1 page business plan

Writing a business plan can seem like a daunting task and an easy one to avoid. An easy way to start is with a single-page business plan or Lean Plan. The only real possible difference is the that if you set out to write a business plan on one page, it must absolutely fit on that one page in a font that most people can still read, while a traditional executive summary can extend to two or three pages, but really should never be longer than that. This will force you to trim needless words and communicate your business idea clearly and with minimal clutter. Whether you want to write a business plan on one page, an executive summary, or an elevator pitch, it should contain the following:.

How to Write a Business Plan on One Page

In fact, a one-page business plan can often be better and more powerful than a traditional plan. You should. Serves as a type of pitch document for your business, much like a beefed-up elevator pitch. So, what do you need in your one-page plan? In a one-page plan, you want to pick just one of those areas to discuss. Focus on the area that matters for your situation. For instance, if you are writing a plan to seek investors, zero in on the area that will impress them the most.

For example, do you have an amazing team lined up to work with you, but you need money to get started? Talk up your collective expertise as justification for why investors should buy into your operation. Is your business model truly disruptive?

Demonstrate why it is and how your audience will benefit from it. Or if you are writing an internal plan, concentrate on the situation that is most critical, needs the most attention or cries out for change. In your one-page plan, you need to focus almost exclusively on the segment of the market you plan to target. Leave the macro market information for a standard plan.

Describe your market niche , keeping in mind that the more specific the target market, the better. Also, save a few words for how you plan to differentiate your product when going after your target customer base and note for the record that price is rarely an effective differentiator on its own.

In your shorter plan, zero in on answering a few questions: Which products and services are most competitive to yours? Where will your product or service have the greatest opportunities?

Where will you face the most serious threat? Remember to keep your answers short and to the point. This where the brevity of a one-page plan becomes both difficult and useful.

What you need to do here is crystalize why your business is going to be different from that of your competitors. Remember to focus on why your differentiation will matter to customers and to your audience.

This has to be painfully clear and succinct. Is it publicity? A top-notch sales force? Inbound marketing via the Internet? Take a look here at what might not necessarily be obvious. What are one or two things about your operations that will give you a competitive advantage?

Great employees? Truly exceptional customer service? A state-of-the-art facility? Talk about those things. Again, play to your strengths, and stay focused. Just make sure that whatever it is will be a genuine differentiator for your business. Alternatively, you might be talking to a potential partner or investor about an operational need. A job you need to fill with a great candidate?

Put it in your one-page plan. Just be armed with more detailed information to back up your statements if necessary. If you feel confident, include sales targets. A lot of what you include in this section will depend on your situation. You might otherwise, but again, the best practice here is to have those elements in a backup document you can use to support the one-page plan if necessary.

The main takeaway here is to hit the high points relevant to your business and leave the details for a longer document—and hopefully a longer discussion with a prospective partner or investor. For illustration purposes, I am basing this sample on a simple summer business trading used boats that I ran during summer vacations from college. You can also check out our more detailed sample business plan. Our business concept is to opportunistically buy used boats that are clearly underpriced, clean them up and perform minor repairs as needed, then quickly resell them for a fair price.

We will focus on brand-name used outboard powerboats, especially smaller Boston Whalers that we can confidently determine the fair market value for and also quickly resell. Our target market will be boaters who likely have previously owned an outboard powerboat and understand the premium value of a better built boat such as a Boston Whaler. Our primary competitors include official dealers of the boat brands that we are aiming to sell.

These dealers get their used boats into top shape before selling them but charge a premium price. Our key competitive capabilities are that we have an excellent understanding of the likely resale value of the brands of used boats we are focusing on, we can move instantly to buy an underpriced used boat, and we can quickly and for very low cost do minor repairs and cleanup of used boats in our inventory. We are highly specialized in that we focus only on several very well-known and respected brands of used outboard powerboats.

We are pricing and positioning our boats to sell quickly by underpricing the official new boat dealers. We are also offering the public a more desirable and consistent quality of inventory than buying from the general public because we have done needed repairs to our boats and cleaned them up. We will primarily advertise our boats online and in the classified section of the local newspaper. Bob will do most work personally, with the exception of cleaning the boats which will be performed by hourly workers whom we will hire only as needed.

Repair work will be done in the old garage on the property or, weather permitting, in the open yard. Learn how to generate hundreds of business ideas and find the one that works best for you.

Includes the proven process to see if an idea has potential. Learn the basics of what you need to know to start a business. Learn how to build your business plan from scratch! This course walks you through every step and includes a sample plan. Why be alone on your business adventure? Let Bob Adams, a Harvard MBA and multimillionaire, and his team of highly skilled experts, guide you on your journey to business success.

Bob has founded over a dozen successful businesses and written 16 business books. Bob has helped millions of entrepreneurs get started with their own businesses.

Click here to begin your free 7-day trial. Cancel anytime. We will remind you by email 2 days before the free trial ends. You will learn step-by-step how to start, run and grow a business. You will have everything you need to start and grow your business. You will become a smart, confident, and successful entrepreneur, who makes the right decisions. All rights reserved. Skip to content Your business starts here. The one-page business plan: — Enables prospective investors and partners to quickly understand your business idea.

Sample One-Page Business Plan: For illustration purposes, I am basing this sample on a simple summer business trading used boats that I ran during summer vacations from college. Market Analysis: Our target market will be boaters who likely have previously owned an outboard powerboat and understand the premium value of a better built boat such as a Boston Whaler. Competitive Analysis: Our primary competitors include official dealers of the boat brands that we are aiming to sell.

Strategy: Our key competitive capabilities are that we have an excellent understanding of the likely resale value of the brands of used boats we are focusing on, we can move instantly to buy an underpriced used boat, and we can quickly and for very low cost do minor repairs and cleanup of used boats in our inventory.

Products and Services: We are highly specialized in that we focus only on several very well-known and respected brands of used outboard powerboats. Marketing and Sales: We will primarily advertise our boats online and in the classified section of the local newspaper.

Operations: Bob will do most work personally, with the exception of cleaning the boats which will be performed by hourly workers whom we will hire only as needed. Your business starts here. We will take you step-by-step through every aspect of starting a business. Watch our videos to learn how to start a successful business. Watch Our Videos. Start and run your business right with our courses. Access all courses. Free trial. Learn from experienced experts and successful entrepreneurs.

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I am willing to put in the work to go through your complete course which so far has been incredibly helpful. This course offering from Bob Adams met more than what I was looking for. Hands down Bob is one of the most talented, and successful entrepreneurs I know. All courses. All tools.

A one-page business plan isn't just busy work. It's a clear and concise way to spur your audience into action—and to force yourself to think critically about your​. The one page business plan is a simplified version of traditional operational plans that focuses on the core aspects of your business. While it may be a shorter​.

Having a road map helps you reach your journey's end successfully. Business plans do the same for small businesses. They lay out the milestones you need to reach on your way to building a profitable small business. From finance to marketing, operations to sales, each part of a business plan helps you reach your goals.

Lean Canvas is a 1-page business plan template created by Ash Maurya that helps you deconstruct your idea into its key assumptions.

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Simple Business Plan Templates for Entrepreneurs

Having a business plan is a must , whether your goal is to start a one-person freelancing business or a multi-million dollar enterprise. A quick and easy one-page business plan templates can get you started. Lenders and investors will require you to provide more in-depth information in the plan such as:. Keep in mind that a business plan is a living document and you can always start with a one-page plan and enlarge it with additional detail as required. You may be able to articulate the business overview, vision , objectives, and concise action items in a single page, but you might want more detail in the financial and marketing sections.

Single Page Business Plan Template

In fact, a one-page business plan can often be better and more powerful than a traditional plan. You should. Serves as a type of pitch document for your business, much like a beefed-up elevator pitch. So, what do you need in your one-page plan? In a one-page plan, you want to pick just one of those areas to discuss. Focus on the area that matters for your situation. For instance, if you are writing a plan to seek investors, zero in on the area that will impress them the most. For example, do you have an amazing team lined up to work with you, but you need money to get started? Talk up your collective expertise as justification for why investors should buy into your operation.

Writing a one page business plan instead of a hundred-page, in-depth business plan no one will ever read has become a popular and efficient way to get your small business moving in the right direction. This article is meant to be an all-inclusive resource for anyone wanting to write their own one page business plan and use it to actually start a business.

Are you daunted by the thought of writing a big, formal business plan? You can start with smaller tasks and work your way up.

How to write a One Page Business Plan: templates, ideas, and a step-by-step guide

Anyone can have a good idea. What separates successful business owners is the planning process. Keep it simple. You should be able to frame your idea into a single page. That single page will be the roadmap to understanding if you have a bright idea or the opportunity to move on to the next bright idea. Before you get into the nitty-gritty of a business plan, run your idea through a SWOT analysis. You simply frame your idea into four categories:. What will make your idea stand out? Where could you improve it? Are you reaching new audiences? Or providing a missing service or product?

One Page Business Plan for PDF & Word

HubSpot integrations with apps, tools, and software you use every day. Find a HubSpot-certified marketing agency or sales consultant who can help you grow. This one-page business plan template will help you outline the most important details about your new company or product. This brief business plan template encourages you to stick to your core message and provide investors with just the information they need to know about your new venture. Provide a brief summary of how you will roll out the business. Consider depicting the different phases in a diagram. You can use the timeline below as a template. HubSpot Tip: Be sure to edit and review your plan for typos before distributing it.