Write a fundable business plan for any industry in a fraction of the time.
A pitch deck is a 10–15 slide visual presentation designed to generate investor interest quickly. A business plan is the full written document investors request after they like the pitch. Prepare the business plan first; the pitch deck is derived from it. Both are typically required before any funding round closes.
An executive summary is the first section of a business plan — a one-to-two page overview of the entire document. It is not a standalone substitute. Banks and investors read the executive summary first; if it holds their attention, they read the full plan. Never submit an executive summary alone in place of a complete plan.
A financial forecast (or financial model) projects revenue, expenses, and cash flow, usually in a spreadsheet. It is one section of a business plan, not a replacement for it. A standalone forecast answers "will this be profitable?"; a full business plan answers "why will this business succeed?"
A feasibility study evaluates whether a business idea is viable before committing to it. A business plan assumes the decision has been made and maps out execution. Companies often complete a feasibility study first, then use the findings to build the business plan.
Every business plan — regardless of industry — is built from the same core sections; the depth and emphasis vary by audience and business type.
A business plan is built in sections — research first, write second, financials last. Here's the order that works.
A bank wants a full 20-page plan; an accelerator may want a lean one-pager — pick the template that matches who will read it.
Write a clear, one-sentence statement of what your business does, who it serves, and why customers would choose you over alternatives.
Quantify your target market using published data, identify your top three competitors, and note the gap your business fills.
Explain what you sell, how it's made or delivered, what it costs you, and what you charge — include any IP or proprietary advantages.
Map out the specific channels you'll use to reach customers, your customer acquisition cost estimate, and your sales process.
Describe where you'll operate, who does what, key hires you plan to make, and any critical suppliers or partnerships.
Model 3–5 years of revenue, costs, and cash flow; include a break-even analysis and clearly label your assumptions.
Summarize the full plan in one to two pages — investors read this first, so it should stand alone as a compelling snapshot.
The right business plan template depends on your industry, your audience (lenders, investors, or internal planning), and how much detail you need. Match your situation below.
Launching a new company and pitching outside investors
Structured for equity investment conversations with lean narrative and financial focus.Applying for a bank loan or SBA financing
Full-length format with all sections lenders expect, including financial statements.Writing a one-page or quick internal planning document
Strips the plan down to essentials — ideal for internal alignment or agile pivots.Opening a restaurant, café, or food-service business
Includes menu concept, location analysis, and food-service financial benchmarks.Starting a healthcare or medical practice
Covers regulatory requirements, patient acquisition, and clinical staffing models.Launching an online retail or direct-to-consumer business
Built for digital-first businesses with channel strategy and fulfillment planning.Opening a childcare, daycare, or preschool
Addresses licensing, enrollment capacity, and child-to-staff ratio requirements.Need a concise plan fast — under 10 pages
Covers all core sections in a condensed format that takes hours, not weeks.A business plan is a formal written document that defines what a business does, who its customers are, how it operates, and how it expects to grow — supported by financial projections and a market analysis. It serves two distinct purposes: an external-facing version persuades banks, investors, and partners to commit resources; an internal version keeps founders and teams aligned on goals, priorities, and milestones.
Business plans vary significantly in length and format depending on their purpose. A full-length business plan typically runs 15–25 pages and covers every operational, financial, and strategic dimension of the business. A lean business plan condenses the same thinking into five pages or fewer and is used for internal planning, accelerator applications, or early investor conversations. An industry-specific business plan — for a restaurant, clinic, construction company, or eCommerce store — goes a step further by including sections, terminology, and financial benchmarks relevant to that sector.
The 40 templates in this folder span both formats and cover more than 35 industries. Whether you're writing your first plan or updating one for a new funding round, the right starting point is a template built for your situation.
A business plan is required any time you need to prove — to yourself or to someone else — that a business idea is viable and that you have a credible path to execute it. The most common triggers:
Skipping the business plan rarely saves time — it typically shifts the cost to later, when misaligned assumptions, underfunded operations, or a rejected loan application force the work anyway. A completed plan, built on an industry-specific template, compresses weeks of work into hours and produces the structured document that banks, investors, and partners expect to receive.
Create your plan, then use Business in a Box to organize the projects, tasks and priorities that move your business forward.
Start with the template you need. Bring the rest of your business together when you're ready.
Every template is written by the Business in a Box editorial team and published by Bruno Goulet, CEO & Editor-in-Chief. Business in a Box has published business and legal templates for more than 20 years. Each document page explains what the template covers and how to fill it in; for legal documents, have a qualified professional review the final version when the stakes warrant it.
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