How Often Should You Update Your Business Plan?
A business plan written once and filed stops being useful within months. How often to review it, which parts to update monthly, quarterly and yearly, and the events that mean it needs rewriting now.
Writing Your Plan
What goes in a business plan, section by section, and the parts people leave out until somebody asks for them.
16 articles
Who Reads a Business Plan, and What Each of Them Looks For
A bank manager, an investor, a visa assessor, a landlord and a grant funder all read business plans, and they read them for different things. Who your readers are, what each one checks first, and how to write for them.
How to Do a Competitor Analysis for Your Business Plan
Saying you have no competitors is the fastest way to lose a lender's confidence. How to find the businesses you are really competing with, what to compare, and how to turn it into numbers your forecast can use.
How to Write an Executive Summary for a Business Plan
The executive summary is the only page some readers finish. What it has to contain, the order that works, the mistakes that make a lender stop reading, and a structure you can follow for your own plan.
Using AI for Business Plans: Where It Helps and Where It Falls Short
AI tools can be incredibly useful for certain aspects of business planning, from market research to content generation. But when it comes to the financial backbone of your plan, AI has significant limitations. Here's how to use AI effectively and where specialist software like SquarePlan makes all the difference.
Navigating the Unknown: The Role of Risk Management in Business Planning for Start-ups
Every start-up faces uncertainty. How to identify, assess and manage the risks in your business plan, with examples of strategic, operational, financial, compliance and reputational risks.
The Impact of a Well-Written Business Plan on UK Startups
What a well-written business plan does for a UK start-up: what it should contain, what the research says about planning and growth, and how to choose a business plan writer if you want help.
Why Market Research is Crucial for Your Business Plan
Market research is a vital component of a successful business plan, providing essential insights into your target audience, industry trends, and competition. In this article, we explore the importance of market research and share cost-effective methods to conduct it yourself, empowering you to create a well-informed business plan that lays the foundation for success.
Does a Business Plan Guarantee Success?
Having a business plan will equip you with a clearer understanding of your business strategy and the current market. Whilst it doesn’t guarantee success on its own, it gives you a much better chance and prepares you for the risks.
Does A Business Plan Need A SWOT Analysis
A business plan is a formal document that outlines the goals and objectives of a business. It also provides a roadmap for how the company will achieve those goals. While a SWOT analysis is not required in a business plan, it can help identify potential opportunities and threats that may impact the business's success and therefore define your business's financial viability.
Can A Business Plan Be Copyrighted?
You may be wondering if you can protect your business idea via your business plan. The truth is it's a little more complicated than that. Read this article to find out what you can do.
How Long Does it Take to Write a Business Plan?
A business plan is an essential document for your business and will define your business's overall strategy and finances. It is also a tool to attract investors to your business, so it is vital to make sure that it is thoroughly researched. How long does it take to get that done?
The 8 Key Elements of a Successful Business Plan
If you want to start a business, it's important to have a solid business plan in place. This document will outline your goals, strategies, and how you plan on achieving them.
Business Plan vs Business Case: What is the Difference
A business plan describes a whole business and whether it will work. A business case argues for one decision inside a business that already exists. When you need which, and what goes into each.
What is a Mission Statement?
An effective mission statement works as a fundamental tool for your business. It will outline what your business does, the audience your business serves and how it can benefit them. A mission statement provides clarity on why your business exists.
How to Include Technology in Your Business Plan
What to say about technology in a business plan: the systems you will run on, what they cost each month, how you will protect customer data, and when technology is the business rather than a support to it.