What should a business plan include?

The sections that answer the reader's question: what the business does, who the customer is, what is offered, how it makes money, how it reaches customers, who runs it, and what it needs and why. Write for the reader you have — a lender wants repayment, an investor wants return — and lead with the section that matters to them.

What should a business plan include?

The sections that answer the reader's question: what the business does, who the customer is, what is offered, how it makes money, how it reaches customers, who runs it, and what it needs and why. Write for the reader you have — a lender wants repayment, an investor wants return — and lead with the section that matters to them.

Business plan template

A business plan is a document you write for a specific reader, and the reader changes the emphasis. A bank wants to know you will repay; an investor wants to know the return; you want to know whether the numbers work. This template gives you the sections a plan needs and what each section is really asking, so you answer the question rather than filling a form. The worked example shows a small service business written for a lender. Write the plain version first, then tailor it to the reader you have in front of you.

DocumentBP-001

RevisionRev 1.0

Last reviewed2026-08-14

Ownerfreebizdocs.com

A starting structure for a business plan: what each section is really asking, who the reader is, and how that reader changes what you write.

Copy it, or print it and save as PDF.

BP-001  ·  Rev 1.0
[BUSINESS PLAN TEMPLATE]

A business plan is a document you write for a specific reader, and the reader changes the emphasis. A bank wants to know you will repay; an investor wants to know the return; you want to know whether the numbers work. This template gives you the sections a plan needs and what each section is really asking, so you answer the question rather than filling a form. The worked example shows a small service business written for a lender. Write the plain version first, then tailor it to the reader you have in front of you.

1.  WHO YOU ARE WRITING FOR
    > Note — The reader is the whole point — name them before you write.
    [READER]

2.  THE BUSINESS
    > Note — What the business does, in plain terms.
    [BUSINESS]

3.  THE MARKET
    > Note — Who the customers are and what they actually buy.
    [MARKET]

4.  THE OFFER
    > Note — What you sell and why someone chooses it.
    [OFFER]

5.  HOW YOU WILL MAKE MONEY
    > Note — The numbers that matter: revenue, cost and the margin in between.
    [MONEY]

6.  THE PLAN TO GET CUSTOMERS
    > Note — How people find out and decide to buy.
    [GO_TO_MARKET]

7.  THE TEAM
    > Note — Who runs it and why they can.
    [TEAM]

8.  WHAT YOU NEED AND WHY
    > Note — The ask, stated plainly.
    [ASK]

Free to use in your own documents, including commercially.

Who you are writing for

Note — The reader is the whole point — name them before you write.

[READER]

Note — Who this plan is for, and what that reader needs to be convinced of.

The business

Note — What the business does, in plain terms.

[BUSINESS]

Note — What the business does, who it serves, and what problem it solves.

The market

Note — Who the customers are and what they actually buy.

[MARKET]

Note — The customers, the need, and the evidence that the need is real.

The offer

Note — What you sell and why someone chooses it.

[OFFER]

Note — The product or service, and the reason someone chooses it over the alternative.

How you will make money

Note — The numbers that matter: revenue, cost and the margin in between.

[MONEY]

Note — How the business charges, its costs, and the margin between them.

The plan to get customers

Note — How people find out and decide to buy.

[GO_TO_MARKET]

Note — How the business reaches its customers and what it will spend to do so.

The team

Note — Who runs it and why they can.

[TEAM]

Note — Who runs the business and what makes them able to.

What you need and why

Note — The ask, stated plainly.

[ASK]

Note — What this plan asks for and what it will be used for.

Worked example

Who you are writing for

Note — The reader is the whole point — name them before you write.

A lender for a working-capital loan. The lender needs to see that the business repays from its own cash flow, so the emphasis is on the money section and the plan to get customers.

The business

Note — What the business does, in plain terms.

A house-painting service serving two towns, selling exterior repaints on a fixed-price basis to homeowners who do not want to coordinate a job themselves.

The market

Note — Who the customers are and what they actually buy.

Two towns with an older housing stock and steady turnover of homes changing hands. The need is a single, insured contractor who gives a fixed price and a date, which most local competitors do not.

The offer

Note — What you sell and why someone chooses it.

A fixed-price exterior repaint with a written start and finish date and a one-year re-touch guarantee — the reason a homeowner chooses us over an hourly contractor.

How you will make money

Note — The numbers that matter: revenue, cost and the margin in between.

Revenue is per-job fixed price. Costs are paint, materials and a small crew. The margin averages the amount that keeps the business solvent over the quiet months.

The plan to get customers

Note — How people find out and decide to buy.

Word of mouth from finished jobs, a simple site that quotes a price, and two hardware stores that hand out cards. Spend is small because the work itself is the marketing.

The team

Note — Who runs it and why they can.

The owner runs sales, quoting and the paint crew, and has run repaint jobs for the last five years. A part-time bookkeeper handles invoicing.

What you need and why

Note — The ask, stated plainly.

A working-capital loan to cover materials and crew over the first two quiet months, repaid from the summer job pipeline.

Copy it, or print it and save as PDF.

These documents are starting structures for you to build on, not professional or legal advice. Anything that will have legal or contractual effect, or that varies by jurisdiction, should be reviewed by someone qualified in the relevant place.

What each section is really asking

The sections in this template are questions, not forms. Who you are writing for is the whole point — a lender wants repayment, an investor wants return, you want to know whether the numbers work. The market section is asking for evidence the need is real, not enthusiasm. The money section is asking for the margin, not a forecast.

When one page is enough, use the one-page version.

Common questions

What should a business plan include?: The sections that answer the reader's question: what the business does, who the customer is, what is offered, how it makes money, how it reaches customers, who runs it, and what it needs and why. Write for the reader you have — a lender wants repayment, an investor wants return — and lead with the section that matters to them.

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