Free Sample Business Plans
Ask any entrepreneur and she'll tell you that having a business plan is an important part of starting and running a new company. Ask any successful business person and he'll tell you that a business plan helps chart his company's course to success. Yet most people struggle with writing a business plan. Use these examples and create a robust business plan that includes all the components investors need to assess a new company as well as the information established businesses need to continue their success.
Examples of Business Plans
When writing a business plan, there's no one single right formula. Certain sections are both necessary and useful, but the amount of detail included in the plan varies according to the company, whether it's a public or privately held company, the industry, the age and more.
Sample Business Plans
The following list of sample business plans provides detailed plans and templates for many kinds of businesses. Don't try to copy a sample plan verbatim, since it won't be a perfect fit for your own unique business concept. Instead, read through several in your industry to get an idea of what to include and the level of detail your readers, investors, and employees need to use the plan effectively.
- BPlans.com offers dozens and dozens of sample plans and templates by industry. Choose from among delis, bakeries, and catering enterprises as well as numerous types of small businesses. The actual sample plans online are short but may be used as a template or guide to write your own.
- MOOT Corporate Competition offers sample business plans online from a variety of industries with an emphasis on technology and manufacturing. These sample plans won a competition and offer a good example of the details that go into business plans. There are separate sections for sample plans for service related industries and more.
- Bullet Proof Business Plans provides an extensive list of sample plans online. These plans are elaborately illustrated, but keep in mind that an actual business plan doesn't need full color graphics or photos. If you're putting a plan in front of potential outside investors, color may be attractive, but a functional plan circulated among your staff for a well-established business may have a plainer appearance.
- Entrepreneur Magazine shares dozens of sample business plans to help entrepreneurs write their own. There are sample plans for mom-and-pop businesses such as a hair salon, bar and nightclub, computer consulting firm, restaurant and more.
- Sample Plans lists business plan examples for non profit organizations, something that's often hard to find online. They also include many plans for different industries ranging from consulting and service-type firms to product sales.
Business Plan Templates
The Small Business Administration (SBA) is an organization dedicated to helping small businesses across the nation thrive. Local branches, frequently located at college and university campuses or in major towns and cities, offer free classes in business planning and organization as well as advanced business topics. Online, they offer free templates. While not sample business plans, templates may be enough of a springboard to help you write your own plan.
Use Your Business Plan
After you've written and tweaked your company's business plan, don't just file it away. Use it like a compass to offer your business direction in the day-to-day operations. Look it over once a week to see where you are in attaining the goals listed in your plan, and what steps need to be taken in the coming week(s) to help you progress in the right direction.
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