The following four pages show how a basic business plan might be laid out and what you need to include:

1. Cover page

First impressions last! Make it look good! You could include graphics etc as well as your business name.

2. Contents

People who read your business plan want to find info quickly and easily. All pages in the business plan are clearly numbered and are named on the contents page.

3. Summary

This page is done last of all and summarises what you have put in your business plan. This is so people can look at a ‘snapshot’ of what the business is all about. It needs to include essential business information:

• What the business is/does (briefly);
• Who is the business targeting (briefly);
• Where the business is based;
• The business status (Sole trader etc.);
• Details of key personnel;
• First year’s projected turnover and retained earnings;
• How much funding is required;
• Potential sources of funding;
• Business bank details;
• Insurance details;
• Accountant and solicitor details (if relevant)

4. The products and services

This section is descibing what your business is all about. It’s an answer to the question:

“What does your business do?”

You can use this page to describe all the products and services you offer and show which marketplaces/types of customer are being targeted with each.