Table of Contents for a Business Plan

After developing over 2,000 business plans, I commonly get asked what should be included.  While the answer is different for all business plans and business types, here is a general outline of a table of contents for a business plan:

Table of Contents for a Business Plan

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY……………………………………….. 4

MISSION & VISION ……………………………………………. 7
• Mission Statement ………………………………………… 7
• Core Purpose ……………………………………………….. 7
• Core Values …………………………………………………. 7

PRODUCT & SERVICE DESCRIPTION …………………….. 8
• Overview of Products & Services ……………………… 8
• Problems, Causes, Solutions & Benefits …………… 10
• Product & Service Advantages ……………………….. 10

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS ………………………………………. 11
• Industry Overview ……………………………………….. 11
• SaaS and CRM Industry Size and Trends ………….. 12

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS ………………………………….. 14
• Competitive Overview ………………………………….. 14
• Direct Competitors ………………………………………. 15
• Indirect Competitors ……………………………………. 16
• Competitive Advantages ………………………………. 18
• Market Share Analysis ………………………………….. 19
• Barriers to Entry ………………………………………….. 19

MARKET ANALYSIS ………………………………………….. 21
• Addressable Market ……………………………………… 21
• B2B Market Segmentation ……………………………… 22
• Ideal Customer Profile ………………………………….. 23

SALES & MARKETING PLAN ………………………………. 24
• Sales & Marketing Goals ……………………………….. 24
• SWOT ………………………………………………………… 26
• Pricing Strategy …………………………………………… 26
• Branding ……………………………………………………. 27
• Marketing Strategies ……………………………………. 28

OPERATIONS PLAN …………………………………………. 29
• Location …………………………………………………….. 29
• Staffing and Training …………………………………… 29
• Personnel Plan ……………………………………………. 29
• Customer Service ………………………………………… 30
• Purchasing Procedures …………………………………. 30
• Quality Control Measures ……………………………… 30
• Organizational Chart ……………………………………. 31

MANAGEMENT TEAM ………………………………………. 32
• Key Management …………………………………………. 32
• Board of Directors & Board of Advisors ……………. 32

FINANCIAL PLAN …………………………………………….. 33
• Financial Summary ……………………………………….. 33
• Marketing and Personnel Expenses …………………. 35
• Projected Profit and Loss ………………………………. 37
• Projected Cash Flow …………………………………….. 38
• Projected Balance Sheet ………………………………… 39
• Current Ownership Summary …………………………. 40
• Funding Request & Terms of Investment …………. 40
• Exit Strategy ……………………………………………….. 42

APPENDICES ………………………………………………….. 44
• Product Comparison …………………………………….. 44

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