Business plan template.
A first draft with a purpose.
Set out your customer, offer, costs and first test. Use this free template to build a working plan, with evidence beside the assumptions that matter.
Choose how to use the template
Fill in the eleven sections below and download your answers as a text file, or use Print / save PDF. Prefer writing elsewhere? Download the blank business plan template (.txt) and open it in your preferred text editor.
No account, email address or payment is needed. Entries stay in this browser tab and disappear on reload. Download your work before leaving. This is a manual template; Treleto’s paid AI business plan generator adds research and a saved, editable workspace.
Worked example: a small design service
Fictional example, not market research. Suppose a designer wants to offer a fixed-scope website handover package to independent shops. The first draft should make the following assumptions visible.
| Section | Illustrative entry | What still needs testing |
|---|---|---|
| Customer and problem | Independent shop owners who struggle to update their own websites after a redesign. | Ask about the last update, the workaround and its cost. |
| Offer | A £400 handover package: a training call, recorded walkthrough and written checklist. | Whether the scope solves a problem worth paying £400 to fix. |
| Monthly scenario | Five packages × £400 = £2,000 sales. At £100 variable cost per package and £600 monthly overheads, the remainder is £900. | Sales volume, delivery cost and whether overheads include all relevant costs. This figure is before any omitted pay, tax or other costs; it is not a net-profit forecast. |
| First test | Speak to ten relevant shop owners, then offer a clearly scoped paid pilot within a two-week test. | Record actual commitments and objections. Ten conversations do not prove market-wide demand. |
| Decision | Set a test threshold before contacting buyers and review the evidence on the agreed date. | If interest is weak, investigate the audience, offer and channel before deciding what to change. |
Use the competitor analysis template for the alternatives and the profit margin calculator when you have consistent sales and cost figures. A sales scenario is not a cash-flow forecast: payment dates and upfront spending matter too.
Your business plan template
Write “unknown” where evidence is missing. A short, specific answer is more useful than a confident paragraph with no source.
Business plan questions
What should a business plan include?
Start with a summary, customer problem, offer, competitor evidence, acquisition approach, operations, financial assumptions, funding needs, risks and milestones. Adapt the level of detail to the decision and the reader. Use GOV.UK’s business plan guidance as an additional starting point.
Can I use this for a loan or investment application?
Use it to organise your thinking, then check the recipient’s required format, forecasts and supporting documents. This worksheet is not bank-approved or a substitute for a complete funding application.
Is the template an AI generator?
No. You write the answers yourself. For AI-assisted research, competitor sources and an editable working plan, explore Your Startup Desk. You can inspect a fictional example report and plan before purchasing.
When should I update the plan?
Review it after a customer test, a material cost change or a missed milestone. Keep the original assumption and record what actually happened. The validation checklist helps define the next test; the monthly review template helps revisit performance once trading.
Prepared by Treleto · Reviewed 11 November 2026
Add research to your plan.
Explore a fictional startup report, then decide whether you need personalised research.