly thought through your business idea and have a solid plan for success.

Identifies potential challenges and risks

A business plan requires entrepreneurs to consider potential challenges and risks that could impact their business. For example:

Is there enough demand for my product or service?

Will I have enough capital to start my business?

Is the market oversaturated with too many competitors?

What will happen if my marketing strategy is ineffective?

By identifying these potential challenges, entrepreneurs can develop strategies to mitigate risks and overcome challenges. This can reduce the likelihood of costly mistakes and ensure the business is well-positioned to take on any challenges.

Provides a basis for measuring success

A business plan serves as a framework for measuring success by providing clear goals and financial projections . Entrepreneurs can regularly refer to the original business plan as a benchmark to measure progress. By comparing the current business position to initial forecasts, business owners can answer questions such as:

Are we where we want to be at this point?

Did we achieve our goals?

If not, why not, and what do we need to do?

After assessing whether the business is meeting its objectives or falling short, business owners can adjust their strategies as needed.

How to make a business plan step by step

The steps below will guide you through the process of creating a business plan and what key components you need to include.

1. Create an executive summary

Start with a brief overview of your entire plan. The executive summary should cover your business plan's main points and key takeaways.

Keep your executive summary concise and clear with the Executive Summary Template . The simple design helps readers understand the crux of your business plan without reading the entire document.

2. Write your company description

Provide a detailed explanation of your company. Include information on what your company does, the mission statement, and your vision for the future.

Provide additional background information on the history of your company, the founders, and any notable achievements or milestones.

3. Conduct a market analysis

Conduct an in-depth analysis of your industry, competitors, and target market. This is best done with a SWOT analysis to identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Next, identify your target market's needs, demographics, and behaviors.

Use the Competitive Analysis Template to brainstorm answers to simple questions like:

What does the current market look like?

Who are your competitors?

What are they offering?

What will give you a competitive advantage?

Who is your target market?

What are they looking for and why?

How will your product or service satisfy a need?

These questions should give you valuable insights into the current market and where your business stands.

4. Describe your products and services

Provide detailed information about your products and services. This includes pricing information, product features, and any unique selling points.

Use the Product/Market Fit Template to explain how your products meet the needs of your target market. Describe what sets them apart from the competition.

5. Design a marketing and sales strategy

Outline how you plan to promote and sell your products. Your marketing strategy and sales strategy should include information about your:

Pricing strategy

Advertising and promotional tactics

Sales channels

The Go to Market Strategy Template is a great way to visually map how you plan to launch your product or service in a new or existing market.

6. Determine budget and financial projections

Document detailed information on your business’ finances. Describe the current financial position of the company and how you expect the finances to play out.

Some details to include in this section are:

Startup costs

Revenue projections

Profit and loss statement

Funding you have received or plan to receive

Strategy for raising funds

7. Set the organization and management structure

Define how your company is structured and who will be responsible for each aspect of the business. Use the Business Organizational Chart Template to visually map the company’s teams, roles, and hierarchy.

As well as the organization and management structure, discuss the legal structure of your business. Clarify whether your business is a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or LLC.

8. Make an action plan

At this point in your business plan, you’ve described what you’re aiming for. But how are you going to get there? The Action Plan Template describes the following steps to move your business plan forward. Outline the next steps you plan to take to bring your business plan to fruition.

Types of business plans

Several types of business plans cater to different purposes and stages of a company's lifecycle. Here are some of the most common types of business plans.

Startup business plan

A startup business plan is typically an entrepreneur's first business plan. This document helps entrepreneurs articulate their business idea when starting a new business.

Not sure how to make a business plan for a startup? It’s pretty similar to a regular business plan, except the primary purpose of a startup business plan is to convince investors to provide funding for the business. A startup business plan also outlines the potential target market, product/service offering, marketing plan, and financial projections.

Strategic business plan

A strategic business plan is a long-term plan that outlines a company's overall strategy, objectives, and tactics. This type of strategic plan focuses on the big picture and helps business owners set goals and priorities and measure progress.

The primary purpose of a strategic business plan is to provide direction and guidance to the company's management team and stakeholders. The plan typically covers a period of three to five years.

Operational business plan

An operational business plan is a detailed document that outlines the day-to-day operations of a business. It focuses on the specific activities and processes required to run the business, such as:

Organizational structure

Staffing plan

Production plan

Quality control

Inventory management

Supply chain

The primary purpose of an operational business plan is to ensure that the business runs efficiently and effectively. It helps business owners manage their resources, track their performance, and identify areas for improvement.

Growth-business plan

A growth-business plan is a strategic plan that outlines how a company plans to expand its business. It helps business owners identify new market opportunities and increase revenue and profitability. The primary purpose of a growth-business plan is to provide a roadmap for the company's expansion and growth.

The 3 Horizons of Growth Template is a great tool to identify new areas of growth. This framework categorizes growth opportunities into three categories: Horizon 1 (core business), Horizon 2 (emerging business), and Horizon 3 (potential business).

One-page business plan

A one-page business plan is a condensed version of a full business plan that focuses on the most critical aspects of a business. It’s a great tool for entrepreneurs who want to quickly communicate their business idea to potential investors, partners, or employees.

A one-page business plan typically includes sections such as business concept, value proposition, revenue streams, and cost structure.

Best practices for how to make a good business plan

Here are some additional tips for creating a business plan:

Use a template

A template can help you organize your thoughts and effectively communicate your business ideas and strategies. Starting with a template can also save you time and effort when formatting your plan.

Miro’s extensive library of customizable templates includes all the necessary sections for a comprehensive business plan. With our templates, you can confidently present your business plans to stakeholders and investors.

Be practical

Avoid overestimating revenue projections or underestimating expenses. Your business plan should be grounded in practical realities like your budget, resources, and capabilities.

Be specific

Provide as much detail as possible in your business plan. A specific plan is easier to execute because it provides clear guidance on what needs to be done and how. Without specific details, your plan may be too broad or vague, making it difficult to know where to start or how to measure success.

Be thorough with your research

Conduct thorough research to fully understand the market, your competitors, and your target audience . By conducting thorough research, you can identify potential risks and challenges your business may face and develop strategies to mitigate them.

Get input from others

It can be easy to become overly focused on your vision and ideas, leading to tunnel vision and a lack of objectivity. By seeking input from others, you can identify potential opportunities you may have overlooked.

Review and revise regularly

A business plan is a living document. You should update it regularly to reflect market, industry, and business changes. Set aside time for regular reviews and revisions to ensure your plan remains relevant and effective.

Create a winning business plan to chart your path to success

Starting or growing a business can be challenging, but it doesn't have to be. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting, a well-written business plan can make or break your business’ success.

The purpose of a business plan is more than just to secure funding and attract investors. It also serves as a roadmap for achieving your business goals and realizing your vision. With the right mindset, tools, and strategies, you can develop a visually appealing, persuasive business plan.

Ready to make an effective business plan that works for you? Check out our library of ready-made strategy and planning templates and chart your path to success.

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How to Build a Detailed Business Plan That Stands Out [Free Template]

Updated: March 29, 2022

Published: March 11, 2022

While starting a company may seem easier now than ever before, entrepreneurs have an uphill battle from the moment they start a business. And without a clear, actionable business plan for selling, marketing, finances, and operations, you're almost destined to face significant challenges.

This is why crafting a business plan is an essential step in the entrepreneurial process.

In this post, we'll walk you through the process of filling out your business plan template, like this free, editable version :

Download a free, editable one-page business plan template.

We know that when looking at a blank page on a laptop screen, the idea of writing your business plan can seem impossible. However, it's a mandatory step to take if you want to turn your business dreams into a reality.

That's why we've crafted a business plan template for you to download and use to build your new company. You can download it here for free . It contains prompts for all of the essential parts of a business plan, all of which are elaborated on, below.

This way, you'll be able to show them how organized and well-thought-out your business idea is, and provide them with answers to whatever questions they may have.

Free Business Plan Template

The essential document for starting a business -- custom built for your needs.

• Outline your idea.
• Pitch to investors.
• Secure funding.
• Get to work!

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Building a Successful Business Plan

In the next section, we'll cover the components of a business plan , such as an executive summary and company description. But before we get to that, let's talk about key elements that should serve as building blocks for your plan.

For some entrepreneurs, the thought of writing a business plan sounds like a chore — a necessary means to an end. But that's a bad take.

A solid business plan is a blueprint for success . It's key to securing financing, presenting your business, outlining your financial projections, and turning that nugget of a business idea into a reality.

At the core, your business plan should answer two questions: why your business and why now?

Investors want to know why your business is entering the market, i.e. what problem it's solving and how it's different from what's currently out there. They also want to know why now is the right time for your type of product or service.

At a minimum, your plan should:

• Be more realistic than idealistic: Too often, business plans focus too much on how things could be instead of how they are. While having a vision is important, your plan needs to be rooted in research and data.
• Legitimize your business idea : If an idea fails on paper, it's a signal to go back to the drawing board. In doing so, you avoid losing precious time or money chasing an unrealistic idea.
• Position your business for funding: To get your business off the ground, chances are you'll need financial backing. Even with a solid business idea, investors, lenders, and banks still need convincing. An effective business plan will outline how much money you need, where it's going, what targets you will hit, and how you plan to repay any debts.
• Lay the foundation: Investors focus on risk – if anything looks shaky, it could be a dealbreaker. Ideally, your business plan will lay down the foundation for how you'll operate your business — from operational needs to financial projections and goals.
• Communicate your needs: It's nearly impossible to communicate your needs if you don't know what they are first. Of course, a business’ needs are always changing — but your plan should give you a well-rounded view of how your business will work in the short and long term.

So back to the question of why and why now – consider three things:

• Your industry – How does your product or service fit within your industry? Are you targeting a specific niche? Where do you see the industry going in the next five to 10 years?
• Your target audience – Who are you targeting? What challenges are they facing? How will your product or service help them in their daily lives?
• Your unique selling proposition (USP) – What sets you apart from your competitors? Is it your product/service features? Your company values? Price?

Once you know the answers to these questions, you'll be equipped to answer the question: why your business and why now.

How to Build a Business Plan

• Executive Summary
• Company and Business Description
• Product and Services Line
• Market Analysis
• Marketing Plan
• Legal Notes
• Financial Considerations

Featured Resource: Free Business Plan Template

1. cover page.

Your business plan should be prefaced with an eye-catching cover page. This means including a high-resolution image of your company logo, followed by your company's name, address, and phone number.

Since this business plan will likely change hands and be seen by multiple investors, you should also provide your own name, role in the business, and email address on the cover page.

At the bottom of this page, you can also add a confidentiality statement to protect against the disclosure of your business details.

The statement can read as follows: " This document contains confidential and proprietary information created by [your company name]. When receiving this document, you agree to keep its content confidential and may only reproduce and/or share it with express written permission of [your company name] ."

Remember to keep your cover page simple and concise — and save the important details for other sections.

Why it matters: First impressions are everything, and a clean cover page is the first step in the right direction.

Example of a Cover Page

2. Executive Summary

The executive summary of your business plan provides a one- to two-page overview of your business and highlights the most crucial pieces of your plan, such as your short-term and long-term goals.

The executive summary is essentially a boiled-down version of your entire business plan, so remember to keep this section to the point and filled only with essential information.

Typically, this brief section includes:

• A mission statement.
• The company's history and leadership model.
• An overview of competitive advantage(s).
• Financial projections.
• Company goals.
• An ask from potential investors.

Why it matters: The executive summary is known as the make-or-break section of a business plan. It influences whether investors turn the page or not — so effectively summarizing your business and the problem it hopes to solve is a must.

Think of the Summary as a written elevator pitch (with more detail). While your business plan provides the nitty-gritty details, your Summary describes — in a compelling but matter-of-fact language — the highlights of your plan. If it's too vague, complicated, or fuzzy, you may need to scrap it and start again.

Example of an Executive Summary Introduction

"The future looks bright for North Side Chicago, particularly the Rock Hill Neighborhood. A number of high-end commercial and residential developments are well on their way, along with two new condo developments in nearby neighborhoods.

While the completion of these developments will increase the population within the neighborhood and stimulate the economy, the area lacks an upscale restaurant where residents and visitors can enjoy fine food and drink. Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant will provide such a place."

3. Company & Business Description

In this section, provide a more thorough description of what your company is and why it exists.

The bulk of the writing in this section should be about your company's purpose – covering what the business will be selling, identifying the target market, and laying out a path to success.

In this portion of your business plan, you can also elaborate on your company's:

• Mission statement
• Core values
• Team and organizational structure

Why it matters: Investors look for great structures and teams in addition to great ideas. This section gives an overview of your businesses' ethos. It's the perfect opportunity to set your business apart from the competition — such as your team's expertise, your unique work culture, and your competitive advantage.

Example of a Values/Mission Statement

"Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant will be the go-to place for people to get a drink or bite in an elegant, upscale atmosphere. The mission is to be North Side's leading restaurant, with the best tasting food and the highest quality service."

3. Product & Services Line

Here's where you'll cover the makeup of your business's product and/or services line. You should provide each product or service's name, its purpose, and a description of how it works (if appropriate). If you own any patents, copyrights, or trademarks, it's essential to include this info too.

Next, add some color to your sales strategy by outlining your pricing model and mark-up amounts.

If you're selling tangible products, you should also explain production and costs, and how you expect these factors to change as you scale.

Why it matters: This section contains the real meat of your business plan. It sets the stage for the problem you hope to solve, your solution, and how your said solution fits in the market.

There's no one-size-fits-all formula for this section. For instance, one plan may delve into its ability to market in a more cost-effective way than the competition, whereas another plan focuses on its key products and their unique features and benefits.

Regardless of your angle, it's critical to convey how your offerings will differ from the competition.

Example of a Product/Service Offering

"The menu at Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant will focus on Moroccan cuisine. The stars of the menu (our specialties) are the Moroccan dishes, such as eggplant zaalouk, seafood bastilla, tagine, and chickpea stew. For those who enjoy American dishes, there will also be a variety of options, from burger sliders and flatbread pizza to grilled steak and salads.

The food at Jay Street will have premium pricing to match its upscale atmosphere. During the summer months, the restaurant will have extra seating on the patio where clients can enjoy a special summer menu. We will be open on all days of the week."

4. Market Analysis

It helps to reference your market research documentation in this section, like a Porter's Five Forces Analysis or a SWOT Analysis ( templates for those are available here ). You can also include them in your appendix.

If your company already has buyer personas, you should include them here as well. If not, you can create them right now using the Make My Persona Tool .

Why it matters: Having an awesome product is, well, awesome — but it isn't enough. Just as important, there must be a market for it.

This section allows you to dig deeper into your market, which segments you want to target, and why. The "why" here is important, since targeting the right segment is critical for the success and growth of your business.

It's easy to get lost (or overwhelmed) in a sea of endless data. For your business plan, narrow your focus by answering the following questions:

• What is my market? In other words, who are my customers?
• What segments of the market do I want to target?
• What's the size of my target market?
• Is my market likely to grow?
• How can I increase my market share over time?

Example of a Market Analysis

"Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant will target locals who live and work within the Rock Hill Neighborhood and the greater North Side Chicago area. We will also target the tourists who flock to the many tourist attractions and colleges on the North Side.

We will specifically focus on young to middle-aged adults with an income of $40,000 to $80,000 who are looking for an upscale experience. The general demographics of our target market are women between 20 to 50 years old.

A unique and varied Moroccan-American menu, along with our unique upscale atmosphere, differentiates us from competitors in the area. Jay Street will also set itself apart through its commitment to high-quality food, service, design, and atmosphere."

5. Marketing Plan

Unlike the market analysis section, your marketing plan section should be an explanation of the tactical approach to reaching your aforementioned target audience. List your advertising channels, organic marketing methods, messaging, budget, and any relevant promotional tactics.

If your company has a fully fleshed-out marketing plan, you can attach it in the appendix of your business plan. If not, download this free marketing plan template to outline your strategy.

Free Marketing Plan Template

Outline your company's marketing strategy in one simple, coherent plan.

• Pre-Sectioned Template
• Completely Customizable
• Example Prompts
• Professionally Designed

Why it matters: Marketing is what puts your product in front of your customers. It's not just advertising — it's an investment in your business.

Throwing money into random marketing channels is a haphazard approach, which is why it's essential to do the legwork to create a solid marketing plan.

Here's some good news — by this point, you should have a solid understanding of your target market. Now, it's time to determine how you'll reach them.

Example of a Marketing Plan Overview

"Our marketing strategy will focus on three main initiatives:

• Social media marketing. We will grow and expand our Facebook and Instagram following through targeted social media ads.
• Website initiatives. Our website will attract potential visitors by offering updated menus and a calendar of events.
• Promotional events. Jay Street will have one special theme night per week to attract new clients."

6. Sales Plan

It doesn't matter if your sales department is an office full of business development representatives (BDR) or a dozen stores with your products on their shelves.

The point is: All sales plans are different, so you should clearly outline yours here. Common talking points include your:

• Sales team structure, and why this structure was chosen.
• Sales channels.
• Sales tools, software, and resources.
• Prospecting strategy.
• Sales goals and budget.

Like with your marketing plan, it might make sense to attach your completed sales plan to the appendix of your business plan. You can download a template for building your sales plan here .

Why it matters: Among other things, investors are interested in the scalability of your business — which is why growth strategies are a critical part of your business plan.

Your sales plan should describe your plan to attract customers, retain them (if applicable), and, ultimately, grow your business. Be sure to outline what you plan to do given your existing resources and what results you expect from your work.

Example of a Sales Plan Overview

"The most important goal is to ensure financial success for Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant. We believe we can achieve this by offering excellent food, entertainment, and service to our clients.

We are not a low-cost dining option in the area. Instead, the food will have premium pricing to match its upscale feel. The strategy is to give Jay Street a perception of elegance through its food, entertainment, and excellent service."

7. Legal Notes

Your investors may want to know the legal structure of your business, as that could directly impact the risk of their investments. For example, if you're looking for business partners to engage in a non-corporation or LLC partnership, this means they could be on the line for more than their actual investment.

Because this clarification is often needed, explain if you are and/or plan to become a sole proprietor, partnership, corporation, LLC, or other.

You should also outline the steps you have taken (or will need to take) to operate legally. This includes licenses, permits, registrations, and insurance.

The last thing your investor wants to hear after they've sent you a big chunk of change is that you're operating without proper approval from the local, state, or federal government.

Why it matters: The last thing your investor wants to hear after they've sent you a big chunk of change is that you're operating without proper approval from the local, state, or federal government.

Example of Legal Notes

"Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant is up-to-date on all restaurant licenses and health permits. Our business name and logo are registered trademarks, presenting the possibility of expanding locally."

8. Financial Considerations

Ultimately, investors want to know two things:

• When they will earn their money back.
• When they will start seeing returns on their initial investment.

That said, be clear, calculated, and convincing in this section. It should cover:

• Startup costs.
• Sales forecasts for the next several months/quarters.
• Break-even analysis for time and dollars.
• Projected profit and loss (P&L) statement.

Facts and figures are key here, so be as specific as possible with each line item and projection. In addition, explain the "why" behind each of these sections.

However, keep in mind that information overload is a risk, especially when it comes to data. So, if you have pages upon pages of charts and spreadsheets for this section, distill them into a page or two and include the rest of the sheets in the appendix. This section should only focus on key data points.

Why it matters: One of the most important aspects of becoming "investor ready" is knowing your numbers. More importantly, you need to understand how those numbers will enhance your business.

While it's easy to write a number down on paper, it's more important to understand (and communicate) why you need capital, where it's going, and that your evaluation makes sense.

Example of Financial Projections

"Based on our knowledge and experience in the restaurant industry, we have come up with projections for the business.

Starting with an expenditure of $400,000 in year 1, we forecast sales of $1,500,000 and $2,800,000 for years two and three. We expect to achieve a net profit of 15% by year three."

9. Appendix

A detailed and well-developed business plan can range anywhere from 20 to 50 pages, with some even reaching upward of 80.

In many cases, the appendix is the longest section. Why? Because it includes the supportive materials mentioned in previous sections. To avoid disrupting the flow of the business plan with visuals, charts, and spreadsheets, business owners usually add them in the last section, i.e. the appendix.

Aside from what we've already mentioned – marketing plan, sales plan, department budgets, financial documents – you may also want to attach the following in the appendix:

• Marketing materials
• Market research data
• Licensing documentation
• Branding assets
• Floor plans for your location
• Mockups of your product
• Renderings of your office space or location design

Adding these pieces to the appendix enriches the reader's understanding of your business and proves you've put the work into your business plan without distracting from the main points throughout the plan.

Why it matters: An appendix helps the reader do their due diligence. It contains everything they need to support your business plan.

Keep in mind, however, that an appendix is typically necessary only if you're seeking financing or looking to attract business partners.

Use a Business Plan Template to Get Started

Writing a business plan shouldn't be an insurmountable roadblock to starting a business. Unfortunately, for all too many, it is.

That's why we recommend using our free business plan template. Pre-filled with detailed section prompts for all of the topics in this blog post, we're confident this template will get your business plan started in the right direction.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in June 2017 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Don't forget to share this post!

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What is a Business Blueprint? 7 Steps to Develop One Enclosed…

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If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What is a Business Blueprint?”, I can assure you there are many different definitions and strategies for creating one. I want to share with you the blueprint that works for me in hopes it can also work for you.

There is a huge danger when you have too many business growth shortages where supply and demand is not regulated properly.  When the business grows faster than the entrepreneur is responding, it creates a bottleneck of too much work, and an insufficient labor force to handle it.  With this shortage , people get overwhelmed, frustrated, lose their social lives, and over a long period, they may give up.

When I’m asked “What is a Business Blueprint?”, I respond by explaining how it’s the solution to bottlenecks that can exhaust the workers and cause the business to fail.

What is a Business Blueprint Definition?

When building a house, the blueprint is the strategic plan that tells the construction workers and their managers the logistic requirements to build the house, where each part of the facility will be placed, and helps them to maintain order as they build the house.  Similarly, a business blueprint is a strategic plan that tells those operating the business the productivity requirements, the necessary jobs, the milestones, the targets, and the expected outcomes.  A business blueprint is a plan for how you will strategically execute business.

Facts and Stats answering “What is a Business Blueprint?”

Palo Alto did a study that confirmed those who did a business plan were twice as likely to grow their businesses or secure capital.  The study results showed:

2,877 people completed the survey. Of those, 995 had completed a plan.

• 297 of them (36%) secured a loan
• 280 of them (36%) secured investment capital
• 499 of them (64%) had grown their business

1,556 of the 2,877 had not yet completed their plan.

• 222 of them (18%) secured a loan
• 219 of them (18%) secured investment capital
• 501 of them (43%) had grown their business

• A business is not made successful by the plan alone, there also has to be a mentality that makes it work
• Business plans allow entrepreneurs to strategically work ON the business rather than solely working IN the business
• By planning, you make strategic goals that drive you closer to the vision, mission, and purpose of the business, and closer to your overall life plan

What a Business Blueprint is NOT

• A Business Blueprint is not the business
• It is not a guarantee the business will work
• It is not a way around the importance of people and mindset to make a business successful
• It is not simply verbiage written to appease lenders and investors

The business blueprint should be a composition of documents that tells about the idea you have for a business, how to manifest the idea, who will help you, and milestones on your way.  There are several different business plan templates that help to bring clarity as you document key performance indicators that are necessary to make your business work.

Components of a Business Blueprint

For a business blueprint to be successful, you have to be clear about several things.  The business blueprint is a document that gives the details about the money machine you’ve invented (the business), and how anyone can make it work.  The business blueprint includes the Life Plan, the Organization Chart, the Position Contracts, the Job Prototypes, and the Business Plan.

Your Life Plan

Your Life Plan is the foundation of the business blueprint.  The business is not your life, but it’s a vehicle you use to manifest components of your legacy–this is HUGE!  The life plan “begins with the end in mind” as Stephen Covey would say by having you look at the most important things you want your life to say to the world, and sets milestones for how you can ensure the message and impact is left behind.

Businesses can be huge legacy vehicles to build leaders, cement relationships, transform limiting beliefs, change economic climates, and impact the world with solutions.  If there’s no life plan, the business can become synonymous with the entrepreneur or become stigmatized as “work” only.

Organization Chart

It can seem funny to complete an organization chart without having a sizeable organization, but the organization chart is a crucial component of planning before a bottleneck.  When you do the organization chart before having an organization, it’s simply for planning and future thinking purposes, but it’s so important.  You begin to think about what positions the business would need to operate with peak performance.

Of course, this organization chart will change as you gain more operational knowledge, but it’s important to plan to scale before growth, so you don’t feel “stuck” in a stockpile of work once the lead generation system matures.

You can write down positions and a brief description like:

Chief Operations Officer – Ensures the promises are kept to the customers.  Provides direct oversight to Vice President/Marketing, Vice President/Finance, and Vice President/Operations.

Other common organizational positions are:

• Sales Manager
• Vice President/Marketing
• Vice President/Finance
• Vice President/Operations
• Customer Service
• Marketing Specialist (could be broken into several specifications)
• Sales Apprentice
• and so on…

In the beginning, the entrepreneur may wear all of the hats, but it’s important to distinguish what the hats are, so as the workload increases, you can decide which positions are most vital, present the new hire with the operations manual and accountability, replace yourself, and begin prototyping the next position.

Position Contracts

Similar to a job description, a position contract tells you what tasks each position is responsible for, the quality standards, the expected outcomes, who they report to, how the position fits into the company mission and vision, and so on.  Even while you are a small company and wear several of the positions, it’s still important to recognize what tasks you’re responsible for, consistently execute them, and document.  Once your able to hire, you can take the work you’ve done to fill the position, and brief the new hire on where you left off and give them the operations manual.

Job Prototypes

As an entrepreneur who works ON the job, and not just IN the job, you should be documenting how you are doing each task necessary to make the business run.  The compilation of documentation should be kept in your training manuals for your new hires.  The operations manuals will enable you to provide instruction and accountability as a leader to the new hires.  It will also stabilize consistent processes, so your customers know they can expect equivalent quality standards every time they return: regardless of who serves them.

Business Plan

The business plan should tell how your goals and outcomes you want to see to identify that your business systems are working.  It should give details about your Lead Generation System, Lead Conversion System, your Leadership System, your Management System, and your Branding System .

7 Steps for How To Develop a Business Blueprint

To complete a Business Blueprint that can help to guide you in your business, you should follow these 7 steps:

1. Create your life plan

You can download this life plan template here, and use it to gain clarity for how you would like to live your life.  It’s important to put the business in perspective and to understand how it plays into your life.

2. Take time to develop your vision, mission, and purpose statements

Your vision, mission, and purpose statements tell us:

Why you do what you do?

How you do what you do?

and, Where do you see this all going?

It’s very important for creating a viral culture.  People want to know they are investing into something that’s bigger than a simple product or service transaction.

3. Complete your organization charts, job prototypes, and position contracts

Decide who you’ll need to make your business work and begin documenting the tasks they’ll need to perform and the standard you want to see.

4. Create your business plan

Whether a 1-page business plan or a 100-page business plan, it’s important to be clear about what you’re trying to do with your business, the experiments you’re doing, and their outcomes.

5. Compile it all neatly

You can use sheet protectors, binders, or a completely digital setup–whichever is most comfortable for you.  You want to make sure the documents are neat, orderly, and positioned where you can continually reference them.

6. Keep it where you can look over it regularly

You can keep your documents in your home office or wherever it would be most convenient for you to look over them regularly.

7. Continually improve and update your documents

These documents are living documents, they require ongoing revisits and updates as you see what you’re capable of.  You can challenge yourself and those in your organization, you should accept feedback, test, and modify.

Recommended Reading:

Theses are some articles that go further in detail on some of the concepts mentioned in the post:

• How to Create a Job Prototype
• How to Create a Training Manual
• 7 Business Systems Every Business Must Have
• Why Most Small Businesses Fail
• 33 Questions that Will Grow Your Business

Last Words answering, “What is a Business Blueprint?”

The goal of this article was to answer the question “What is a Business Blueprint?”.  A business blueprint can be very helpful to provide direction as a business grows.  It also helps entrepreneurs to balance technical activities with strategic activities that enable them to grow successful businesses.

If  you’d like to start or scale your business, check out my free e-course . It’s a framework to grow a business: from idea to enterprise. Check out my free e-course here.

Now, it’s Your Turn…

Have you created a business blueprint?  Have you created a business plan or something similar?  Has it been helpful to you?  Why or why not?

Ready to Take the Next Step to Grow Your Business? If so, Start Here

• Phase Eight: Build Your Seven Business Systems [Leadership System] , Phase Ten: Scale and Grow

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What is A Business Plan & How To Design It?

By Midori Nediger , Jul 11, 2023

A business plan outlines the goals of your business and how it plans to achieve them.

Real important – because without it, it’s like running a business in the dark. It’s like a roadmap that guides your company’s direction and helps everyone stay on track.

Gone are the days when designing a business plan from scratch was a time-consuming and challenging task. Today, business plan templates offer a convenient solution by providing pre-designed layouts that simplify the process.

In this blog, I’m going to break it down for you. I’ll share the six things you need to know to put together a compelling, engaging business plan. Ready to get started now? Venngage’s online Business Plan Maker  lets anyone create a winning business plan quickly and easily.

Click to jump ahead:

• How to format your business plan

Startup business plan templates

Simple business plan templates.

• How to write your business plan
• How to design an engaging executive summary
• How to use charts and graphs to present data
• How to communicate growth strategies in your business plan

How to present financial data in your business plan

How to format your business plan.

To format your business plan:

• Start with a clear title page.
• Include an executive summary.
• Provide a company description.
• Conduct a market analysis.
• Describe your product or service offering.
• Outline your marketing and sales strategy.
• Include organizational or business structure and management information.

A typical business plan is an in-depth document and covers every facet of your business (present and future). Creating a traditional business plan makes sense when you have a clear growth plan for the next three to five years, are in need of major funding, or want to attract long-term partners.  

A professional business plan typically has the following sections: 

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

A business plan can span a dozen or more pages because it presents the big picture, as complete as possible, to reassure others to invest in you. Investment can mean a few different things – usually financial, but also as partners or employees. 

The sections that can take a lot of research and add to the bulk of your business plan are your market analysis, marketing and sales plans, and financial projections. 

These are the sections that demonstrate your business acumen, your long-term vision, and your accountability. Whereas, sections like the executive summary are meant to grab attention, inspire and get people excited about your business. 

Start with a business plan template

To get started on your business plan, save yourself some time and use a template.

Most business plan templates will include things like a cover page, table of contents and the main sections you need. It will also have pre-formatted pages with placeholder text and charts that you can swap out. 

It takes time to do market research, present growth plans, put together financial projections, analyze your customer base, create competitor breakdowns…the list goes on.

The last thing you want to do is spend precious time formatting the resulting document. 

Save time by building your business plan from an existing business plan template, and customize it with your own content.

With a clean, consistent structure and clear headings, this template is the perfect starting point:

Then you’re free to customize the template with helpful visual elements like charts, tables, and diagrams, that will make your business pitch impossible to resist.

A Venngage business plan template is designed to help you communicate visually  and explain complex ideas easily. The right business plan template for you depends on the length and detail of your business plan, your brand and style, and the different sections you want to cover.

If your small business doesn’t have a dedicated design team, but you still need to learn how to write a business plan to present to investors–build off of a pre-designed business plan template:

There are just a handful of our business plan templates that can be customized in the Venngage editor. Browse more business plan templates,  choose one that’s best for you and start editing right away.

Structuring your startup business plan involves organizing it into sections such as executive summary, company description, market analysis, product/service offering, marketing and sales strategy, financial projections, and operational plan.

Here are some business plan template examples:

Short Business Plan Template

Number your pages and include a table of contents

A table of contents is crucial to help readers navigate your document and quickly find specific sections that are of interest to them.

It’s a good idea to include page numbers, main section headings, and section subheadings here for easy reference.

Keeping these tips in mind will ensure that your business plan design feels clean and professional and doesn’t distract from your content. You want your information, not your formatting, to be the focus!

How to write your business plan 

Here are three tips for writing your business plan to ensure it’s easy to read, appears professional and is memorable.

Use bulleted lists, bold text, and a clear type hierarchy for ‘skimmability’

Business plans need to be understandable at a glance to attract funding . Investors are looking for information that will help them understand your business quickly and without much effort.

Take a look at this snippet of the business plan template from above:

What stands out to you?

To me, the large green headers pop out first, making it easy to scan through the sections to find what I want to focus on.

This is because there’s a defined type hierarchy, giving more visual weight to the headers over the body text.

Next, the unique selling points of this business–superior quality products, unique glass carving and brass inlays, and excellent service–jump out. Because they’re presented in an indented list , they’re easier to see at a glance, which will likely make them more memorable.

Finally, I’m drawn to the bolded stats–“top 30% of the industry” and “4 out of 5 households spent money on renovation”.

Key statistics like these can go a long way towards convincing your investors that you’re worth their time and money. If you’re going to include them within larger paragraphs, make sure they stand out by increasing their font weight.

To sum up: make your report skimmable. Draw attention to important takeaways with indented lists, bolded text, and a clear type hierarchy.

Consider using a one-column or two-column grid

If your business plan contains only text, stick with a single-column layout that reinforces the linear flow of the document. If your business plan includes some supporting data in the form of charts and tables, use a two-column layout to juxtapose text with its corresponding data.

Maintain page margins that set text at a readable line length

When we read long passages of text, the ease at which we read depends on how the text flows on the page. Something called line length (the number of characters in a horizontal line of text) plays a huge role in readability, and is something you should consider when formatting your business plan.

To dictate line length, designers and typesetters play with the width of page margins (the edges of a document that don’t contain any text or images) with the aim of maximizing readability.

It’s generally accepted that the ideal line length sits somewhere between 40 and 90 characters per line. Any longer or shorter and you’ll find that something feels “off” about your document.

How do you achieve this in your business plan?

If you use a single-column layout, use nice wide margins (1 ½ to 2 inches) to limit your text to less than 90 characters per line.

With a two-column layout, you might need to use narrower margins (possibly as little as ½ an inch on either side) to make sure there’s enough space for at least 40 characters per line of text.

The last thing to remember about margins and line length–don’t play around with them from page to page. Use consistent margins across your whole document.

How to design an executive summary

An executive summary is a snapshot of your business plan. It should be concise and hook your readers. It should reassure stakeholders that your business plan will be a worthwhile read.

How you choose to structure your executive summary is key. You can deliver a lot of excellent information that simply gets lost in a sea of text and paragraphs. Even if someone reads through it entirely, they may have missed something.

To make key information stand out, use vibrant headings, incorporate visuals throughout, and break up the layout of your text.

Not every investor looks for the same thing. Some will care more about who you or your executive team are, while another is interested solely in the financials of the business. Identifying each section makes it easy for readers to find exactly what they’re looking for.

You can also list out the key takeaways, briefly explaining them in the executive summary. If your reader finds everything they needed to know in the executive summary, they’ll happily move onto the rest of the business plan.

Use one feature color to tie your business plan together

Color should be used with restraint in professional documents like business plans. Instead of adding color solely for aesthetic purposes, think of color selection as another tool to highlight information you want your reader to focus on and to tie the document together.

You shouldn’t need more than a single color (ideally one of your brand colors ) to achieve this in a business plan.

In business plan charts, color should be used only to clarify trends and relationships. Use color to emphasize single important data points, differentiate between real and projected values, or group related data:

In the rest of your business plan, keep color to a minimum. At most, use it to make headers stand out or to highlight key points in long-form text, diagrams, or tables.

The nice thing about keeping document colors this simple? It’s hard to mess up, and without any complex design work, it creates a sense of cohesion and unity within a document.

How to use charts and graphs to present your data

Since your business plan should be backed by solid data, you might want to include some of that data as evidence, in the form of  charts, tables or diagrams . Even simple visuals can communicate better than long paragraphs of text.

I’ll touch on some specific types of charts commonly used in business plans next, but first let’s review a few general chart design tactics.

Use descriptive titles and annotations to spell out chart takeaways

Avoid generic headers whenever possible. Maximize your chart’s value and impact by providing takeaway messages right in the title.

In the same vein, add direct annotations to data points or trends that support your case.

Repeating key messages within a chart, in the title, annotations, and captions, may improve viewers understanding and recall of those messages .

Aid understanding of market size and market share with area charts and pie charts

A market potential analysis is a fundamental pillar of your business plan. Market size and market share are two major components of a market potential analysis.

These numbers are typically in the millions and billions (the bigger the better, really), but most people have trouble grasping the meaning of such big numbers . At a surface level we can understand that one billion is one thousand times larger than one million, but we often struggle to comprehend what that really means.

This is the perfect opportunity to add some visual aids to your business plan.

Use bubble charts to represent market size

Bubble charts are useful for showing general proportions among numbers. Check out this one from our redesigned version of AirBnb’s first pitch deck :

Without having to think about the absolute values of these very large numbers, we can quickly see how they relate to one another.

While bubble charts are good for making quick, general comparisons, they’re less useful when it comes to precise measurements. To help readers make slightly more accurate judgements of proportion:

Use pie or donut charts to represent market share and market composition

Pie and donut charts are the industry standard for showing market share and market composition, since they’re the most widely understood method for representing part-to-whole relationships.

The way Uber breaks down their market with a simple donut chart makes their biggest segment (a key takeaway) really stand out, while the subtler differences between the smaller segments are still evident.

When you present a market analysis, use pie charts, donut charts, or bubble charts to aid the reader understanding proportions and part-to-whole relationships.

Use histograms and bar charts to represent demographic distributions in market segmentation summaries

Another part of analyzing market potential is about identifying and understanding target customers. This means segmenting customers by geography, interests, demographics…really anything that might affect purchasing behaviour.

Two standard metrics that most businesses include in a market segmentation summary are customer age and gender. These data are easily summarized in a histogram, with bars that represent age group distribution.

Bar charts can then be used to contrast the key behaviors and lifestyle choices of the top consumer segments.

Histograms and bar charts are standard features of a market segmentation summary. Use them together to identify and present information about top customer segments.

Outline major milestones with a Gantt chart

Stakeholders will want to see that you have a concrete plan in place to help you reach your revenue goals. When formulating your goals, use the SMART principle to provide your stakeholders with a very clear vision of how you intend to achieve them. 

Use a Gantt chart (a sort of modified bar chart) to outline the major milestones and phases of your business strategy. Try to include a multi-year plan, broken down by quarter and by project or department.

You can create your own Gantt chart with Venngage.

How to communicate growth strategies in your business plan

No matter how impressive your product line or services, your business won’t just magically grow. You concrete marketing and sales plans in place, and effectively communicate strategies to your stakeholders.

Start by acknowledging your target market – who are you going after? This is what your marketing and sales efforts will revolve around after all.

Demonstrate an understanding of the competitor landscape. You will always have direct or indirect competition, and showing how your planning accounts for it is key. Then you can talk about actual plans and strategies you wish to implement.

Present your target audience with persona guides

A product may great on its own. But its value is determined when there is a clear and obvious market for it. You can point out shortcomings of your competition, but you also need to show that your target audience exists and how you’re serving them.

A persona guide provides a great deal of context to readers of your business plan. It’s the best way for them to understand who cares about your product or service, how it aligns with their lifestyle and needs, and why your marketing and sales tactics will work.

A persona guide needs to be detailed, and share an intimate understanding of your target audience. The more you can divulge, the more reassuring your research and overall business plan will be.

Even if you don’t have a substantial customer base, you can still create an ideal persona guide to show who you’re pursuing.

Highlight competitors and differentiate yourself with a SWOT analysis

Every business plan should include an analysis of the competitive landscape–an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of competitive businesses.

In terms of visuals, this competitive analysis is typically summarized in a SWOT analysis matrix .

You can also present the SWOT analysis as a table or a list. The layout is up to you, but you want to focus on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in relation to your competition.

While the SWOT analysis framework provides valuable insights, it’s not the entire reflection of your competitive landscape. For example, it doesn’t make it easy to see at a glance the qualities that differentiate your business from your competitors.

To highlight those offerings that set you apart from your competitors, a comparison matrix is more effective. Take a look at these two templates:

With a direct competitor comparison, it’s easy to present the key differentiators between the existing options for a product or service, and your business.

Alternatively, a “ Magic Quadrant ” can be useful when you’re focused on comparing across two main metrics ( key differentiators ):

Finally, in a competitive market, there are going to be a lot of players who compete directly or indirectly with you.  A breakdown of them all may not be necessary. Instead, you can point visually to the space that you will address, that has been so far ignored up to now.

To do that, a prioritization chart can be used. By plotting competing businesses on a prioritization chart, you highlight experiences existing competitors focus on, and where your business falls. 

Use roadmaps to present your marketing and sales plans

To explain any long-term marketing or sales plan, you want visuals. It’s easier to break down strategies you’ll be deploying every month or each quarter, when you can actually show what you’re talking about.

Keep in mind, those reading your business plan may not be marketers or sales executives. Being able to lay out your approach in a way that’s organized, shows how much thought you’ve given to your growth strategies.

You can design a simple roadmap that points to what you’ll be doing throughout the year. The more detailed you can get, the better.

You can also present your product roadmap , with your marketing roadmap how the business will be growing overall.

You don’t need to use a traditional roadmap layout, either. Experiment with different formats as you may find one easier to work with than another. As long as the time period for different strategies is clear, your roadmap will be easy to understand.

Presenting financial data isn’t easy. You have to crunch a lot of numbers before you can share projections with confidence. You’ll also need to explain how you arrived at the numbers and prepare for your answers.

Understanding how to organize your information is key to walking potential investors and other stakeholders through your projections.

Use organizational flow charts and summary tables for budget breakdowns and financial summaries

The financials section of your business plan will get a lot of attention from stakeholders. Simple bar charts and pie charts won’t suffice, as they can’t present financial data in very much detail.

If your business has already been operating for some time, stakeholders will expect a detailed report of revenues and expenses. Tables are usually the best choice for this kind of financial summary, as they provide an unbiased view of the numbers and allow stakeholders to look up specific values.

If you’re interested in highlighting a particular trend, however, you may want to include a line chart featuring a smaller snapshot of your financial data:

If you’re just starting your business and you don’t have any detailed revenue data, you can still provide useful information about your budget. Outline higher-level budget allocation with an organizational flow chart .

Use line or bar graphs to visualize financial trends

You can use different types of graphs to also show how your business has performed thus far. 

You can share results over the course of a year with a line graph. This is effective to show an overall set of trends and growth rates. 

You can also compare previous years to highlight how your business has grown.

Your audience should be able to draw conclusions from your data within seconds. If there is simply too much information, or it’s hard to find important information, they will lose interest. 

Looking for a business plan software to help save time and reduce errors? Pick from one of these 7 best business plan software to get started.

A quick summary 

A business plan is the one key document that every young business needs to present their vision to potential investors and other stakeholders.

The quality of a business plan can make or break a young business Here’s a quick recap of what we covered for you to keep in mind:

• Get started with a template
• Use a table of contents and numbered pages
• Use lists, bold headings and aim for skimmability
• Consider using a one-column or two-column
• Maintain page margins
• Use headings to identify the most important information
• Use one thematic color palette for your design
• Use descriptive titles and annotations
• Use area and pie charts to explain market size and market share
• Use pie/donut charts to visualize marketing share and market composition
• Use bar charts and histograms to capture demographics data
• Highlight major milestones with a gantt chart
• Identify your target audience using persona guides
• Differentiate yourself with a SWOT analysis/competitor chart
• Use roadmaps to visualize your marketing and sales plans
• Use flow charts and summary tables for financial breakdowns
• Use line or bar graphs for financial trends and projection

You can always reference this post as you work on your business plan. I’ve also included additional blog posts you can reference for specific areas of your business plan.

More Resources for business planning and growth:

• Growth Strategy Checklist: Plan Your Business Goals With These 5 Templates
• What is a Marketing Plan & How to Create One [with Examples]
• How to Communicate Strategy To Your Team Effectively
• 50+ Essential Business Report Examples with Templates

How to write a business plan

Writing a business plan will help nail down your idea and give you a blueprint for executing it.

What is a business plan?

A business plan describes your product or service, identifies who the customer is, explains why they need your product or service, and shows how you’ll make money from that opportunity.

Why write a business plan

How you write a business plan will depend on what you need it to do. There are a couple of key jobs a business plan can have. It can:

• explain a business idea
• convince lenders or investors to put money behind that business idea

It doesn’t take a book to do the first job. You can write a business plan that’s short, to the point, and easy to update. That may be all you ever need. But if you’re going for funding, your business plan will need to be a good deal longer and more comprehensive.

Why every business should start with a one-pager

Even if you will eventually write a long business plan, a one-pager is a great place to start. It could take as little as an hour to do your first draft and will make your idea stronger. Writing about customers, competitors, income and expenses will help develop your thinking.

How to write a one-page business plan

You’ll see in the example below that there are nine sections, or things to write about. So give yourself just a small space to write about each. Keeping it short will help you focus on what’s important.

Download a one-page business plan template.

When you need a longer business plan

The greater the risk you’re taking, the more comprehensive your plan should be. For instance, you’ll need to write a long-form business plan if you’re going to fund it with other people’s money. Banks and investors will expect it.

How to write a longer business plan

Long-form business plans touch on all the same things as a one-pager, but they go into more detail and contain fewer assumptions.

Back-of-the-napkin numbers are replaced by forecasts and budgets. And guesstimates for things like costs, market size, customer preferences, and competitor weaknesses need to be backed up with proof. It’s a good idea to involve an accountant or bookkeeper in developing the budgeting and finance sections.

Contents of a business plan:

• Executive summary: A short summary of the main points of your business plan. Write it last.
• Company overview: Identify your industry, what you’re selling, and how you’ll charge.
• Products or services: Include a description of the problem you’re solving for customers.
• Market analysis: Describe your target market, and examine the competition.
• Risk assessment: Flag potential hurdles (including assumptions that could be proved wrong).
• Marketing and sales plan: How will you find customers and make sales? How many sales will there be?
• Milestones: What needs to happen and when?
• Progress reporting: When and how will you report against the milestones?
• Team: Who will be involved in the business? Note their skills and responsibilities.
• Budget: Estimate your costs and income (and any debt that you plan to take on).
• Finance: Show how you’ll fund the business.

You can also add an appendix with any supporting or background documents.

Make a start by downloading our free business plan template.

How not to write a business plan

Avoid these common business planning mistakes:

• Underestimating how much money it will take to get started
• Failing to budget for the first few months of operation (before revenues start flowing)
• Expecting sales to ramp up too fast
• Relying too heavily on one or two customers (or suppliers)
• Not including contingencies for unexpected delays or costs

For more information, visit the SBA (Small Business Administration) page on writing a business plan , which comes complete with templates to help get you started.

Xero does not provide accounting, tax, business or legal advice. This guide has been provided for information purposes only. You should consult your own professional advisors for advice directly relating to your business or before taking action in relation to any of the content provided.

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What Is a Business Plan?

Understanding business plans, how to write a business plan, common elements of a business plan, how often should a business plan be updated, the bottom line, business plan: what it is, what's included, and how to write one.

Adam Hayes, Ph.D., CFA, is a financial writer with 15+ years Wall Street experience as a derivatives trader. Besides his extensive derivative trading expertise, Adam is an expert in economics and behavioral finance. Adam received his master's in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology. He is a CFA charterholder as well as holding FINRA Series 7, 55 & 63 licenses. He currently researches and teaches economic sociology and the social studies of finance at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

A business plan is a document that details a company's goals and how it intends to achieve them. Business plans can be of benefit to both startups and well-established companies. For startups, a business plan can be essential for winning over potential lenders and investors. Established businesses can find one useful for staying on track and not losing sight of their goals. This article explains what an effective business plan needs to include and how to write one.

Key Takeaways

• A business plan is a document describing a company's business activities and how it plans to achieve its goals.
• Startup companies use business plans to get off the ground and attract outside investors.
• For established companies, a business plan can help keep the executive team focused on and working toward the company's short- and long-term objectives.
• There is no single format that a business plan must follow, but there are certain key elements that most companies will want to include.

Investopedia / Ryan Oakley

Any new business should have a business plan in place prior to beginning operations. In fact, banks and venture capital firms often want to see a business plan before they'll consider making a loan or providing capital to new businesses.

Even if a business isn't looking to raise additional money, a business plan can help it focus on its goals. A 2017 Harvard Business Review article reported that, "Entrepreneurs who write formal plans are 16% more likely to achieve viability than the otherwise identical nonplanning entrepreneurs."

Ideally, a business plan should be reviewed and updated periodically to reflect any goals that have been achieved or that may have changed. An established business that has decided to move in a new direction might create an entirely new business plan for itself.

There are numerous benefits to creating (and sticking to) a well-conceived business plan. These include being able to think through ideas before investing too much money in them and highlighting any potential obstacles to success. A company might also share its business plan with trusted outsiders to get their objective feedback. In addition, a business plan can help keep a company's executive team on the same page about strategic action items and priorities.

Business plans, even among competitors in the same industry, are rarely identical. However, they often have some of the same basic elements, as we describe below.

While it's a good idea to provide as much detail as necessary, it's also important that a business plan be concise enough to hold a reader's attention to the end.

While there are any number of templates that you can use to write a business plan, it's best to try to avoid producing a generic-looking one. Let your plan reflect the unique personality of your business.

Many business plans use some combination of the sections below, with varying levels of detail, depending on the company.

The length of a business plan can vary greatly from business to business. Regardless, it's best to fit the basic information into a 15- to 25-page document. Other crucial elements that take up a lot of space—such as applications for patents—can be referenced in the main document and attached as appendices.

These are some of the most common elements in many business plans:

• Executive summary: This section introduces the company and includes its mission statement along with relevant information about the company's leadership, employees, operations, and locations.
• Products and services: Here, the company should describe the products and services it offers or plans to introduce. That might include details on pricing, product lifespan, and unique benefits to the consumer. Other factors that could go into this section include production and manufacturing processes, any relevant patents the company may have, as well as proprietary technology . Information about research and development (R&D) can also be included here.
• Market analysis: A company needs to have a good handle on the current state of its industry and the existing competition. This section should explain where the company fits in, what types of customers it plans to target, and how easy or difficult it may be to take market share from incumbents.
• Marketing strategy: This section can describe how the company plans to attract and keep customers, including any anticipated advertising and marketing campaigns. It should also describe the distribution channel or channels it will use to get its products or services to consumers.
• Financial plans and projections: Established businesses can include financial statements, balance sheets, and other relevant financial information. New businesses can provide financial targets and estimates for the first few years. Your plan might also include any funding requests you're making.

The best business plans aren't generic ones created from easily accessed templates. A company should aim to entice readers with a plan that demonstrates its uniqueness and potential for success.

2 Types of Business Plans

Business plans can take many forms, but they are sometimes divided into two basic categories: traditional and lean startup. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) , the traditional business plan is the more common of the two.

• Traditional business plans : These plans tend to be much longer than lean startup plans and contain considerably more detail. As a result they require more work on the part of the business, but they can also be more persuasive (and reassuring) to potential investors.
• Lean startup business plans : These use an abbreviated structure that highlights key elements. These business plans are short—as short as one page—and provide only the most basic detail. If a company wants to use this kind of plan, it should be prepared to provide more detail if an investor or a lender requests it.

Why Do Business Plans Fail?

A business plan is not a surefire recipe for success. The plan may have been unrealistic in its assumptions and projections to begin with. Markets and the overall economy might change in ways that couldn't have been foreseen. A competitor might introduce a revolutionary new product or service. All of this calls for building some flexibility into your plan, so you can pivot to a new course if needed.

How frequently a business plan needs to be revised will depend on the nature of the business. A well-established business might want to review its plan once a year and make changes if necessary. A new or fast-growing business in a fiercely competitive market might want to revise it more often, such as quarterly.

What Does a Lean Startup Business Plan Include?

The lean startup business plan is an option when a company prefers to give a quick explanation of its business. For example, a brand-new company may feel that it doesn't have a lot of information to provide yet.

Sections can include: a value proposition ; the company's major activities and advantages; resources such as staff, intellectual property, and capital; a list of partnerships; customer segments; and revenue sources.

A business plan can be useful to companies of all kinds. But as a company grows and the world around it changes, so too should its business plan. So don't think of your business plan as carved in granite but as a living document designed to evolve with your business.

Harvard Business Review. " Research: Writing a Business Plan Makes Your Startup More Likely to Succeed ."

U.S. Small Business Administration. " Write Your Business Plan ."

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What Is a Business Blueprint?

• September 23, 2021

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Coming up with an amazing business idea is incredibly exciting and inspiring. While it may be tempting just to jump right in and get started, it often helps to take a more calculated and strategic approach. 

Creating a business blueprint acts as a solid foundation for a successful business. Here’s what you need to know about business blueprints and how you can create one for your potential business idea.

A business blueprint is a strategic plan describing what a business is all about and how it works. It can be as detailed or as general as you want; however, the more specific it is, the more useful it could be for actually running your business. 

Essentially, the work you put into your business blueprint is what you’re going to get out of it. But why do you really need to put in the work? 

Why Do You Need a Business Blueprint?

For starters, a business blueprint helps you launch and successfully run your own business. Such a document is extremely beneficial, especially if you don’t have much previous business experience. Running a business is a journey, and your blueprint is something that you can go back to time and again to help you make difficult decisions on what direction to take your business. 

On the other hand, a business blueprint also helps you secure funding for your business idea. This is because taking the time to sit down and create a business blueprint shows potential investors that you’re serious about this. 

A well-thought-out and professional plan go a long way toward impressing investors and securing start-up funds for your business when you really have nothing else to offer. 

How to Create a Business Blueprint?

There are several different ways you can create a business blueprint. With so many different components involved, it often helps to take a simplified and strategic approach. 

One of the best approaches is known as the “4 Ms” method that covers money, methods, machines, and manpower. 

Your first section needs to focus on money — as this is one of the most important components when starting a business. 

This section needs to discuss things like budget, cash flow, financial systems, point-of-sale systems, banking, taxes, and auditing. 

• Funding: Are you self-funded, or do you need outside funding? How much money do you need to start off? How are you going to find investors? How are you going to pay your investors back? 
• Budget: How much money do you have to work with? How are you going to spend your money? Where should you splurge, and where should you save? What can you do in the event of budget issues? 
• Point-of-sale systems: How will you accept payments from customers? 
• Banking: Where will you open up a business account? Will you need to apply for business lines of credit? Do you qualify for business lines of credit? 
• Taxes: How will you file your taxes? Will you hire a bookkeeper or accountant? How will you maintain and organize your receipts? 
• Auditing: How will you protect yourself in the event of an audit? 

Your second section needs to focus on methods — how you’re going to run your business. It can be hard to detail these methods before you actually begin your business, but it helps to outline different areas, including day-to-day operations, industry standards and regulations, quality of service standards, environmental standards, and social responsibility guidelines.

• Day-to-day operations: What do your daily operations look like? How are you going to structure your operations? Who is going to do what within your company? 
• Industry standards and regulations: Are there any industry standards or regulations that would affect how your business is run? What is the best setup for your business in terms of type, certifications, memberships, etc.? 
• Quality of service standards: What quality of service standards are you setting? How will you meet these standards? 
• Environmental standards/social responsibility guidelines: Are environmental and social standards important for your business? How will you meet these standards? 

3. Machines

Your third section needs to cover machines — how you will produce your products or provide your services. In this case, however, machines go beyond just production. This section should cover everything from facilities to equipment, vehicles, telecommunications systems, technology systems, insurance, security, and inventory. 

• Facilities: Where are you going to operate your business? Do you need secondary warehouse space for storage and production? What are your hours of operation? 
• Equipment: How are you going to secure the necessary equipment? Where are you going to put and store it? How much does it cost to run and maintain? What safety policies need to be in place? 
• Vehicles: Are any specialized vehicles needed to transport your products? Do you have the right drivers for these vehicles? Where are these vehicles going to be parked when not in use? 
• Telecommunications systems: How are you going to communicate within your business? Are you going to have a single phone, or do you need multiple different devices for different employees? Do you need an automated system to direct callers? 
• Technology systems: What software do you need to run your business? What types of computers do you need to utilize your software? Do you need dedicated IT support? 
• Insurance: How are you going to protect your business against loss and liability? What different insurance policies do you need to cover all of your assets? 
• Security: How are you going to secure your business — including people, machines, and products. 
• Inventory/supplies/procurement: Does your inventory require special storage? Does it require any special fixtures? How are you going to protect your inventory while in storage? 

4. Manpower

Your fourth and final section needs to cover manpower — who you’re going to partner with to run your business since you definitely can’t do it all on your own! This section needs to include areas like suppliers, customers, and staff. 

• Suppliers: Where are you getting the supplies you need to produce your products? Do they offer competitive rates and timelines? Do you have backup suppliers ready to go if needed? 
• Customers: Who are your target customers? How do you reach them? What are they looking for? How will you meet their needs? 
• Staff: How will you build your staff? What skills and experience are you looking for? How will you train and pay them? How will you schedule them? 

The Rundown on Business Blueprints

As you can see, business blueprints help you and your business in countless ways both before and after launch. However, a business blueprint is only one component of running a successful business. If you’re looking for other ways to grow your business , then you need to work with Greg Gillman .

Greg Gillman specializes in omnichannel growth strategies for direct-to-consumer brands. He has helped his clients generate more than $4 billion in revenue thanks to his expertise. Although he has worked with big brands, he also knows what it’s like to be a small business just starting out. 

As a result, he can help you employ the right strategies and address any challenges that come up along the way. 

5 Ways of Funding a Business | Forbes

Best POS Systems for 2021 | Business News Daily

How to Find Suppliers for a New Business | Entrepreneur

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How to Write a Business Plan, Step by Step

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What is a business plan?

1. write an executive summary, 2. describe your company, 3. state your business goals, 4. describe your products and services, 5. do your market research, 6. outline your marketing and sales plan, 7. perform a business financial analysis, 8. make financial projections, 9. summarize how your company operates, 10. add any additional information to an appendix, business plan tips and resources.

A business plan outlines your business’s financial goals and explains how you’ll achieve them over the next three to five years. Here’s a step-by-step guide to writing a business plan that will offer a strong, detailed road map for your business.

ZenBusiness

A business plan is a document that explains what your business does, how it makes money and who its customers are. Internally, writing a business plan should help you clarify your vision and organize your operations. Externally, you can share it with potential lenders and investors to show them you’re on the right track.

Business plans are living documents; it’s OK for them to change over time. Startups may update their business plans often as they figure out who their customers are and what products and services fit them best. Mature companies might only revisit their business plan every few years. Regardless of your business’s age, brush up this document before you apply for a business loan .

» Need help writing? Learn about the best business plan software .

This is your elevator pitch. It should include a mission statement, a brief description of the products or services your business offers and a broad summary of your financial growth plans.

Though the executive summary is the first thing your investors will read, it can be easier to write it last. That way, you can highlight information you’ve identified while writing other sections that go into more detail.

» MORE: How to write an executive summary in 6 steps

Next up is your company description. This should contain basic information like:

Your business’s registered name.

Address of your business location .

Names of key people in the business. Make sure to highlight unique skills or technical expertise among members of your team.

Your company description should also define your business structure — such as a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation — and include the percent ownership that each owner has and the extent of each owner’s involvement in the company.

Lastly, write a little about the history of your company and the nature of your business now. This prepares the reader to learn about your goals in the next section.

» MORE: How to write a company overview for a business plan

The third part of a business plan is an objective statement. This section spells out what you’d like to accomplish, both in the near term and over the coming years.

If you’re looking for a business loan or outside investment, you can use this section to explain how the financing will help your business grow and how you plan to achieve those growth targets. The key is to provide a clear explanation of the opportunity your business presents to the lender.

For example, if your business is launching a second product line, you might explain how the loan will help your company launch that new product and how much you think sales will increase over the next three years as a result.

» MORE: How to write a successful business plan for a loan

In this section, go into detail about the products or services you offer or plan to offer.

You should include the following:

An explanation of how your product or service works.

The pricing model for your product or service.

The typical customers you serve.

Your supply chain and order fulfillment strategy.

You can also discuss current or pending trademarks and patents associated with your product or service.

Lenders and investors will want to know what sets your product apart from your competition. In your market analysis section , explain who your competitors are. Discuss what they do well, and point out what you can do better. If you’re serving a different or underserved market, explain that.

Here, you can address how you plan to persuade customers to buy your products or services, or how you will develop customer loyalty that will lead to repeat business.

Include details about your sales and distribution strategies, including the costs involved in selling each product .

» MORE: R e a d our complete guide to small business marketing

If you’re a startup, you may not have much information on your business financials yet. However, if you’re an existing business, you’ll want to include income or profit-and-loss statements, a balance sheet that lists your assets and debts, and a cash flow statement that shows how cash comes into and goes out of the company.

Accounting software may be able to generate these reports for you. It may also help you calculate metrics such as:

Net profit margin: the percentage of revenue you keep as net income.

Current ratio: the measurement of your liquidity and ability to repay debts.

Accounts receivable turnover ratio: a measurement of how frequently you collect on receivables per year.

This is a great place to include charts and graphs that make it easy for those reading your plan to understand the financial health of your business.

This is a critical part of your business plan if you’re seeking financing or investors. It outlines how your business will generate enough profit to repay the loan or how you will earn a decent return for investors.

Here, you’ll provide your business’s monthly or quarterly sales, expenses and profit estimates over at least a three-year period — with the future numbers assuming you’ve obtained a new loan.

Accuracy is key, so carefully analyze your past financial statements before giving projections. Your goals may be aggressive, but they should also be realistic.

NerdWallet’s picks for setting up your business finances:

The best business checking accounts .

The best business credit cards .

The best accounting software .

Before the end of your business plan, summarize how your business is structured and outline each team’s responsibilities. This will help your readers understand who performs each of the functions you’ve described above — making and selling your products or services — and how much each of those functions cost.

If any of your employees have exceptional skills, you may want to include their resumes to help explain the competitive advantage they give you.

Finally, attach any supporting information or additional materials that you couldn’t fit in elsewhere. That might include:

Licenses and permits.

Equipment leases.

Bank statements.

Details of your personal and business credit history, if you’re seeking financing.

If the appendix is long, you may want to consider adding a table of contents at the beginning of this section.

How much do you need?

with Fundera by NerdWallet

We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

Here are some tips to write a detailed, convincing business plan:

Avoid over-optimism: If you’re applying for a business bank loan or professional investment, someone will be reading your business plan closely. Providing unreasonable sales estimates can hurt your chances of approval.

Proofread: Spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors can jump off the page and turn off lenders and prospective investors. If writing and editing aren't your strong suit, you may want to hire a professional business plan writer, copy editor or proofreader.

Use free resources: SCORE is a nonprofit association that offers a large network of volunteer business mentors and experts who can help you write or edit your business plan. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Development Centers , which provide free business consulting and help with business plan development, can also be a resource.

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Blueprint is an independent, advertising-supported comparison service focused on helping readers make smarter decisions. We receive compensation from the companies that advertise on Blueprint which may impact how and where products appear on this site. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Blueprint. Blueprint does not include all companies, products or offers that may be available to you within the market. A list of selected affiliate partners is available here .

Free business plan template (with examples)

Alan Bradley

Sierra Campbell

“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

Updated 3:37 a.m. UTC Feb. 12, 2024

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AzmanL, Getty Images

Starting a business can be a daunting undertaking. As with so many large projects, one of the most difficult challenges is just getting started, and one of the best ways to start is by putting together a plan. A plan is also a powerful tool for communication and can serve as a cornerstone for onboarding new partners and employees or for demonstrating your philosophy and priorities to potential collaborators. 

A solid business plan will not only provide a framework for your business going forward but will also give you an early opportunity to organize and refine your thoughts and define your mission statement, providing a guidepost that can serve as a beacon for your business for years to come. We’ve provided a business plan template below to help guide you in the creation of your new enterprise.

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Business plan template

What should a business plan include?

Regardless of the type of business you own or the products and services you provide, every business plan should include some core elements:

• Mission statement. The definition and executive summary of your business.
• Market analysis. A breakdown of the market segment and customers you hope to reach, built through primary (gathered by you) and secondary (gathered from outside sources) research.
• Organization and logistics. The nuts and bolts of how your business is operated
• Products or services. What your company provides its customers.
• Advertising and marketing. How you intend to get your products in front of your customers.
• Forecasting. Revenue forecasting for partners or potential investors.

Why do you need a business plan?

A business plan is a framework for success. It provides a number of key benefits:

• Structure. The outline around which to design your business.
• Operational guidance. A signpost for how to run your business from day to day.
• Expansion. A vision for the future growth of your enterprise.
• Definition. A platform to consider every element of your business and how best to execute your plans for them.
• Collaboration. A synopsis of what’s exceptional about your business and a way to attract funding, investment or partnerships.
• Onboarding. An efficient summary of your business for new or potential employees.

Business plan examples

We’ve created two fictional companies to illustrate how a business might use a business plan to sketch out goals and opportunities as well as forecast revenue.

Bling, Incorporated

Our first hypothetical example is a jewelry and accessory creator called Bling, Incorporated. A hybrid business that manufactures its products for sale both online and through physical retail channels, Bling’s mission statement is focused on transforming simple, inexpensive ingredients into wearable statement pieces of art. 

Market analysis includes gathering data around sourcing sustainable, inexpensive components, aesthetic trends in fashion and on which platforms competitors have had success in advertising jewelry to prospective customers. Logistics include shipping products, negotiating with retailers, establishing an e-commerce presence and material and manufacturing costs. 

Bling, Incorporated advertises initially through social platforms like TikTok and Facebook, as well as with Google AdSense, with plans to eventually expand to television advertising. Revenue forecasting is structured around a low overhead on the basis of inexpensive materials, no dedicated storefront and broad reach through digital platforms.

Phaeton Custom Cars

Phaeton is a custom car builder and classic car restoration business with a regional focus and reach. Its mission statement defines it as a local, family-owned business serving a community of auto enthusiasts and a broader regional niche of collectors. 

Market analysis breaks down the location and facilities of other competitor shops in the region as well as online communities of regional car enthusiasts likely to spend money on custom modifications or restoration projects. It also examines trends in valuations for custom parts and vintage cars. Logistics include pricing out parts and labor, finding skilled or apprentice laborers and mortgaging a garage and equipment. 

Phaeton advertises in regional publications, at local events and regional car shows and online through Facebook and Instagram, with an emphasis on a social presence highlighting their flashiest builds. Revenue forecasting is built around a growing reputation and high-value commissions.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

A business plan may not be a prerequisite for every type of business, but there are few businesses that wouldn’t benefit from one. It can serve as an important strategic tool and help crystalize a vision of your business and its future.

Business plans do just that: they help you plan the future of your business, serve as a platform to brainstorm ideas and think through your vision and are a great tool for showcasing why your business works to potential investors or partners.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Alan is an experienced culture and tech writer with a background in newspaper reporting. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, The Escapist, PC Mag, PC Gamer, and a multitude of other outlets. He has over twenty years of experience as a journalist and editor and is the author of the urban fantasy novel The Sixth Borough.

Sierra Campbell is a small business editor for USA Today Blueprint. She specializes in writing, editing and fact-checking content centered around helping businesses. She has worked as a digital content and show producer for several local TV stations, an editor for U.S. News & World Report and a freelance writer and editor for many companies. Sierra prides herself in delivering accurate and up-to-date information to readers. Her expertise includes credit card processing companies, e-commerce platforms, payroll software, accounting software and virtual private networks (VPNs). She also owns Editing by Sierra, where she offers editing services to writers of all backgrounds, including self-published and traditionally published authors.

How to start a small business: A step-by-step guide

Business Eric Rosenberg

8 Business Plan Templates You Can Get for Free

8 min. read

Updated April 10, 2024

A business plan template can be an excellent tool to simplify the creation of your business plan. 

The pre-set structure helps you organize ideas, covers all critical business information, and saves you time and effort on formatting.

The only issue? There are SO many free business plan templates out there. 

So, which ones are actually worth using? 

To help remove the guesswork, I’ve rounded up some of the best business plan templates you can access right now. 

These are listed in no particular order, and each has its benefits and drawbacks.

What to look for in a business plan template

Not all business plan templates are created equal. As you weigh your options and decide which template(s) you’ll use, be sure to review them with the following criteria in mind:

• Easy to edit: A template should save you time. That won’t be the case if you have to fuss around figuring out how to edit the document, or even worse, it doesn’t allow you to edit at all.
• Contains the right sections: A good template should cover all essential sections of a business plan , including the executive summary, product/service description, market/competitive analysis, marketing and sales plan, operations, milestones, and financial projections. 
• Provides guidance: You should be able to trust that the information in a template is accurate. That means the organization or person who created the template is highly credible, known for producing useful resources, and ideally has some entrepreneurial experience.
• Software compatibility: Lastly, you want any template to be compatible with the software platforms you use. More than likely, this means it’s available in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or PDF format at a minimum. 

1. Bplans — A plan with expert guidance

Since you’re already on Bplans, I have to first mention the templates that we have available. 

Our traditional and one-page templates were created by entrepreneurs and business owners with over 80 years of collective planning experience. We revisit and update them annually to ensure they are approachable, thorough, and aligned with our team’s evolving best practices.  

The templates, available in Word, PDF, or Google Doc formats, include in-depth guidance on what to include in each section, expert tips, and links to additional resources. 

Plus, we have over 550 real-world sample business plans you can use for guidance when filling out your template.

Download: Traditional lender-ready business plan template or a simple one-page plan template .

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2. SBA — Introduction to business plans

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers two different business plan templates along with a short planning guide. 

While not incredibly in-depth, it’s enough to help you understand how traditional and lean plans are structured and what information needs to be covered. The templates themselves are more like examples, providing you with a finished product to reference as you write your plan.

The key benefit of using these templates is that they were created by the SBA. While they may provide less guidance, you can be assured that the information and structure meet their expectations.

Explore: The SBA’s planning guide and free templates

3. SCORE — Planning workbook

SCORE’s template is more like a workbook. It includes exercises after each section to help you get your ideas down and turn them into a structured plan.

The market research worksheets are especially useful. They provide a clear framework for identifying your target market and analyzing competitors from multiple angles. Plus, they give you an easy way to document all the information you’re collecting.

You will likely have to remove the exercises in this template to make it investor-ready. But it can be worth it if you’re struggling to get past a blank page and want a more interactive planning method.

Download: SCORE’s business plan template

4. PandaDoc — A template with fillable forms

PandaDoc’s library offers a variety of industry-specific business plan templates that feature a modern design flair and concise instructions. 

These templates are designed for sharing. They include fillable fields and sections for non-disclosure agreements, which may be necessary when sending a plan to investors.  

But the real benefit is their compatibility with PandaDoc’s platform. Yes, they are free, but if you’re a PandaDoc subscriber, you’ll have far more customization options. 

Out of all their templates, the standard business plan template is the most in-depth. The rest, while still useful, go a bit lighter on guidance in favor of tailoring the plan to a specific industry.

Explore: PandaDoc’s business plan template library  

5. Canva — Pitch with your plan

Canva is a great option for building a visually stunning business plan that can be used as a pitch tool. It offers a diverse array of templates built by their in-house team and the larger creative community, meaning the number of options constantly grows.

You will need to verify that the information in the template you choose matches the standard structure of a traditional business plan. 

You should do this with any template, but it’s especially important with any tool that accepts community submissions. While they are likely reviewed and approved, there may still be errors.

Remember, you can only edit these templates within Canva. Luckily, you only need a free subscription, and you may just miss out on some of the visual assets being used. 

To get the most value, it may be best to create a more traditional planning document and transfer that information into Canva. 

Explore: Canva’s business plan gallery

6. ClickUp — The collaborative template

Out of all the project management tools that offer free business plan templates, ClickUp’s is the most approachable.

Rather than throwing you into all the features and expecting you to figure it out—ClickUp provides a thorough startup guide with resource links, images, and videos explaining how to write a plan using the tool. 

There’s also a completed sample plan (structured like an expanded one-page plan) for you to reference and see how the more traditional document can connect to the product management features. You can set goals, target dates, leave comments, and even assign tasks to someone else on your team. 

These features are limited to the ClickUp platform and will not be useful for everyone. They will likely get in the way of writing a plan you can easily share with lenders or investors. 

But this is a great option if you’re looking for a template that makes internal collaboration more fluid and keeps all your information in one place.

Sign Up: Get a free trial of ClickUp and explore their template library

7. Smartsheet — A wide variety of templates

I’m including Smartsheet’s library of templates on this list because of the sheer number of options they provide. 

They have a simple business plan template, a one-page plan, a fill-in-the-blank template, a plan outline, a plan grading rubric, and even an Excel-built project plan. All are perfectly usable and vary in visual style, depth of instructions, and the available format.

Honestly, the only drawback (which is also the core benefit) is that the amount of templates can be overwhelming. If you’re already uncertain which plan option is right for you, the lengthy list they provide may not provide much clarity.

At the same time, it can be a great resource if you want a one-stop shop to view multiple plan types.

Explore: Smartsheet’s business plan template library  

8. ReferralRock affiliate marketing business plan

I’m adding ReferralRock’s template to this list due to its specificity. 

It’s not your standard business plan template. The plan is tailored with specific sections and guidance around launching an affiliate marketing business. 

Most of the template is dedicated to defining how to choose affiliates, set commissions, create legal agreements, and track performance.

So, if you plan on starting an affiliate marketing business or program, this template will provide more specific guidance. Just know that you will likely need to reference additional resources when writing the non-industry sections of your plan.

Download: ReferralRock affiliate marketing business plan template

Does it matter what business plan template you use?

The short answer is no. As long as the structure is correct, it saves you time, and it helps you write your business plan , then any template will work. 

What it ultimately comes down to, is what sort of value you hope to get from the template. 

• Do you need more guidance? 
• A simple way to structure your plan? 
• An option that works with a specific tool?
• A way to make your plan more visually interesting?

Hopefully, this list has helped you hone in on an option that meets one (or several) of these needs. Still, it may be worth downloading a few of these templates to determine the right fit. 

And really, what matters most is that you spend time writing a business plan . It will help you avoid early mistakes, determine if you have a viable business, and fully consider what it will take to get up and running. 

If you need additional guidance, check out our library of planning resources . We cover everything from plan formats , to how to write a business plan, and even how to use it as a management tool . 

If you don’t want to waste time researching other templates, you can download our one-page or traditional business plan template and jump right into the planning process.

See why 1.2 million entrepreneurs have written their business plans with LivePlan

Kody Wirth is a content writer and SEO specialist for Palo Alto Software—the creator's of Bplans and LivePlan. He has 3+ years experience covering small business topics and runs a part-time content writing service in his spare time.

Table of Contents

• Qualities of a good template
• ReferralRock
• Does the template matter?

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What is a Business Blueprint and How to Develop One?

This post may contain affiliate links and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase using these links – at no extra cost for you. Please read my disclaimer here .

The business blueprint is a document that summarizes all the key information about your business idea . It's for everyone, who plans to launch a new company, but it's especially important for people who are looking for investors to fund their company and even more importantly, if it’s an online business . 

A business plan can also be treated as a project management tool for those who have succeeded in launching the company and now need to keep track of all changes to avoid losing their competitive advantage. It's especially important for SMEs—small and medium-sized businesses-- as they often lack the financial resources that large companies have due to their size.

So, a project management tool or a business plan is what comes most in handy when running a new venture.

A business plan helps you identify all risks and opportunities of the venture.

Step 6: Your Marketing Strategy. After that comes a marketing strategy where you need to describe how exactly people will learn about the new product or service (the main idea is to attract attention not only by providing them with valuable information but also by telling them how they can buy it). Keep in mind that if you plan to use one or more third-party suppliers, then they should also be mentioned here. This section should include a list of all current promotional tools used to attract potential customers, who are the main distributors/sellers in different geographical locations, and how people can buy your product/service depending on their location (online shop vs. physical store, etc.). Don't forget to mention what kind of marketing techniques will be used to promote it among possible clients in this part as well.

Step 7: Finance. Financial plan is the next section which answers several key questions- "How much money is required to launch this project?" "How long will it pay off?" etc. Be very detailed when writing down financial reports- provide necessary information about where exactly the money is coming from, how it's being spent, the main expenses, etc. Also, provide short-term and long-term projections of revenues if possible.

Step 8: The last part should describe all necessary procedures   that will be used in order to launch this project successfully without any problems or obstacles. It's a good idea to include here some basic safety rules that employees need to follow.

Why? First of all, this way, you won't waste more time on thinking things through once the project is already operational (it takes much more effort to introduce changes/find new solutions than to make those changes until they work). 

Secondly, creating a business blueprint is an important objective in itself because it forces you to think things through and see your ideas from a different perspective which allows you to find possible flaws and deal with them as early as possible.

Any other purpose of a business blueprint?

A business blueprint should describe everything about your idea; from what problem it solves all the way to the list of products/services that will be offered. You should provide as much detail as possible without forgetting about deadlines and costs associated with every step you take. 

For the easy perception of information, you can create a useful video and turn the text into a video . This will allow listeners to better perceive information.

Also, remember that the business blueprint is not a one-time project, and it should be updated on a regular basis (at least once every quarter). So, don't make it too complicated and provide all important information in the simplest way possible (use charts and diagrams if they seem appropriate).

Must you have a business plan?

A business plan isn't created just for the sake of it. The main idea of creating a business plan is to have an objective look at your ideas from an outsider's perspective. 

As mentioned above, being forced to think things through from different angles makes you see potential problems or obstacles as early as possible, which allows you to solve them before they become serious. In other words, writing down all the details about your idea strengthens your confidence in its success because you have done everything necessary for this. 

What are the common errors in the formulation of a business plan?

Formulating a business plan isn't always easy because it implies thinking under pressure, considering all possible scenarios. That's why people tend to forget about something or provide inaccurate/incomplete info, which leads to further problems later on. 

To avoid making similar mistakes, make sure you don't overcomplicate things. Just keep everything as simple as possible and include only key points in your business plan that should help you achieve the project's main goal.

Here are the ten mistakes you shouldn't make when formulating your business plan;

1. Not doing enough research: You need to find out everything about competitors' products/services before creating a new product because it's the only way to allocate marketing funds most effectively

2. Forgetting about the importance of marketing: Even if your product is something extraordinary, it won't be sold if nobody knows about its existence. So always try to spend some time on marketing activities no matter what type of project you're creating

3. Forgetting to include budgets: Remember that your business plan should contain information about all the expenses that will be made during the project because it's the only way you can eventually calculate profits.

4. Getting carried away with details: It's important to know: what, why, and when you're doing something but don't get too deep into things- especially early on because it makes the whole process much more complicated than it should be.

5. Creating an attractive product without proper planning: Creating a product is the easy part- making sure it works as intended and that you're able to fix bugs when they appear requires considerably more effort

6. Being too optimistic: It's always easier to write about how things will go rather than think about all the possible obstacles that can occur during the development of your idea. That's why it's always better to be pessimistic because even if something goes wrong with your project, it won't be such a big surprise for you

7. Failing to think of all possible means of promotion/promoting it ineffectively: Most people tend to forget that promoting a product is never about creating one ad and hoping for the best. Successful promotion requires consistent work on several fronts simultaneously; otherwise, you won't reach the maximum audience and gain potential customers no matter how great your product is.

8. Ignoring customer satisfaction leads to unsatisfied clients and low sales eventually: No matter how great your product is, if you fail to satisfy your customers, they won't be coming back.

9. Obsessing over the idea itself, neglecting practicalities for its implementation: Many people have great ideas, but they don’t think about all the details required to implement them. That's why creating a business plan is always better than just coming up with an idea for something- especially if it involves complicated procedures because you're still thinking about how things will be done even the idea isn't the final one.

10. Tackling more tasks at once than you can, ignoring deadlines, etc.: Just like getting carried away with details, it's also easy to get over-enthusiastic thinking about what you're able to achieve in a short period of time and try to achieve too much at once. So always remember that it's better to start small, achieve something, and then work on your next project instead of trying out lots of things simultaneously, which can lead to failure because there is no guarantee that everything will go the way you planned.

With that in mind, make sure all the important points are included in your business plan; otherwise, any minor detail that’s ignored can lead to very complicated problems. Write all of them down too and show your business plan to different people who have experience with creating something similar- this should help you detect any potential problems that might seem impossible to fix on your own.

Tips on how to get started with creating your blueprint today!

Remember that your blueprint should include all the aspects related to your product or service. So don't forget about market research, budget plans, the organizational structure of your company, etc.

About the author 

Charles Normandin

Charles Normandin is a gifted blogger who writes unique articles for top publications. He is a professional in writing unique essay writing service reviews and can also fluently speak 3 languages. He likes to volunteer, draw, and climb rocks. Meet him on Twitter @Charles60104524.

BUSINESS PLANS: The Blueprint, The Action Plan, The Capital Plan What is the PURPOSE of your plan?

By Carlos Mejia Castillo

Perhaps now, more than ever before, the importance of Planning in Small Business is at the forefront of sustainability factors. Today’s successful entrepreneurs have done yesterday’s hard work: setting goals, designing action plans to reach them, and building plans for growth based on measurable metrics. Every business owner has different goals and priorities that drive the purpose of their business plan. Let’s dive into a few of the most common requests for planning that I receive from my clients at the Nevada SBDC, and some important factors to consider.

#1: An entrepreneur with a money-making idea, but not sure where to start

In this scenario, the business plan is essentially a roadmap that specifies the processes necessary to establish your business – defining the actions, tasks, and steps that can be measured to assess progress and success. I call this type of business plan the “Blueprint”. By definition, a blueprint is a drawing up of a plan or model. The blueprint perspective allows you to see all the pieces needed to assemble your business before you begin. One of the most challenging parts of being an entrepreneur is feeling confident in making choices about strategy and direction. Separating emotion from business sensibility in the form of measurable plans helps many new entrepreneurs fight their anxieties and stay focused on their goals. The Blueprint provides realistic expectations for a new business owner in the practical form: Startup expenses, licenses and permits required, time management, and profitability all measure against the expectation of sales and success.

#2: An established business or a seasoned plan that is ready for launch

In this case, the focus is less on the feasibility of the business concept and more on the steps to take and metrics to measure that ensures the business meets pre-established projections and goals. I call this type of business plan the “Action Plan”. By definition, an action plan is a proposed strategy or steps toward an outcome. Action Plans can focus on any goals important to the business. These commonly center around increasing sales, entering new markets or identifying acquisition targets, reducing the cost of goods sold, improving production processes, and employee performance improvement, among other considerations. Goals are broken down into portions to be achieved over specified periods, to allow for accountability and to verify that the plan is working. Evolving Action Plans allow changes based on outcomes measured at benchmark periods; if the expected outcomes for an action do not result, the owner might consider adjusting the plan. A system of accountability connects outcomes to daily actions, making it easier for an owner to make smart, nimble decisions about what’s best for business. Use the “Action Plan” to outline your goals and metrics, define specific daily/weekly actions and how they are expected to meet the goals and metrics, and ultimately compare the goals to actual performance.

#3: A business that is seeking capital (money) to either launch or to grow

As you might have guessed, I call this the “Capital Plan”. This is really a combination of the “Blueprint” and “Action” plans. Think of it simply as this: If your neighbor asked to borrow $200 to buy a lawnmower to help him start his neighborhood landscaping business, you’ll want to know when he’ll pay you back and whether his business will make him enough money to pay you back in the promised time. For such a straightforward business, the math is pretty simple; at $10 per yard, he has to mow twenty yards to make back the money he’d owe you. The action plan is nearly as simple; assign a timeline to the goal of repayment, determine how many yards per week must be mowed, and precisely how the business will market to and sign up the required number of customers to meet the business goal. Performance projections are important no matter what kind of business you are planning for; from lawn mowing services to ice cream shops, businesses need goals and plans to meet them if they wish to be successful. Perhaps the most tedious section, the financial projections of a business plan, showcase the expected revenue and performance based on the Action Plan. The fundamental financial documents for an existing business are the Profit and Loss Statement (Income Statement), Balance Sheet, and Statement of Cash Flows. Lenders and Investors to your business will expect these financials to accompany any funding requests. In the case of a startup or pre-revenue venture, past financial performance will not apply but your projections should follow the same standardized financial statement format. Make sure to keep projected numbers based on the actions described in your business plan to make it easily understandable for any reader. Also, be sure to include any market data you use in your assumptions.

Ultimately, most successful businesses will create, carry out, and modify multiple versions of each of these business plans as their businesses grow and evolve. This past year, many successful business owners who have been following the same plan for years have had to suddenly adjust; “pivot” is the phrase of the moment. Whether I am working with a new entrepreneur or an established local icon adjusting to the shock of COVID-19, I always emphasize the importance of planning for success. I’d like to invite local business owners to reach out to our team at the Nevada SBDC for guidance and advice on how to plan for growth and other goals. Our services are no-cost and confidential and available to businesses across Nevada.

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Blueprint for Success: Developing a Strategic Business Plan

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How can you pave your path to prosperity with precision and purpose? I mean, who doesn’t? But you need to have a good strategy to improve your chances. Crafting a savvy business blueprint often becomes the bedrock of triumph. Ready to dive into the dynamic domain of strategic planning? It serves as a blueprint, guiding companies through the complexities of the market and helping them capitalize on opportunities and navigate challenges.

A strategic business plan outlines a business’s goals and provides a clear roadmap for achieving them. Here’s how to develop one that will serve as a blueprint for success.

Define your vision and mission

Start by clearly articulating your business’s vision and mission . The vision statement should describe what you want your business to achieve long-term, providing a sense of direction. The mission statement, on the other hand, should outline the purpose of your business and its core values. Together, these statements form the foundation of your strategic business plan, guiding all subsequent decisions and strategies .

Understand the business canvas template

Understanding the business canvas template is crucial when developing a strategic business plan. This template serves as a visual framework that outlines the core elements of your business model, making it easier to identify areas for growth and improvement. It comprises nine key components: Value Proposition, customer segments, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partnerships, and cost structure.

By filling out each template section, you can gain a holistic view of how your business operates and how each element interacts. This comprehensive understanding is essential for crafting a strategic business plan that aligns with your goals and drives success. The Business canvas template simplifies complex business concepts, enabling you to focus on what truly matters and develop a blueprint for your business’s future growth.

Conduct a thorough market analysis

A thorough market analysis is critical in developing a strategic business plan. It involves examining the external environment in which your business operates, including industry trends, competitive landscape, and target customer demographics. By analyzing these factors, you can gain valuable insights into your business’s opportunities and challenges. This analysis helps you identify your unique selling points and differentiate your offerings from competitors.

Also interesting: The Difference Between Strategy and Tactics

It also enables you to tailor your value proposition to meet your target market’s needs and preferences. Comprehensive market analysis provides the foundation for making informed decisions about product development, pricing strategies, and marketing efforts. It ensures that your strategic business plan is grounded in reality and aligned with market demands, increasing your chances of success in a competitive business environment.

Set clear objectives and goals

Define specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART methodology) objectives and goals based on your vision, mission, and market analysis. These should cover various aspects of your business, such as financial performance, market share, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency. Setting clear goals provides direction and a basis for measuring progress.

Develop strategies and tactics

Developing strategies and tactics is pivotal to creating a strategic business plan. Strategies are the broad approaches you’ll take to achieve your business goals, while tactics are the specific actions you’ll execute to implement these strategies. For instance, if your goal is to increase market share, a strategy might be to expand your product line, and the corresponding tactics could include conducting market research, developing new products, and launching targeted marketing campaigns.

It’s crucial to ensure that your strategies are aligned with your overall business objectives and that your tactics are practical, measurable, and time-bound. Clearly defining your strategies and tactics provides a roadmap for your team to follow, enabling focused efforts and efficient resource allocation. This approach helps translate your vision and goals into actionable steps, driving your business toward success in a structured and deliberate manner.

Allocating your resources

Identify the resources required to implement your strategies and achieve your goals. This includes financial resources, human capital, technology, and other assets. Allocate these resources effectively, ensuring that each area of your business has what it needs to succeed.

Establish key performance indicators (KPIs)

KPIs are metrics used to measure the success of your strategies and the progress toward your goals. Choose KPIs aligned with your objectives and provide meaningful insights into your business performance. Regularly monitoring these indicators will help you stay on track and make necessary adjustments.

Create an action plan

Creating an action plan is crucial in bringing your strategic business plan to life. An action plan breaks down your strategies and goals into manageable tasks, assigns responsibilities, and sets deadlines for each activity. It serves as a roadmap, guiding your team through executing your plan, ensuring everyone is aligned and working towards the same objectives.

List the key actions needed to achieve each goal, then assign a team member or department to lead each task. Set clear deadlines and establish milestones to track progress. Regularly review and update your action plan to adapt to changes in your business environment or priorities. A well-structured action plan can maintain focus, allocate resources effectively, and drive your business toward achieving its strategic goals if managed and followed through.

Review and revise regularly

The business landscape is constantly changing, and your strategic business plan should be a living document that evolves with it. Schedule regular reviews to assess progress, evaluate the effectiveness of your strategies, and make adjustments as needed. Staying agile and responsive to market changes is key to long-term success.

Developing a strategic business plan is critical in setting your business on the path to success. It requires a clear vision, thorough market analysis, well-defined goals, effective strategies, and efficient resource allocation. By following this blueprint, you can create a strategic business plan that guides your company through the complexities of the market and positions it for growth and success in the years to come.

YouTube: Business Model Canvas Explained 

Photo credit: The images used are symbolic and have been done by Dimitar Gorgev .

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What is a Service Blueprint: Brief Definition and Examples

Over the last few decades, service blueprints have evolved as a useful method to address the many challenges in service design and innovation. It was first introduced by Lynn Shostack, a banking executive in 1982 in the Harvard Business Review.

In this guide, we’ll be taking a deep dive into the topic of service blueprints; at the end of it, you’ll know what is a service blueprint, how to create one as well as how to read one. You can start blueprinting your own service process right away with the templates provided.

What is a Service Blueprint

Key elements of the service blueprint, benefits of a service blueprint, applications of a service blueprint, how to read the service blueprint, how to create a service blueprint using creately, service blueprint examples.

• Ready to Create Your Own Service Blueprint?

The service blueprint is a diagram/ map that visualizes a service offering accurately. It provides a clear picture of the service process to those who are involved in service production as well as service consumption.  

Its purpose is to help understand the service delivery process from the customers’ perspective in order to assist the service design and improvement processes. It highlights the complexity and divergence of the service process and helps to upgrade the efficiency and effectiveness in customer service.

They are particularly used during the design stage of service development to break a service down to its logical components such as points of customer contacts, physical evidence, etc. and analyze the steps in the service process in detail.  

They are usually represented with a diagram with swimlanes which represent the different categories of the service blueprint.

Service Blueprint vs. Customer Journey Map

Customer journey map and service blueprints are two complementary methods used in service/ product design.

Customer journey maps visualize the customer experience across different touchpoints along with what they are doing, thinking, and feeling. It focuses more on the surface customer experience and reveals less service process details.

On the other hand, service blueprints offer a detailed look at the service delivery process across the different touchpoints, including the onstage and backstage contact employee actions.

So the service blueprint offers more information on the internal processes and support systems that deliver the service to the customers more than the experience of the customer. The blueprint uses the customer journey as a starting point.

Effectively visualize your services to gain a more holistic perspective and better understand all of the moving parts with Creately.

The service blueprint distinguishes between onstage and backstage employee activities which are represented with its key components.

Customer actions: this component is central to the creation of the service blueprint and therefore is laid out first. It includes the steps, actions, choices, and interactions the customer performs while evaluating, purchasing or using the service delivery process. These actions are displayed chronologically across the top of the blueprint.

Onstage/ visible contact employee actions: this component appears on the diagram after customer actions, separated by the line of interaction. These actions include what frontline contact employees do when they encounter customers face-to-face.

Backstage/ invisible contact employee actions: this refers to the backstage or behind the scene actions taken by contact employees that are not visible to the customer. They include non-visible interactions with the customer such as telephone calls and other activities backstage contact employees carry out to support the onstage activities.

Support processes: this includes all the actions, interactions, internal services carried out by individuals or units (not contact employees) within the company to support contact employees deliver the service. They are not visible to the customers.

Physical evidence: this comes at the top of the diagram and represents the physical evidence of the service. They are typically listed above each point of contact. For example, the physical evidence of a face-to-face meeting can be listed as office decor.

Lines: Each component of the service blueprint is separated by a line. First comes the line of interaction which represents direct interaction between the customer and the organization; every time the line of interaction is crossed by a link from the customer to the contact employee, a moment of truth occurs. During these moments of truths, the customer judges the quality of the service and makes decisions about future purchases.

Then comes the line of visibility. All components that come above this line are visible to the customer while the ones that come below it are invisible.

The last is the internal line of interaction. This separates contact employee activities from other service support activities and people. Vertical lines cutting across the line of internal interaction represent internal service encounters.

Arrows: These represent the relationships/ dependencies. A single arrow indicates a one-way exchange, and a double arrow indicates the need for agreement from both parties or codependence.

Some secondary elements you can include in a service blueprint are,

Time: If time is an essential part of your service, you can use a timeline to represent the estimated time duration for each step of the process.

Emotions: Similar to the way a customer journey map reveals the emotions customers go through during each step of their journey, you can indicate the various emotional states your employees are in during each step of the service delivery process.

Metrics: You can also include success metrics in your service blueprint to track the progress toward your goals.  

The service blueprint helps organizations to effectively understand their services – the resources and the underlying processes. There are several other benefits of service blueprints

• Streamlined service delivery: A service blueprint provides a clear overview of the different processes, activities, and touchpoints involved in delivering a service. It helps organizations identify redundancies, bottlenecks, and areas of inefficiency, allowing for process optimization and streamlining. A service blueprint also helps check the process’s logical flow and evaluate its effectiveness and productivity.
• Enhanced customer experience: Service blueprints allow organizations to identify pain points and areas for improvement in the customer journey. It helps to understand customer needs and wants and the impact of a failed delivery service. By mapping out the entire service process, organizations can identify moments of truth, optimize interactions, and design better customer experiences.
• Improved service design and innovation: By visualizing the service process, organizations can spot opportunities for innovation and new service offerings. Using a service blueprint, you can isolate service systems that are slow, repetitive, overly complex, waste resources and are toxic to the customer. Service blueprints enable service designers to identify areas where technology, automation, or new approaches can be implemented to enhance the service and provide additional value to customers.
• Measurement and performance evaluation: Service blueprints provide a framework for measuring service performance and evaluating key metrics at each step of the process. By tracking and analyzing data related to service delivery, organizations can identify areas for improvement, set benchmarks, and monitor progress over time. A service blueprint helps with measuring the cost of service delivery and identifying opportunities for improving the service delivery system.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Service blueprints involve multiple stakeholders and departments, facilitating team collaboration and communication. It helps break down silos and fosters a shared understanding of the service process, allowing for coordinated efforts in delivering an exceptional service experience. You can also use them to understand cross-functional relationships in your organization and align front-stage and back-stage actions.
• Training and employee empowerment: Service blueprints can be used as training tools for employees, providing a step-by-step guide to service delivery. They help employees understand their roles and responsibilities and how their actions impact the service experience. This empowers employees to make informed decisions and deliver consistent, high-quality service.
• Service recovery and problem-solving: When service failures or issues occur, service blueprints serve as a valuable tool for identifying the root causes and developing solutions. By pinpointing the specific steps and touchpoints where problems arise, organizations can implement effective service recovery strategies and prevent similar issues in the future.

Service blueprints have various applications across industries and sectors. Here are some common applications of service blueprints,

• Service Design: Service blueprints are used to understand the customer journey, identify pain points, and design customer-centric experiences.
• Customer Experience Management: Service blueprints help manage and improve customer experiences by aligning processes, policies, and resources to meet customer expectations.
• Process Optimization: Service blueprints identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and redundant activities, improving efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing service quality.
• Service Innovation: Service blueprints act as a foundation for identifying opportunities and implementing innovative solutions to enhance the service experience.
• Employee Training and Onboarding: Service blueprints are used as training tools to help employees understand their roles, responsibilities and how their actions contribute to the overall service experience.
• Service Recovery: Service blueprints assist in analyzing service failures, identifying root causes, and developing effective strategies for service recovery.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Service blueprints promote collaboration and communication among departments by providing a shared understanding of the service process and interdependencies.
• Performance Measurement and Evaluation: Service blueprints provide a framework for measuring and evaluating service performance, allowing organizations to identify areas for improvement, set benchmarks, and monitor progress.

A service blueprint can be read in multiple ways. In this section, we will show you how to read and understand them for different purposes.

To understand the customers’ view of the process or of their experience; read the service blueprint from left to right while tracking the elements in the customer action category. You can understand the view of the customer by focusing on how they initiate the service, the choices they make, how involved they are in creating the service, the physical evidence of the service from their point of view and whether the evidence is consistent with the strategy and positioning of the evidence.

To understand the role of the contact employees; read the diagram horizontally focusing on the activities that are directly above and below the line of visibility. Here you can look into how effective and efficient the process is, who interacts with the customer and how often they do so and whether there is one or several people to deal with a customer.

To understand how the various elements of the service process are integrated; Here you need to analyze the blueprint vertically. This analysis will help you identify which employees and which tasks are essential to effectively deliver the service to customers. Focus on what actions are performed backstage to assist the critical customer interaction points, what the supporting actions are, and how the handoffs between employees are taking place.

To redesign the service process; Here you can analyze the service blueprint as a whole. By doing so you can understand its complexity, how it can be changed and how changes in the customer’s point of view may affect the contact employee actions and internal processes. You can also use the blueprint to evaluate inefficiencies and failure points and identify opportunities for improvement and redesign.

The process of building a service blueprint itself has many benefits. It’ll help develop a shared vision of the service process among everyone involved, identify complexities of the service that were never apparent and understand the roles and responsibilities of the task owners.

The development of the service blueprint requires a cross-functional team consisting of members from marketing, operations, HR, and in some cases, even customers.

You can simplify the process of creating a service blueprint by using an online diagramming tool like Creately. It enables you and your team to work on the same canvas with infinite space in real-time.

And using comments and discussion threads you can monitor feedback from stakeholders. There are many pre-made templates as well, and you can use them right away to start your project.

Step 1: Identify the service process to be blueprinted

Whether it is a main process or sub-process, it’s important to have identified what it is beforehand. Once you have determined the underlying purpose for creating the service blueprint, you can identify which process to start with. Focus on blueprinting one process at a time.

Gather everyone on your team to the Creately platform to brainstorm and identify the service process. Use Creately’s integrations with Microsoft Teams to conduct online meetings seamlessly. Track the participation of the team with multi-cursors for any number of participants.

Step 2: Identify the customer segment

Different customer segments may have different needs and requirements, therefore your service may change from segment to segment. If your service process varies across different customer segments you cater to, then it’s important to blueprint these processes separately.

Dedicate the second step to identifying the particular customer segment the identified service process caters to. Once that’s specified, you need to get an idea about the interactions of the customers during each step of the process. For this you can use Creately’s pre-made templates to get a quick start.

A good way to understand the customer interactions or the choices and the actions they perform across the various service touchpoints is the customer journey map. Since the service blueprint is primarily about the employee actions, your customer journey map for this step doesn’t have to be a comprehensive one – one that highlights the touchpoints and the parallel actions would suffice.

However, it is important to thoroughly understand who the customer is, which may require considerable research.

If you already have customer profiles for different segments, you can use them at this point; if not consider creating one for they may come in handy when you are blueprinting service processes anytime.

This will help you get an idea about the process from the point of view of the customer. And it will also help you identify and avoid process steps that have no customer impact.

Step 3: Map onstage/ backstage contact employee actions

This step starts with mapping the service process from the point of view of the contact employee both frontstage and backstage. You can question operations employees to gather the relevant information on the activities they perform in full view of the customer and which are carried out behind the scenes.

If technology is involved in delivering the service, you can map the actions on the technology interface.

Ask your team members to provide their input. Use sticky notes, shapes, notes and data panel to note down all information and to start sketching out the service blueprint.

Step 4: Link contact activities to needed support functions

Map the support processes the employees rely on to carry out the actions you identified above the line of interaction. These activities may involve employees from different departments of the organization, even those who are don’t directly interact with customers.

Once the support functions are identified, link the contact activities to them. This step will help you understand the direct and indirect impact of internal actions on the customers.

Use the dynamic connectors to link activities. You can also color code and customize the connectors.

Step 5: Add physical evidence of service at each customer action step

Finally, add the physical evidence to the map. This highlights what the customer sees or receives as tangible evidence of the service during each step of their experience.

Step 6: Fine-tune and share

In the final step of creating a service blueprint, you can add additional elements such as time indicators, metrics, or employee emotions to refine your diagram even further.

Then share it across the organization to communicate your take on how the internal organizational processes work.

With Creately, you can simply do this by exporting your diagrams in PDF, SVG, PNG, JPEG formats, which you can then publish or embed in your internal wikis, websites or take printouts.

You can also share it through Slack where anyone in the channel can easily preview the blueprint without having to log in to Creately first.  

Or you can use the Creately Google Drive integration to create, share, store and manage permissions to your service blueprints right within the application.  

If you rely on Confluence for project management, you may also find the Creately Plugin for Confluence useful as it works natively inside your on-premise Confluence server and lets you add visuals and diagrams as attachments to your pages and posts.

Restaurant Service Blueprint

Hospital Service Blueprint

Hotel Service Blueprint

Movie Theater Service Blueprint

Commonwealth Bank Service Blueprint

Finance Industy Service Blueprint

New Service Blueprint for a Coffee Shop

Example Uber Service Blueprint

Ready to Create Your Own Service Blueprint?  

As the name suggests, a service blueprint offers a blueprint of your service process. It simplifies the task of mapping out everything from each step of the process to the different roles in it, making it easier to design a new service delivery system or improve an existing one. This guide explains how to do this in detail.

Got anything to add? Let us know in the comments section below.

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FAQs About Service Blueprints

While service blueprints are valuable tools, there are a few limitations and challenges to consider.

• It can be challenging to capture the complexity and variability of the service process accurately.
• Service blueprints may not fully capture emotional or intangible aspects of the customer experience.
• Creating and maintaining service blueprints require collaboration among various stakeholders, which can be challenging in organizations with siloed departments or limited resources.

Organizations should follow a few key steps to effectively implement and maintain service blueprints.

• Firstly, identify the scope and objectives of the blueprint.
• Involve relevant stakeholders from different departments to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the service process.
• Collect and analyze data on customer interactions and experiences to inform the blueprint.
• Regularly review and update the blueprint to align with service offerings or customer expectations changes.
• Finally, communicate the blueprint to all relevant employees to ensure a shared understanding.

Here are some best practices for creating impactful service blueprints:

• Involve cross-functional teams to gain diverse perspectives and insights.
• Engage with customers through research methods like interviews, observations, and surveys to understand their needs and expectations.
• Use clear visual representations, such as diagrams or flowcharts, to make the blueprint easy to understand.
• Include relevant details in each step, such as customer actions, employee actions, and support processes.
• Pay attention to touchpoints where customer interactions occur, and analyze the emotions and expectations associated with those touchpoints.
• Iterate and refine the blueprint based on feedback and data from real-world service experiences.
• Regularly review and update the blueprint to ensure its accuracy and relevance.

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Amanda Athuraliya is the communication specialist/content writer at Creately, online diagramming and collaboration tool. She is an avid reader, a budding writer and a passionate researcher who loves to write about all kinds of topics.

Blueprint Printing Business: Steps to Launch and Prosper

Main Sections In This Post Steps To Starting A Blueprint Printing Service Points to Consider Resources Knowledge Is Power Featured Video

This post provides a comprehensive guide to owning a blueprint printing service, including a detailed step-by-step outline and valuable industry-specific resources for startup and ongoing operations. Bookmark this page for future reference and share if you find it helpful!

Let’s get started with the steps.

Steps to Starting a Blueprint Printing Service

1. gaining an overview of what you’re getting into.

Gain valuable insights to make informed decisions for your blueprint printing service. Take ample time to carefully consider essential aspects before entering the startup phase, ensuring well-informed choices that contribute to your success.

Is Starting a Blueprint Printing Service the Right Step for You?

Certainly! Here’s the adapted content with hard line breaks and bold headings:

Passion: A Crucial Element for Success

There is a key factor to succeeding in business, and that factor is you!

Understanding how you feel about owning and running a business is important.

Passion Fuels Success

Passion is the driving force you need. When you’re passionate about your business and problems, arise, you look for solutions. On the other hand, without it, you’ll look for a way out.

How passionate are you about owning your own business?

The Importance of Perspective

Let’s look at an interesting perspective:

Imagine doing anything you want without restrictions and enough money to last you for the rest of your life. That means money has nothing to do with how you will spend the rest of your life.

The Blueprint Printing Service Question

Now an important question.

In this situation, would you start a blueprint printing service?

If your answer is yes, it shows that you are passionate about owning and operating a blueprint printing service and are heading in the right direction.

Exploring Alternatives

However, if your answer is no, it prompts another question:

What would you prefer to do instead? Perhaps, you should pursue that path instead.

Summary: Passion is Key

In summary, you need to be passionate about the business you are starting. Your passion is the driving force that will keep you motivated and dedicated to your blueprint printing service, ensuring a greater likelihood of success.

For More, See How Passion Affects Your Business . Also, see, Considerations Before You Start Your Business to identify key points for a new business owner.

2. Gaining an Overview of Owning a Blueprint Printing Service

Next, let’s spend some time on key issues to give you an overview of what to expect from owning and running your business.

a.) A Quick Overview of Owning a Blueprint Printing Service

What is a Blueprint Printing Service?

A blueprint printing service is a business that specializes in reproducing large format documents, like architectural plans or engineering diagrams, commonly known as “blueprints”.

These services are essential for various industries, including architecture, engineering, construction, and manufacturing.

Day-to-Day Tasks in Running a Blueprint Printing Service

Daily tasks running a blueprint printing service may include receiving and processing digital files, operating large-scale printers, finishing and packaging prints, maintaining equipment, and handling customer queries and requests.

Points to Succeed in Operating a Blueprint Printing Service

Building a Customer Base:

Success in this business depends largely on your customer base. Establish relationships with local architects, engineers, builders, and contractors.

Offer impeccable service to foster loyalty and get repeat business.

Managing Staff and Cash Flow:

Efficient staff and cash flow management are crucial. Ensure your team is trained, motivated, and customer-focused.

Monitor cash flow to cover all operational costs and generate a profit.

Keeping Up with Change and Technology:

This industry continually evolves with new printing technologies and digital transformation.

Invest in the latest printing technology to provide high-quality, efficient services.

Handling Fluctuations in Revenue:

The demand for blueprint printing services can vary, causing fluctuations in revenue.

Diversify your services to include digital solutions and other printing needs to maintain a steady income .

Dealing with Competition:

Competition is fierce in the printing industry.

Differentiate your business through superior customer service, quality prints, fast turnaround times, and competitive pricing.

Customer Expectations

Customers expect high-quality prints with accurate details and colors.

They also value quick turnaround times, efficient service, and reasonable prices.

Meet these expectations by investing in high-quality printing equipment, training your staff to offer excellent customer service, and setting competitive prices.

b.) Pros and Cons of Owning a Blueprint Printing Service

Pros of Owning a Blueprint Printing Service

• Diverse Clientele: A blueprint printing service caters to a broad range of industries, offering the potential for a varied and wide customer base.
• High Demand: There is a consistent need for blueprint printing in construction, architecture, and engineering.
• Potential for Growth: With advancements in technology and a move towards more digital solutions, there’s potential to expand services and grow the business.

Cons of Owning a Blueprint Printing Service

• Equipment Costs: The initial investment in large-scale, high-quality printing equipment can be quite high.
• Fluctuating Demand: Demand can fluctuate based on construction and development trends, potentially leading to unstable revenue.
• Competitive Industry: The printing industry is competitive, and staying ahead requires constant attention to quality, service, pricing, and technological advances.

c.) Blueprint Printing Service Models

Types of Blueprint Printing Service Setups and Their Business Models

Traditional Storefront Model:

This model involves setting up a physical location where customers can enter and place orders.

It’s great for interacting directly with customers and building relationships. However, the cost of maintaining a storefront can be high.

Online Service Model:

Customers place orders digitally through a website or email. The blueprints are then printed and shipped to the customer or made available for pickup.

This model can reach a larger customer base and reduce overhead costs, but it requires a robust digital platform for seamless transactions.

On-Site Service Model:

For this model, the service travels to the customer’s location to provide printing services.

This is particularly suitable for large construction or industrial sites that require frequent or high-volume blueprint prints.

While it offers convenience to the customer, it also necessitates significant logistics and planning.

Hybrid Model:

This model combines aspects of the above models, offering both walk-in and online and sometimes on-site services.

It offers the most flexibility to customers but also requires the most diverse set of resources to manage.

Choosing the Right Business Model

Selecting the right business model from the start is crucial, as it forms the foundation of your blueprint printing service.

Changing your model later can be challenging, time-consuming, and potentially costly.

Each model has its benefits and drawbacks, and the right choice will depend on your resources, target market, competition, and personal business goals.

Identifying a profitable and high-demand niche for your blueprint printing service is also key.

With a clear understanding of your target audience and their needs, you can tailor your business model to deliver exactly what they require.

Whether that’s fast online orders, personalized in-store service, or the convenience of on-site printing, your business model should ultimately serve to fill a need in the m

d.) Making Your Blueprint Printing Service Stand Out

Superior Quality:

Investing in top-tier printing equipment can ensure high-resolution prints with accurate details and colors, making your service stand out.

Fast Turnaround Time:

In industries like construction or architecture, time is money. Offering quick turnaround times can make your business highly attractive.

Excellent Customer Service:

Providing personalized, attentive, and responsive service can build strong customer relationships and differentiate your business.

Diverse Service Offerings:

Beyond blueprint printing, consider offering related services such as scanning, digital archiving, and laminating to provide a comprehensive solution.

Technological Innovation:

Stay ahead of the curve by embracing new technologies and trends, such as cloud-based storage and sharing, 3D printing, or augmented reality previews of designs.

Eco-Friendly Practices:

With growing concern about environmental impact, using sustainable materials and energy-efficient machines can set you apart.

e.) Add-on Ideas for a Blueprint Printing Service Business

Scanning and Digitization:

Offer a service to scan and digitize physical blueprints, making them easy to store, share, and reproduce.

Document Archiving:

Provide secure, cloud-based storage solutions for customers to archive their blueprints and other important documents.

Laminating and Finishing:

Add value by offering finishing services like laminating, mounting, or binding blueprints.

Delivery Services:

Consider offering delivery for local and out-of-town customers for convenience.

3D Printing:

As 3D printing technology advances, there may be opportunities to offer 3D printouts of architectural models or components.

Design Software Training:

Hold workshops or classes on using design software like AutoCAD, helping your customers improve their blueprint creation skills.

Remember, the key to a successful blueprint printing service is understanding your customer’s needs and going above and beyond to meet them.

Offering unique and valuable add-ons can increase your revenue and boost customer satisfaction and loyalty.

f.) Questions You Need to Consider for Your Blueprint Printing Service

Questions to Consider Before Starting Your Blueprint Printing Service

• What business model are you considering for your blueprint printing service? Are you looking at a traditional storefront, online service, on-site service, or a hybrid model?
• Will you handle all the work personally, or do you plan to hire employees? If you’re hiring, what will your team structure look like?
• Do you intend to manage your blueprint printing service, or are you considering hiring a manager? This can depend on your skills and the size of your operation.
• Are you interested in seeking partners or investors? Partners can bring additional resources and expertise, while investors can provide the necessary capital.
• Do you plan to start a home-based blueprint printing service, or are you planning on operating from a commercial location? This decision will greatly impact your startup and operational costs.
• If applicable, are you considering a physical brick-and-mortar setup or plan to operate online? Each option has pros and cons and may appeal to different customer segments.
• Have you considered your business growth strategy? What are your long-term goals? Having a clear vision can guide your decisions and strategies from the start.
• What value-added services or add-ons could you offer to stand out? Consider the needs of your target market and potential gaps in the market.
• How will you ensure the quality of your printing service to meet customer expectations? This might involve choices about equipment, materials, and quality control processes.
• Have you conducted market research to identify your target customers and understand their needs? This information can guide your service offerings, pricing, and marketing strategies.

Answering the above questions will help guide your decision-making as you establish your blueprint printing service.

Understanding your business model’s specific requirements and challenges will enable you to plan effectively and set your business up for success.

3. Research

Blueprint printing service research.

Thorough research is paramount before venturing into the blueprint printing service industry. Quality information equips you to navigate the unknown.

Seeking guidance from experienced individuals in running a blueprint printing service is invaluable.

Their expertise and years of industry experience offer priceless insights. Discover the right approach to contacting and connecting with these professionals through the comprehensive article below.

See An Inside Look Into the Business You Want To Start for all the details.

Target Audience

Understanding Your Target Audience: Unlocking the Benefits

Understanding your target audience is crucial for a blueprint printing service. It allows you to make offers that appeal to customers and provide products and services that interest them.

Enhanced Customer Engagement and Business Opportunities

Knowing your target market can effectively tailor your approach to attract and engage potential customers.

This understanding enables you to create compelling offers and solutions that resonate with their needs and preferences.

Identifying Your Target Market: Key Segments to Consider

Potential individuals interested in what a blueprint printing service offers may include:

• Architects and architectural firms
• Construction companies
• Engineering firms
• Interior designers
• Real estate developers
• Urban planners
• Landscaping companies
• Government agencies
• Building contractors
• DIY enthusiasts with construction projects

By focusing on these target market segments, you can position your blueprint printing service as a valuable resource and meet the demands of a specialized customer base.

For more, see How To Understand Your Target Market.

4. Looking at Financials:

Understanding the Financial Landscape: Startup Costs, Sales, and Profit

This section provides an overview of the financial aspects of establishing a blueprint printing service, including startup costs, sales, and profitability.

Startup Costs: Ensuring a Smooth Launch

Accurately estimating startup costs is crucial for a successful launch. Thoroughly assess expenses from the planning phase until your business opens.

Underestimating can lead to insufficient funds, hindering the opening, while overestimating may raise concerns about the venture’s viability.

Consider factors such as operation size, location, equipment (new or used), hiring employees, and rental or leasing options.

Create a comprehensive list and research prices, accounting for any additional expenses during your research.

For more detailed information, refer to my article on Estimating Startup Costs.

Sales and Profit: Key Determinants

The success of your blueprint printing service relies on several factors:

• Product and Service Popularity: The appeal of your offerings to customers.
• Demand: The level of market demand for blueprint printing services.
• Marketing: Effective promotion to reach the right audience.

Profitability: Beyond Sales

Profitability extends beyond the revenue earned per sale. It necessitates meticulous consideration of various expenses, including rent, payroll, and overhead costs. Generating sufficient sales to cover monthly expenses and provide a salary is crucial for long-term success.

By understanding and managing these financial aspects, your blueprint printing service can strive for profitability and sustainable growth.

For More, See Estimating Profitability and Revenue

Sample Financial Lists As a Starting Point

1. Estimated Startup Costs for a Blueprint Printing Service

Note that these are approximate figures and will vary based on location, size of operation, and other factors.

• Business License and Permits: $500
• Rent/Lease Deposit (if operating from a commercial location): $4,000
• Blueprint Printing Equipment: $15,000
• Office Equipment (computer, software, furniture, etc.): $2,000
• Initial Inventory of Printing Supplies (paper, ink, etc.): $3,000
• Website Development and Setup: $2,500
• Initial Marketing and Advertising: $1,000

Total Estimated Startup Costs: $28,000

2. Estimated Monthly Expenses for a Blueprint Printing Service

Here’s a sample breakdown of some typical ongoing monthly expenses for operating a blueprint printing service.

• Rent/Lease: $2,000
• Utilities (electricity, water, internet, etc.): $500
• Employee Salaries (if applicable): $6,000 (for 2 employees)
• Supplies (paper, ink, etc.): $1,000
• Equipment Maintenance and Repairs: $300
• Insurance: $200
• Marketing and Advertising: $500
• Website Maintenance: $100

Total Estimated Monthly Expenses: $10,600

Sales Estimate:

You’d need to generate at least $10,600 in monthly sales to cover these costs.

If you price a typical blueprint print at $15 (price may vary based on size and other factors), you must sell approximately 707 prints per month to break even.

Remember, these are just examples, and the actual costs can vary greatly depending on various factors such as location, business model, and size of the operation.

Consider seeking professional advice when estimating your business’s startup costs, ongoing expenses, and potential revenues.

Every situation is unique, and careful planning and consideration are essential for success.

5. Choosing The Right Business Location

Location: A Critical Factor for Blueprint Printing Success

The choice of location can determine the success or failure of your blueprint printing service. Opting for the right location is pivotal for achieving desired outcomes.

Demand and Competition: Striking the Balance

Operating in an area with insufficient demand for blueprint printing services can lead to failure even before launching your business.

Conversely, competing in an oversaturated market poses challenges in securing a share of the customer base.

Ideally, you seek a location with adequate demand and a reasonable level of competition.

Affordability and Profitability: Weighing the Options

Consider the affordability of a location.

While operating in a highly populated area offers greater exposure, you must ensure that the additional expenses will result in profitable returns.

Conversely, choosing a low-cost area may raise concerns about generating sufficient sales volume.

Exploring Alternatives: Home-Based Operations

Operating from home is a viable option for certain blueprint printing service models.

This setup works well for online businesses or those with minimal customer interaction.

Beginning from a home-based setup allows for a cost-effective start, and as the business expands, transitioning to a commercial location becomes possible.

The Importance of Thorough Research

Choosing the right location is paramount for the success of your blueprint printing service.

Conduct comprehensive research to ensure informed decision-making, considering factors such as demand, competition, affordability, and long-term profitability.

For more about business locations, see Choosing The Best Location for Your Business.

6. Choose a Business Name

Crafting an Engaging Blueprint Printing Service Name

Choosing a compelling and fitting business name is essential for your blueprint printing service. Aim for a catchy, easy-to-pronounce, and memorable name, leaving a lasting impression on customers.

Long-Term Implications

Business names tend to remain unchanged, so the name you select now will accompany your company.

Online Presence: Matching Domain Name

Ensure that your chosen business name aligns with an available domain name for your online presence.

This facilitates brand consistency across digital platforms and makes it easier for customers to find you online. Verify that another business does not already register the desired name.

Creative Blueprint Printing Service Name Ideas

• Blueprint Solutions
• Precision Prints
• Blueprint Masterworks
• PlanPrint Pro
• Stellar Blueprints
• Inked Impressions
• AccuGraph Prints
• PrintVision Studio
• Blueprint Expressions
• Graphical Blueprint
• ProPrint Blueprinting
• Architectural Inks
• DesignPrint Solutions
• Blueprint Bright
• The Blueprint Gallery
• Printwise Blueprints
• PixelPerfect Prints
• Blueprint Innovations
• PrintCraft Studio
• Signature Blueprints
• Visualize Prints
• Elite Blueprinting
• SharpLines Blueprint
• Artistic Blueprint Prints
• Print Architects
• Precision Drafting
• Blueprint Builders
• Graphix Blueprinting
• Blueprint Impressions

Use these ideas to ignite your creativity and develop an original business name that reflects the uniqueness of your blueprint printing service.

For more, see the following articles:

• How To Register a Business Name
• Registering a Domain Name For Your Business

7. Register Your Company

Ensuring your blueprint printing service operates within legal boundaries is vital for a successful and compliant business.

Here’s an overview of important considerations, including registrations, consulting with professionals, and necessary permits and licenses.

Legal Compliance: A Cornerstone of Success

Maintaining legal compliance is crucial for the smooth operation of your blueprint printing service.

It establishes a solid foundation for growth while safeguarding your business from potential legal complications.

Professional Consultation: Expert Guidance

Engaging a professional, such as a lawyer or accountant, is advisable to ensure your business is legally sound and optimized for tax benefits and liability protection.

Their expertise can assist in setting up the appropriate legal structure and maximizing your business’s financial advantages.

Common Types of Registrations for Blueprint Printing Services

• Business Entity Formation (e.g., LLC, Corporation, Partnership)
• Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS
• State and Local Business Registrations

Permits and Licenses for Blueprint Printing Services

Consider the following permits and licenses specific to the blueprint printing industry:

• Business Operation License
• Zoning and Land Use Permits
• Environmental Permits (if applicable)
• Building and Construction Permits
• Health and Safety Permits
• Copyright and Intellectual Property Protection (if offering design services)

Researching and complying with your jurisdiction’s specific requirements and regulations is crucial to operate legally and avoid any potential penalties or legal complications.

By ensuring legal compliance, seeking professional guidance, and obtaining the necessary registrations, permits, and licenses, you can establish a solid legal framework for your blueprint printing service, setting the stage for long-term success.

Registration:

• How to Register Your Business
• How To Register a DBA
• How to Register a Trademark
• How to Get a Business License

Business Structures:

• How to Choose a Business Structure
• Pros & Cons of a Sole Proprietorship
• How To Form an LLC
• How To Register a Business Partnership
• How To Form a Corporation
• How To Choose a Business Registration Service

8. Create Your Corporate Identity

Establishing a strong Corporate Identity (ID) is essential for your blueprint printing service. Your

A Corporate ID consists of various components such as your logo , business cards , website , business sign , stationary, promotional items, etc.

Maintaining a consistent and professional design across these components is crucial to leave a lasting impression on new and existing customers.

Crafting an Impressive Corporate Identity

• Logo Design : Create a visually appealing and memorable logo representing your blueprint printing service.
• Business Cards : Design professional and informative business cards that reflect your brand and provide essential contact details.
• Website : Develop a user-friendly and visually captivating website that showcases your services, portfolio, and contact information.
• Business Sign : Ensure your storefront or office features a prominent, well-designed sign that captures attention and reinforces your brand.
• Stationery : Maintain consistency with branded stationery, including letterheads, envelopes, and invoices, reinforcing your professional image.
• Promotional Items : Consider utilizing promotional items such as branded pens, notepads, or USB drives to enhance brand visibility and leave a lasting impression.

Impressing Customers, Building Trust

By establishing a cohesive Corporate ID, you present a professional image that instills confidence and trust in your blueprint printing service.

Consistency across various components enhances brand recognition and sets you apart from competitors, attracting and impressing old and new customers.

See A Complete Introduction to Corporate Identity Packages for more.

9. Writing a Business Plan

A well-crafted business plan is vital for your blueprint printing service. It serves multiple purposes, such as securing funding and attracting investors.

Additionally, it acts as a roadmap, guiding you through the startup phase and ongoing operations.

The Value of a Business Plan

Creating a comprehensive business plan requires time and effort as you shape a vision for your blueprint printing service. Careful planning and thoughtful expression of details are essential.

Clarity and Direction

Completing a business plan is a rewarding endeavor. It provides a clear understanding of the requirements for starting your business and offers a well-defined vision for its operation.

Approaches to Business Plan Creation

Several options are available when it comes to crafting your business plan. You can write it from scratch, seek assistance from a professional, utilize a template, or leverage business plan software.

Active Involvement: Making it Distinctive

Active participation is crucial regardless of the chosen approach, especially if you opt for professional assistance. Your business plan should stand out and effectively communicate your blueprint printing service’s nature and management.

Flexibility and Optimization

Remember that your business plan can evolve and be optimized as you gain experience. Regularly reviewing the document and making necessary adjustments to align with the changing needs of your business is advisable.

By investing time and consideration into your business plan, you lay a solid foundation for your blueprint printing service’s success and growth.

A Fictitious Sample Business Plan for a Blueprint Printing Service

Executive Summary

Business Name: Blueprint Solutions

Blueprint Solutions is a new blueprint printing service that aims to provide top-quality, timely, and efficient large-scale printing services to architects, engineers, builders, contractors, and other professionals in the Denver area. Our primary offerings will include blueprint printing, scanning, digital archiving, laminating, and delivery services.

Company Description

Blueprint Solutions is a Limited Liability Company (LLC) based in Denver, Colorado. We aim to serve a diverse range of customers, from large construction firms to small-scale architects, offering printing services to meet their unique needs.

Market Analysis

Industry Overview: The blueprint printing industry is essential to several sectors, including construction, architecture, and engineering.

Target Market: Our target market includes architects, engineers, construction companies, and designers in the Denver area.

Competitors: Our main competitors are local print shops and online blueprint services. Our competitive advantage lies in our high-quality prints, fast turnaround times, and excellent customer service.

Organization and Management

Blueprint Solutions will be managed by owner John Smith, who brings 15 years of experience in the printing industry. The team will include two full-time print technicians and a part-time administrative assistant.

Service Line

Our services will include:

• Large format blueprint printing
• Scanning and digitization of documents
• Document archiving
• Laminating and finishing
• Delivery services
• Marketing and Sales

Our marketing strategy will focus on building relationships with local businesses in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries.

We will advertise our services through local business networks, online advertising, and direct mail.

Financial Projections

Initial startup costs are estimated at $28,000, primarily for acquiring printing equipment and initial setup. Monthly operating costs are estimated at $10,600.

We aim to achieve break-even within the first six months and to generate a modest profit by the end of the first year.

Funding Request

Blueprint Solutions seeks a small business loan of $35,000 to cover the initial setup costs and provide working capital for the first few months of operation.

Exit Strategy

If the business does not meet its financial goals, it will minimize losses by selling the printing equipment and liquidating assets.

Blueprint Solutions is poised to fill a gap in the local market for fast, reliable, and high-quality blueprint printing services.

We are confident in our ability to build a successful business that meets the needs of local professionals and contributes to the local economy.

This is just a sample. A professional business plan is much more detailed and personalized to a blueprint printing business hoover. This simple outline offers an overview.

For information on creating your business plan, see, How to Write a Business Plan.

10. Banking Considerations

Selecting a nearby bank that specializes in serving business owners is a prudent choice for your blueprint printing service.

Benefits of a Separate Business Account

Maintaining a separate business account offers numerous advantages.

It allows you to segregate business expenses from personal spending, simplifying expense tracking and bookkeeping. Furthermore, it provides tangible evidence in the event of a tax audit.

Establishing a Professional Relationship with Your Banker

Developing a professional rapport with your banker is highly recommended. They can offer valuable advice and financial services and streamline application processes for loans or other financial needs.

Accepting Credit and Debit Cards

Consider applying for a merchant account or a similar payment setup to accommodate credit and debit card transactions.

This allows your blueprint printing service to offer convenient payment options, attracting a broader customer base and enhancing the overall customer experience.

By choosing a bank that caters to businesses, maintaining a separate business account, fostering a relationship with your banker, and accepting electronic payments, you can streamline financial operations for your blueprint printing service and position it for success.

For more, see, How to Open a Business Bank Account. You may also want to look at, What Is a Merchant Account and How to Get One.

11. Getting the Funds for Your Operation

If you require funding to start and operate your blueprint printing service, various options are available to secure the necessary capital. Consider the following tips if you need a loan to kickstart your business:

• Explore Funding Options: Traditional lenders, private loans, investors, and selling assets are potential avenues to acquire funds for your blueprint printing service. Additionally, utilizing collateral can help secure financing.

When meeting with a loan officer, it’s essential to consider the following:

• Present a Strong Business Plan: A comprehensive business plan that outlines your blueprint printing service’s goals, strategies, and financial projections is crucial.
• Demonstrate Industry Knowledge: Showcase your understanding of the blueprint printing industry, market demand, and competition to instill confidence in the loan officer.
• Highlight Revenue Potential: Clearly articulate how your blueprint printing service will generate revenue and achieve profitability.

Sample list of documents needed to apply for a business loan for a NEW blueprint printing service:

• Business plan
• Personal and business financial statements
• Tax returns (personal and business)
• Legal documents (licenses, permits, registrations)
• Collateral documentation, if applicable
• Projections and financial forecasts

By diligently preparing for meetings with loan officers and assembling the necessary documentation, you can enhance your chances of securing funding for your blueprint printing service’s successful launch and ongoing operations.

See, Getting a Small Business Loan for more.

12. Software Setup

Software Considerations for Your Blueprint Printing Service

Thoroughly researching software options is vital for your blueprint printing service, as it is easier to implement a program from scratch rather than switching to a new system once your data is already in another program.

Key Steps for Software Evaluation

• Research: Explore software options and consider their features, compatibility, and user-friendliness.
• Starting with a demo, if available, can provide hands-on experience. Additionally, reviewing user feedback and discussions in forums can offer insights into others’ experiences with the software.
• Financial Management Software: Research software solutions for expense tracking and financial document preparation are essential for tax filing.
• Consulting with your bookkeeper or accountant can guide you in selecting the most suitable accounting software for your blueprint printing service.

Sample List of Software Used for a Blueprint Printing Service

• Blueprint Design Software: AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, ArchiCAD
• Printing and Plotting Software: Bluebeam Revu, Océ Publisher, EFI Fiery
• Project Management Software: Procore, PlanGrid, CoConstruct
• Accounting Software: QuickBooks, Xero, Sage
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM
• File Sharing and Collaboration Software: Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft SharePoint

Remember to assess your specific needs and consider software compatibility, user-friendliness, and scalability when selecting the most suitable software solutions for your blueprint printing service.

Software Considerations for a Blueprint Printing Service.

Check out Google’s latest search results for software packages for a blueprint printing service.

13. Get The Right Business Insurance

Insurance Considerations for Your Blueprint Printing Service

Insurance coverage is crucial for your blueprint printing service, as incidents can occur anytime. Consider the following concerns when seeking insurance:

• Comprehensive Coverage : Ensure your insurance policy protects not only your customers and employees but also yourself, anyone on the premises, and your valuable property.
• Professional Liability Insurance : Consider obtaining professional liability insurance to safeguard your business against potential lawsuits from errors, omissions, or negligence in blueprint printing services.
• Home-Based Business : If you plan to operate or manage your blueprint printing service from your home, inform your home insurance agent about your business activities. Failure to do so could potentially nullify your existing home insurance policy.
• Expert Guidance : Work with a competent insurance broker specializing in commercial insurance to guide you through the process and ensure you obtain adequate coverage tailored to your blueprint printing service’s specific needs.
• Coverage Assessment : Carefully evaluate the coverage limits, deductibles, and exclusions of potential insurance policies to determine the protection they offer for your blueprint printing service.
• Risk Management : Implement proper safety measures and risk management practices to minimize the likelihood of accidents or incidents and mitigate potential insurance claims.

By addressing these concerns and working with an experienced insurance professional, you can effectively protect your blueprint printing service and mitigate potential risks and liabilities.

For more, see What to Know About Business Insurance . You can also browse the latest Google search results for blueprint printing service insurance .

14. Select Suppliers

Strong supplier relationships are crucial for your blueprint printing service. Reliable suppliers offer competitive prices, ensuring cost savings for you and increased profitability.

They also provide uninterrupted stock, keeping your operations running smoothly.

Treat suppliers respectfully and create mutually beneficial partnerships to enhance working relationships and foster success.

For More See, How To Choose a Supplier.

15. Physical Setup

Layout: Optimizing Your Blueprint Printing Service’s Physical Setup

Your blueprint printing service’s physical setup and layout are crucial to operational efficiency. Ensure your workspace is organized and optimized for a seamless workflow.

Consider factors such as designated printing areas, efficient storage for equipment and supplies, and a comfortable workspace for employees.

A well-designed layout enhances productivity and creates a professional environment for blueprint printing operations.

Signage: Guiding and Presenting a Professional Image

In addition to installing your main business sign, strategically place signs in relevant locations such as parking lots, exits, and special areas.

Well-designed signage directs people within your premises and showcases professionalism in your blueprint printing service.

Clear and visually appealing signs enhance customer experience and contribute to a positive brand image.

Office Setup: Organized Efficiency for Effective Management

Managing your blueprint printing business requires substantial time in the office. An organized office setup is crucial to maximize productivity.

Ensure your office has the tools and resources to manage your business operations effectively.

This includes reliable computer systems, printers, filing cabinets, communication tools, and ergonomic furniture .

A well-equipped and organized office environment facilitates efficient workflow and supports the successful management of your blueprint printing service.

See, Here are Considerations for The Setup of Your Office, for tips and ideas to make your office work for you. Also, have a look at our article About Company Signs.

16. Creating a Website

Having a website is highly beneficial for your blueprint printing service. It is a powerful online presence, enabling you to reach a wider audience and attract potential customers.

A website allows you to showcase your services, portfolio, and contact information, establishing credibility and professionalism.

It provides a platform for customers to learn about your offerings, request quotes, and engage with your business.

Additionally, a website enhances your visibility in search engine results, making it easier for potential clients to find you and boosting your blueprint printing service’s growth and success.

For more, see How to Build a Website for Your Business .

17. Create an External Support Team

Building an External Support Team for Your Blueprint Printing Service

An external support team of professionals is a valuable asset for your blueprint printing service. These individuals provide expert advice and services without being part of your regular payroll.

Engaging their services on a peruse, contract, or hourly is ideal. While you may already work with some professionals, considering them as part of your team helps you recognize their significance and opens doors to additional members.

You don’t need to have all team members in place before starting your business. Building professional relationships and finding reliable individuals takes time. However, it is an ongoing effort worth pursuing.

A strong team can offer assistance when needed.

Your support group may include an accountant, lawyer, financial advisor, marketing specialist, technical advisor, consultant, and more.

Collaborating with these professionals adds expertise and support to various aspects of your blueprint printing service, enhancing its overall success.

For more, see, Building a Team of Professional Advisors for Your Business.

18. Hiring Employees

Delegating and Hiring: Scaling Your Blueprint Printing Service

In the initial stages of your blueprint printing service, you might handle all tasks yourself to avoid the expense of hiring employees.

This approach can be feasible and cost-effective, particularly during the startup phase.

However, as your business expands, it may become challenging to manage and operate everything single-handedly.

At this point, hiring employees becomes essential, significantly enhancing productivity when you bring onboard the right individuals.

List of Jobs Needed to Run a Blueprint Printing Service

The following are job positions or outsourced services you may want to consider as your blueprint printing service grows and becomes successful:

• Print Production Specialists
• Graphic Designers
• Sales and Marketing Representatives
• Customer Service Representatives
• Administrative Assistants
• Accountants or Bookkeepers
• IT Support Specialists
• Equipment Maintenance Technicians
• Project Managers
• Delivery Personnel

As your blueprint printing service flourishes, these roles contribute to the smooth functioning of your operations, ensure customer satisfaction, and support continued growth and success.

For more, see, How and When to Hire a New Employee.

Points To Consider

Hours of operation:.

When determining the hours of operation for your blueprint printing service, consider the following options based on your target market and business needs:

• Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• Saturday and Sunday: Closed
• Monday to Friday: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
• Saturday: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
• Sunday: Closed
• Open round the clock, seven days a week, to cater to customers with urgent printing needs or clients in different time zones.
• Varying operating hours based on customer demand and appointment scheduling.

Remember to align your hours of operation with customer preferences, market trends, and your business capabilities.

Additionally, communicate your operating hours clearly through your website, signage, and other marketing materials to ensure customers are well-informed.

A List of Equipment and Supplies to Consider for a Blueprint Printing Service:

Setting up a blueprint printing service business requires various equipment, some more essential than others, depending on your specific business model and the services offered. Below is a list of equipment you may need:

Printing Equipment:

• Large Format Printer: This is the core equipment you’ll need to print blueprints. Large format printers can handle bigger paper sizes, usually up to 24″ or 36″ wide rolls.
• Scanner: A large format scanner is important if you plan to offer digitization services for existing physical blueprints.
• 3D Printer: This could be beneficial if you offer 3D printing services for architectural models or components.

Office Equipment:

• Computer: You’ll need at least one computer to operate your printing equipment, manage orders, handle customer service, etc.
• Software: You’ll need various types of software, including design software (like AutoCAD), order management software, and possibly CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software.
• Office Furniture: This includes desks, chairs, file cabinets for document storage , etc.

Other Equipment:

• Laminating Machine: If you plan to offer lamination services for durability and protection of prints.
• Cutting Equipment: A high-quality paper cutter or trimmer is necessary for clean edges and custom sizes.
• Binding Machine: If you plan to offer binding services, you’ll need a binding machine.
• Shelves/Racks: These are needed for organizing and storing blueprints, especially if offering pick-up services.
• Packaging Supplies: You’ll need tubes or envelopes for storing and delivering blueprints without damage.

Remember, your specific equipment needs will depend on the services you plan to offer and the scale of your operation.

Always thoroughly research each piece of equipment to ensure it meets your needs and fits within your budget.

Blueprint Printer Buyer Guides

Taking the time to study blueprint printer buyer guides allows you to gain valuable insights into the key features to consider when selecting a printer, enhancing your industry knowledge.

This knowledge empowers you to make informed decisions and choose the right printer that aligns with your blueprint printing service’s needs and requirements.

See the latest search results for blueprint printer buyer guides.

Marketing Considerations

Attracting Customers: A Key to Blueprint Printing Service Success

A blueprint printing service without customers is not a real business. So to succeed, you must attract customers. It’s harder initially because your operation is new, and people don’t know about it.

Assuming you build a good reputation, it will get easier as time passes. You will also have more marketing experience.

Ongoing Marketing Efforts

Marketing your blueprint printing service is an ongoing process. The more you invest in effective marketing techniques, the more revenue you generate.

You don’t always need a marketing agency or expert to market your business.

You can always do that if needed. To simplify your marketing process think of it as bringing awareness to your business, which you can do anytime an opportunity arises.

See our article How To Get Customers Through the Door and our marketing section for articles that will provide ideas to bring awareness to your blueprint printing service.

Assessing Your Skills for Running a Blueprint Printing Service

It is important to focus on your skill set and evaluate if you possess the necessary abilities to effectively run a blueprint printing service.

Recognizing your strengths and weaknesses allows you to make informed decisions about your business.

Remember, if you lack an essential skill, you can learn it or hire someone with that expertise.

Essential Skills for a Blueprint Printing Service Owner

• Blueprint Reading and Interpretation
• Proficiency in Blueprint Printing Software
• Knowledge of Printing Equipment and Maintenance
• Attention to Detail and Accuracy
• Project Management and Organizational Skills
• Customer Service and Communication Skills
• Financial Management and Bookkeeping
• Problem-solving and Troubleshooting Abilities
• Continuous Learning and Adaptability

Possessing these essential skills enables you to effectively manage and grow your blueprint printing service while meeting customer demands and ensuring operational excellence.

Expert Tips

Examining expert tips benefits experts and novices alike, as it aids in skill improvement.

Experts may discover more efficient methods or gain new perspectives, while novices can gather numerous tips to enhance their skills and knowledge, fostering growth and development in their respective fields.

See the latest search results for expert blueprint printing service tips to gain tips and insights.

Essential Resources for Your Blueprint Printing Service

Discover valuable resources with the latest industry information and tips to improve your blueprint printing business.

These resources can be accessed during the startup phase and when your business is fully operational, helping you better understand the industry and enhance your operations.

Stay informed and make the most of these resources for success in the blueprint printing industry.

Trends and Statistics

Examining industry trends and statistics for a blueprint printing service offers valuable benefits. It provides insights into market demands, customer preferences, and emerging opportunities.

By staying updated on industry trends, you can make informed decisions, adapt your strategies, and position your blueprint printing service for success.

See the latest search results for trends and statistics related to the blueprint printing service industry.

Blueprint Printing Service Associations

Trade associations provide several advantages, such as staying informed about industry news and accessing valuable networking opportunities.

These benefits become especially apparent when associations host events, offering a platform for knowledge exchange, professional connections, and staying up-to-date with the latest developments in the field.

See the search results related to blueprint printing service associations.

Top Blueprint Printing Service

Analyzing established blueprint printing services can inspire you to identify gaps in the industry that you can address in your own business.

It also helps you recognize any overlooked aspects in your operations, providing valuable insights for improvement and innovation within the blueprint printing industry

See the latest search results for the top blueprint printing services.

The Future of the Blueprint Printing Service Industry

Researching the future of the blueprint printing industry offers significant benefits for aspiring entrepreneurs. It provides insights into emerging trends, technological advancements, and market demands.

This knowledge empowers individuals to make informed decisions, adapt strategies, and position themselves for success in the evolving blueprint printing landscape.

See the search results for the future of the blueprint printing service industry.

Researching industry prices when starting a blueprint printing service offers valuable benefits.

It provides insights into market rates, competitive pricing strategies, and customer expectations.

This knowledge allows you to set competitive prices, maximize profitability, and make informed decisions for your blueprint printing business.

See the latest blueprint printing service prices.

Blueprint Printing Services for Sale

Considering Buying an Existing Blueprint Printing Service

When contemplating whether to buy an existing blueprint printing service that is already operating, there are both advantages and disadvantages to consider.

Benefits of Buying an Established Blueprint Printing Service:

• Immediate Revenue Generation upon takeover.
• Skip the challenging startup phase.
• Confidence that the business model is proven and successful.
• Access to existing revenue, profit, and expense information.
• Established customer base.
• Built reputation in the industry.

Disadvantages of Buying an Existing Blueprint Printing Service:

• Higher cost due to the inclusion of goodwill, representing the customer base.
• Potential customer loss if changes are implemented to the existing operations.
• Acquiring both the positive and negative aspects of the business’s reputation.

Carefully weigh these pros and cons to make an informed decision when purchasing an existing blueprint printing service.

See the latest search results related to blueprint printing services – businesses for sale to browse the latest listings.

Franchise Opportunities Related to a blueprint printing service

Considering a blueprint printing service franchise has pros and cons, but it’s worthwhile to investigate before starting your own business.

Exploring these franchise opportunities may uncover aspects of blueprint printing services you hadn’t considered.

Pros of Buying a Blueprint Printing Service Franchise:

• Utilize a proven business model developed by the corporate office.
• Benefit from the established reputation and marketing efforts of the franchise.
• Comprehensive understanding of the business operations before starting.
• Receive support and guidance from the corporate office.

Cons of Buying a Blueprint Printing Service Franchise:

• Initial investment can be costly.
• Major changes require approval from the corporate office.
• Limited to approved products and services.
• Bound by the terms and conditions specified in the franchise agreement.
• Ongoing franchise fees are to be paid.

Carefully assess these pros and cons to make an informed decision about pursuing a blueprint printing service franchise opportunity.

See the latest search results for franchise opportunities related to this industry.

Knowledge Is Power if You Use It!

Harnessing Knowledge for Your Blueprint Printing Service

Knowledge is a powerful tool when applied effectively!

The internet is a treasure trove of information for your blueprint printing service.

Explore the provided links in the following sections to access valuable resources that can support you during the research, startup, and operational phases of your business.

Tap into this wealth of information to enhance your industry understanding and drive success in your blueprint printing endeavors.

A Day in the Life

A Day in the Life of a Blueprint Printing Service Owner: Tips and Insights

Gain valuable tips and insights from industry professionals about the day-to-day experiences of being a blueprint printing service owner.

This provides a helpful overview of what to expect, preparing you for the realities of running your blueprint printing business.

Insights from Blueprint Printing Service Industry Interviews

Exploring interviews with blueprint printing service industry business owners offers valuable information and insights.

Investing time in this section provides diverse perspectives and essential knowledge about the industry, equipping you with valuable insights and a clearer understanding of what to expect. See the search results related to interviews of blueprint printing service owners.

Publications

Staying Informed with Blueprint Printing Service Publications

Publications are an excellent resource for keeping up-to-date with the latest information about the blueprint printing service industry.

Engaging with relevant publications lets you stay informed and knowledgeable about industry trends, advancements, and best practices.

See the search results for Industry publications.

Engaging in Blueprint Printing Service Forums: Valuable Insights and Connections

Participating in blueprint printing service forums offers the opportunity to join engaging discussions on industry hot topics.

Active involvement in these forums facilitates relationship-building with fellow industry professionals and grants access to invaluable customer perspectives, providing valuable information and insights.

See the latest search results related to blueprint printing service forums.

Blueprint Printing Service Blogs

Harnessing the Power of Blueprint Printing Service Blogs

Subscribing to blueprint printing service blogs offers a wealth of benefits.

It provides fresh ideas, keeps you updated with industry trends, and allows you to curate a valuable collection of blogs that consistently deliver insightful information.

Subscribing and filtering out less relevant sources can create a valuable resource for continuous industry knowledge.

Look at the latest search results for blueprint printing service blogs to follow.

Staying Informed with Blueprint Printing Service News

Keeping up-to-date with blueprint printing service industry news is crucial.

Set up alerts to receive timely notifications whenever new developments are covered by the media, ensuring you stay informed about the latest happenings in the industry.

See what’s in the news related to a blueprint printing service.

Exploring Blueprint Printing Service Industry Videos: Tips and Insights

Engaging with videos about the blueprint printing service industry provides valuable tips and insights.

Additionally, explore related videos recommended by YouTube, as they often cover topics you may not have previously considered, broadening your knowledge and understanding.

See the links to YouTube Videos Below.

• Videos related to starting a blueprint printing service can be found here.

Privacy Overview

This new 'blended-wing' plane looks like a military stealth bomber and just got the green light to fly after decades of development

• California aerospace startup JetZero got the green light to fly its new "Pathfinder" aircraft.
• The twinjet features a unique "blended-wing body" and is expected to carry up to 250 people.
• The wing poses complex challenges, but JetZero says it's a sound concept for reducing CO2 emissions.

Aerospace companies across the globe are breaking from the norm of producing traditional "tube and wing" aircraft and instead looking into futuristic technologies that will make flying more efficient and eco-friendly.

There are already concepts like zero-emission electric aircraft, supersonic jets , and even hypersonic ones. But the latest example of these new plane types is "Pathfinder" — a stealth bomber-looking jet designed by the California-based aerospace company JetZero .

The twinjet features a unique "blended-wing body," or BWB, a design where the wing and fuselage are combined into one.

After years of development, JetZero has built a 1:8 demonstrator , and the Federal Aviation Administration just gave the funky-shaped craft the green light to fly, CNN reported on Thursday.

JetZero confirmed the news to Business Insider, saying "flights will start in the coming months" to test the "stability and control characteristics of JetZero's blended wing body design, as well as the operation of its innovative landing gear system."

The FAA told BI on Thursday that it "does not comment on ongoing certification projects" and that "safety will dictate the timeline."

JetZero is building a single-deck, very widebody airliner

JetZero touts its future very widebody airliner as a "middle market" passenger airliner with space for up to 250 people, meaning its rows could stretch 15 or 20 seats across, JetZero cofounder and CEO Tom O'Leary told CNN.

The jet would be a replacement option for traditional twin-engine widebodies like the Boeing 767, for example, according to JetZero.

"The jetliner can fit seamlessly into today's infrastructure," the company told BI. "Passenger capacity of a small widebody but the weight, and engine requirement, of a single-aisle jet."

Pathfinder also has military applications, with the US Air Force awarding $235 million to JetZero in August to develop a commercial-scale demonstrator, which JetZero told BI it plans to build by 2027.

The company said it expects the certified airliner to enter the market as soon as 2030, which aviation analyst Bailey Miles at consulting firm AviationValues told CNN is "inconceivable" considering the complexities of the BWB design.

Related stories

Still, he said the concept "holds immense promise as a game changer in the aviation industry."

The blended-wing body significantly reduces fuel burn but will face design challenges

JetZero said it chose this specific BWB design due to its carbon-reducing benefits.

According to the US Air Force, the all-in-one wing reduces drag by 30% and increases lift — effectively reducing fuel burn and increasing global reach.

Moreover, JetZero said the engines will eventually be developed to run on hydrogen, which would be zero-emissions. In the interim, initial versions of Pathfinder would boast 50% less fuel burn using borrowed engines, like those from the Boeing 737, CNN reported.

University of Illinois aerospace professor Michael Bragg told Business Insider that the development of lighter yet still strong composite materials is key to reducing fuel burn on BWB aircraft designs such as Pathfinder.

He also said that engineers have distributed the load across the entire aircraft, which negates the "bending moment" between the tube and wings on a traditional airplane. The composite technology makes this new load bearing possible, Bragg told BI.

Despite Pathfinder's sound design on paper, Bragg said proving and certifying a brand-new aircraft concept is much more challenging than developing a traditionally shaped jetliner.

"The product is essentially a new airframe and flight controls married to existing systems already certified for commercial flight," JetZero told BI.

The classic tube-and-wing plane design dates back to the 1950s dawn of the jet age on aircraft like the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 and has continued to today on modern widebodies like the Airbus A350 and the future Boeing 777X.

Such time-tested technology has a successful track record, so there has been little incentive to change the conventional aircraft design over the decades as using proven technology minimizes safety risks and is easier for production, Bragg said.

"A lot of that is because of manufacturing," he said. "It's easy to manufacture a tube, and, although not as easy, it's a well-known process of how to build the wings to attach."

Beyond the assembly line, Bragg told BI that JetZero must ensure passengers are comfortable inside Pathfinder's unique shape.

For example, he told BI the pressurization inside the plane — which is what helps humans breathe at high altitudes — is difficult to design in the very widebody structure. And most of those 200+ passengers would be in the middle section without a window, which Bragg told BI could put off travelers.

JetZero says on its website that its cabin is more efficient for boarding and deplaning, and will have space for every person's cabin luggage.

Pathfinder is 100 years in the making

JetZero's Pathfinder is poised to be a groundbreaking technology should it ever hit the market, but it's not a new idea.

Engineers were reported by CNN to have crafted a similar blended-wing shape some 100 years ago. Later, American aircraft industrialist and designer Jack Northrop built his famous "Flying Wing" aircraft in the 1940s, laying the framework for the eventual B-2 bomber .

Development picked up in 1988 when McDonnell Douglas responded to NASA's challenge to build more revolutionary aircraft designs, which was followed by MD's merger with Boeing in 1997 and the later building of the X-48B/C BWBs made jointly by NASA and Boeing.

Watch: Tesla-powered flying car doesn't require a license

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• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
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How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam

A mexican drug cartel is targeting seniors and their timeshares..

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Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence.

A massive scam targeting older Americans who own timeshare properties has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars sent to Mexico.

Maria Abi-Habib, an investigative correspondent for The Times, tells the story of a victim who lost everything, and of the criminal group making the scam calls — Jalisco New Generation, one of Mexico’s most violent cartels.

On today’s episode

Maria Abi-Habib , an investigative correspondent for The New York Times based in Mexico City.

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How a brutal Mexican drug cartel came to target seniors and their timeshares .

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