Watch First

Watch: Basic Business Plan Example

Run time: 7:14Covers: a real plan, each section, and what lenders look forTaught by: Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA

The Short Answer

What Does a Good Business Plan Look Like?

Answer

A good business plan tells one clear story: what the business does, who buys from it, how it makes money, and how much funding it needs. It runs in a set order, from executive summary to financial projections, and every claim ties back to a number.

The problem is not writing skill. It is not knowing what goes where. Dr. Paul has written 1,000+ business plans over 14+ years, and the plans that get funded all follow the same structure. Once you see it, the blank page stops being scary.

Want a Plan Like This for Your Business?

Business Plan WritingA complete plan with financial projections that lenders and investors can follow.See business plan prices → Business Plan TemplatesAn editable Word plan and Excel financial model for your industry, each with a video tutorial. Not a blank AI file.Browse templates → Small Business EducationFree guides on business plans, management, money, and marketing.Start learning free →

Section by Section

What Goes in Each Section of a Business Plan?

Here is what each section of a standard business plan contains, in the order a lender reads it.

  1. 1

    Executive summary

    The whole plan on one or two pages: the business, the market, the funding amount, and why it will work. Write it last, put it first.

  2. 2

    Company description

    Legal structure, location, mission, products, and what makes you different. See how to write a company description.

  3. 3

    Industry and market analysis

    Industry size and trends, your target customer, and the local demand that supports your sales forecast.

  4. 4

    Competitive analysis and SWOT

    Who you compete with and how you win. A SWOT analysis sums up strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

  5. 5

    Marketing and sales plan

    How customers find you, what you charge, and what it costs to win each sale.

  6. 6

    Operations and management

    Who runs the business, staffing, suppliers, and the daily workflow that delivers the product.

  7. 7

    Funding request

    How much you need, exactly what it pays for, and how it gets repaid. See how to write a funding request.

  8. 8

    Financial projections

    Startup costs, sales forecast, income statement, cash flow, and break-even. See financial projections for a business plan.

Dr. Paul's Insight

Lenders read the executive summary, then jump straight to the funding request and the financials. If those three do not agree on the numbers, the rest of the plan does not get read. Check that the loan amount matches on every page before you send it.

Plan Levels

Which Business Plan Level Fits You?

Not every business needs the same depth. Match the plan to the reader. A small bank loan needs less than an investor pitch.

Plan levelBest forWhat it adds
Basic / starterSmall loans, internal planning, first-time ownersAll core sections with focused financial projections
IntermediateSBA loans, larger bank loans, partnersDeeper market research, more detailed operations, fuller financials
Complex / advancedInvestors, multi-location or high-dollar projectsDetailed competitive research, multi-year financial scenarios, investor-ready presentation

Plan writing starts from $500 for the entry package. See business plan prices for exact pricing on each level. Want to write it yourself? An industry business plan template is $100 and includes a Word plan plus an Excel financial model.

LSU now hosts the Louisiana SBDC network after a long stretch at the University of Louisiana Monroe. Owners can get free advising there and pair it with Louisiana business plan help.

Avoid These

What Are the Most Common Business Plan Mistakes?

  • Writing the executive summary first. You cannot summarize what you have not written. Write it last.
  • Copying a plan from another industry. A restaurant plan and a trucking plan need different numbers. Use industry-specific guidance.
  • Numbers that do not match. The loan amount in the summary, the funding request, and the cash flow must be identical.
  • Saying "no competition." Every business has competition. Saying otherwise tells a lender you did not look.
  • Projections with no assumptions. A sales number without the math behind it is a guess. Show the price, the volume, and the source.

Real World Use

How an Owner Uses a Business Plan Example

SBA Lender Meeting

A caterer adding a commercial kitchen

Say you own a catering company and need a $210,000 commercial kitchen. The lender asks for 10% down, so you put in $21,000 and request a $189,000.0 loan at 10.5% for 10 years. Monthly payment: $2,550.27, or $30,603.24 a year.

Your projections show $41,300 a year in cash available to pay debt. Debt service coverage = $41,300 ÷ $30,603.24 = 1.35. Cash covers the payment with room to spare.

Before the meeting, you lay your draft next to the example plan. Funding request matches the summary. Uses of funds adds to the exact loan. Coverage is shown, not claimed. You walk in with answers instead of hoping the banker skips the hard questions.

Hosted by the University of Mississippi business school, the Mississippi SBDC Network serves every county in the state. Start there for free advice, then use Mississippi business plan help for lender-ready projections.

Keep Going

More Videos in This Series

Intermediate Business Plan Example

Dr. Paul walks through an intermediate plan and shows what the extra depth adds. (13:28)

Complex Business Plan Example

A look inside the most detailed plan level, built for investors and larger projects. (11:48)

What's in a Basic Business Plan

Dr. Paul explains what a basic plan includes and who it is built for. (6:50)

Questions

Business Plan Example Questions Owners Ask

What are the main sections of a business plan?
A standard plan has an executive summary, company description, market analysis, competitive analysis, marketing plan, operations and management, funding request, and financial projections. Lenders expect them in roughly that order.
How long should a business plan be?
Long enough to answer the reader's questions and no longer. A plan for a small bank loan can be much shorter than an investor plan. Focus on clear numbers, not page count.
Can I use a business plan example as a template?
Use an example to learn the structure, then write your own content. Copying another business's plan gives you the wrong market, the wrong costs, and the wrong story. An industry template gives you the structure with your own numbers.
What do lenders look for in a business plan?
Lenders want to know how much you need, what it pays for, how you will repay it, and what happens if sales come in slow. Clear financial projections and a funding request that adds up matter more than polished writing.
How much does a professional business plan cost?
Dr. Paul's business plan writing packages start at $500 for the entry package. Larger plans with deeper research and financials cost more. See the business plan prices page for every level.
How to Write a Business Plan in Ten Steps, Fifth Edition book cover

Write your plan in the same order lenders read it.

Dr. Paul's How to Write a Business Plan in Ten Steps walks you from executive summary to funding request, the same ten steps he uses on client plans.

Get the Book →

Written by Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA, current college professor, business consultant, and author with 14+ years and 1,000+ businesses served.

This page is for general educational purposes only. It is not financial, investment, legal, or tax advice.