What should a
business plan include?

Start with the decision.

A useful business plan explains what you want to build, who will buy, how the business will operate and how much money it needs. Its depth should match the decision: testing an early idea requires different work from assessing an industrial investment.

Before commissioning a plan, identify its audience and purpose. Are you deciding whether to proceed, preparing an internal budget, approaching a lender or discussing an investment? Ask the intended recipient about their requirements before setting the scope.

1. The offer and the customer

Define the product or service, the customer problem and the reason someone would choose your offer. Be specific about customer segments, purchase frequency and the sales process. A large market does not automatically mean a new business can win customers.

2. Market and competitor evidence

Research demand, customer alternatives, competitor pricing and routes to market. Record sources, dates and geographic coverage. Separate verified evidence from estimates and open questions. Research from one country may provide context, but local demand, regulations and costs still need checking.

3. A realistic sales forecast

Build revenue from operating assumptions such as units sold, average selling price, client numbers, purchase frequency and capacity. Explain how customers will discover the business and what it may cost to acquire them. Forecasts should describe plausible outcomes, with assumptions that can be challenged.

4. Startup costs and working capital

List equipment, premises, deposits, initial inventory, setup costs and other pre-opening expenses. Then estimate the cash required to cover operations before customer receipts support the business. Working capital matters even when a business appears profitable on paper. Include a contingency that reflects the uncertainty of the estimates.

5. Operations and people

Explain staffing, suppliers, equipment capacity, delivery, quality controls and responsibilities. Connect the operational plan to the forecast. A production business must have enough capacity for its sales assumptions; a service business must have enough billable time and staff to deliver its commitments.

6. Connected financial statements

Review revenue, direct costs, operating expenses, profit and cash flow together. Account for payment timing, inventory and financing assumptions. Break-even analysis should show the sales level required to cover the relevant costs. State the currency, forecast period and treatment of taxes so the figures can be interpreted correctly.

7. Downside scenarios and implementation

Test what happens when sales start later, input costs rise or customer payments take longer. Identify the cash impact, practical responses and conditions that would justify delaying the project. Finish with milestones, responsible people and the next evidence needed before committing funds.

What to agree before work begins

• The business decision, intended audience and target market.
• Research depth, sources and any specialist input needed.
• Financial model format, forecast period and assumptions.
• Deliverables, revision rounds, timeline and quotation.
• What is included, what is excluded and which inputs you will provide.

Which service fits your situation?

If you already have a draft, a business plan review can identify gaps and inconsistencies. If you need a complete planning document, explore custom business planning. If your main question is whether an opportunity is commercially viable, consider a feasibility study.

Our public agriculture, sunflower oil bottling and office samples show selected illustrative analysis. They are examples, not completed client engagements.