CONFIDENTIAL
BUSINESS PROPOSAL
COMPANY NAME
DATE PREPARED
MM/DD/YYYY
CONTACT
Contact Name
Street Address
City, State, Zip, Country
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (123) 456-7890
Fax: (123) 456-7890
CONFIDENTIAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................3
COMPANY OVERVIEW...............................................................................................................4
PROBLEM & SOLUTION.............................................................................................................5
THE PROBLEM........................................................................................................................................5
OUR SOLUTION......................................................................................................................................5
MARKET ANALYSIS....................................................................................................................6
MARKET SIZE & SEGMENTS...............................................................................................................6
COMPETITION..............................................................................................................................7
CURRENT ALTERNATIVES TARGET BUYERS ARE USING..........................................................7
OUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES...................................................................................................7
PRODUCT OR SERVICE OFFERINGS........................................................................................8
PRODUCT OR SERVICE.........................................................................................................................8
MARKETING.................................................................................................................................9
MARKETING PLAN................................................................................................................................9
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT.................................................................................10
MANAGEMENT AND TEAM:..............................................................................................................10
MILESTONES & METRICS........................................................................................................11
MILESTONES.........................................................................................................................................11
KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS........................................................................................................11
FINANCIAL FORECASTS..........................................................................................................12
KEY ASSUMPTIONS.............................................................................................................................12
FINANCING.................................................................................................................................12
SOURCES OF FUNDING......................................................................................................................12
USE OF FUNDING.................................................................................................................................12
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CONFIDENTIAL
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The executive summary is - arguably - the most important section of your business plan. Catch the eye of
the reader, summarize the key points of your business plan - and show why you’re a solid investment
which will bring a healthy return. Write this section last to make sure you capture everything you’ve
covered in the business plan in a simple, impactful summary of 2 pages or less.
Highlights:
What are the main steps you’ll take to be successful?
What is your unique value proposition?
Why should a potential investor, partner or employee keep reading?
COMPANY OVERVIEW
Start with a high-level introduction to the industry and niche you work in, including any indication of
likely changes and developments in the market. Using data like industry trends and demographics - and
highlighting governmental and economic influences - adds depth. Move onto an overview of your
company in particular, and your place in the industry landscape you’ve presented.
PROBLEM & SOLUTION
THE PROBLEM
Use this segment to help your reader see the unmet need you’ve identified - and how you’re able to help.
You’ll go into some of these topics in more depth later - this is an introduction and summary of your
product or service, and how it stands out.
What problem are you solving for the consumer?
How big is the problem?
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What solutions are out there currently?
OUR SOLUTION
What can your business do to solve the problem?
MARKET ANALYSIS
MARKET SIZE & SEGMENTS
Paint a picture of the customer you’re catering to, and the size of the market you’re working in. By giving
a detailed view of the target audience for your company including income levels, you can show how your
product or service will appeal. You’ll also need to describe existing competitors, and how you’ll either
grow the overall market or take market share from others.
Who is your target customer?
How big is the market for your business?
How can you grow the market or grab market share from competitors?
How much will your target audience pay for your product/service
COMPETITION
CURRENT ALTERNATIVES TARGET BUYERS ARE USING
How much competition is out there?
Who are your competitors? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
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OUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
Here you can describe the opportunity you’ve identified, and how your business will attract and retain
customers. Set out the unique features of your business and how this will make you stand out from the
competition.
How is your business solution better than the competitors?
PRODUCT OR SERVICE OFFERINGS
PRODUCT OR SERVICE
Use this section to add more detail about the product or service you are offering. Describe how it benefits
the buyer, and its unique selling proposition.
MARKETING
MARKETING PLAN
Show how you’ll connect with customers, encourage repeat sales, and build an impactful brand
reputation. Go into detail about your marketing objectives and strategy here, including the channels you’ll
use, the likely costs, campaign goals, and your overarching plan of action.
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
Here you can cover both the legal structure of your business and give some insight into who will be
leading it. Start with the type of legal entity you have and move into the leadership team and any other
key staff members. Use this to state your overall mission statement and how it relates to your team and
organization.
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MANAGEMENT AND TEAM:
Who is working with you?
What experience do they have?
What makes your team qualified to make your business successful?
Who do you need to hire?
MILESTONES & METRICS
MILESTONES
List your key milestones and the dates that you hope to accomplish them by. If you’ve already
accomplished key goals for your business, list them here as evidence that your business is getting traction.
KEY PERFORMANCE METRICS
Explain which performance metrics are most important for understanding how your business is doing.
What does success mean for you, and how will you know it when you see it?
FINANCIAL FORECASTS
KEY ASSUMPTIONS
Depending on the stage your business is at, this section may include live sales and profit data - or be more
focused on projections. If you’re using existing sales data, include the detail as an appendix and give
highlights here. If you use projections, give details of the assumptions made to come up with forecasts,
such as market research and trend information.
If available, add key financial information such as your sales forecast, profit and loss projections, balance
sheet and cash flow.
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FINANCING
SOURCES OF FUNDING
USE OF FUNDING
