A good business plan is a roadmap to success and must be: simple, specific, and realistic. The exact contents and flow of a business plan depend on its intended use, obviously differing when intended for internal versus external readers. Common contents include the following:
1. Executive Summary: Brief highlights of the overall plan.
2. Company Description: Type (eg, LLC, C-corp, S-Corp), history, start-up plans, etc.
3. Product or Service: What you will be selling.
4. Market Analysis: The market, competitive analysis, remaining unmet needs, etc.
5. Strategy and Implementation: Including management goals, marketing plan, dates, and budget.
6. Management Team: Biographies of key members and personnel strategy.
7. Financial Plan: Include profit and loss, cash flow, balance sheet, break-even analysis, etc.
There is a great website available through bplans.com that includes sample business plans for many types of companies. You can view these plans for free at their website.
