If you are starting a new business or scaling an existing one, writing a business plan could be the best thing you do for your organization. You need a business plan to get funding for your business and attract high-quality investors. Without one, it’s hard to get the funding you need and make sure that your company can close its first round of financing.
If you’re unsure how to start writing your business plan, or if the process seems overwhelming, you need to buy the best business template software. Business plan software helps you organize all of this information so that it’s easy to find when you need it — and so that it flows in a logical order. This makes writing your plan faster and easier.
So, let’s dive into more details!
What is a Business Plan?
A business plan is a tool that helps you to plan your business. It should be written by the founder(s) of the company and updated regularly. The process of writing a business plan can be an incredibly useful exercise, even if it never gets used in practice.
A business plan must be legally, logically and economically viable (LLED). An LLED business plan will also include:
● A clear message about what problem or opportunity you are addressing; and why this is important to your target market.
● Describe how you intend to solve that problem or exploit that opportunity.
Why You Need a Business Plan
You’ll need a business plan if you’re starting a business. A good one will help you clearly define your problems and that your solution is legally, logically, and economically viable. It will also help you understand the competitive landscape, discover gaps in the market, and identify opportunities to be better than competitors. A well-researched business plan may even help you attract investors who see the potential of your idea.
Following are a few reasons why you need a business plan to lead a successful business:
Helps in Understanding Competitive Landscape
As a business owner, you’re tasked with knowing and understanding the competitive landscape. You need to know what your competitors are doing, how they’re positioning themselves in the market, and how they differentiate themselves from other vendors.
Helps in Creating Targeted Marketing Messages
A business plan template helps you know your prospects, which will help you create targeted marketing messages. Knowing who you’re selling to is the first step in creating a marketing strategy that resonates with your audience. To determine this, you’ll need to answer questions like:
● Who will be my customer?
● Why do they care about what I have for sale?
● How much does it cost them if they don’t get what I’m selling?
Helps in Evaluation
A business plan can help you objectively evaluate your products, people, and processes. This can help you rethink or improve components of your business that need to be changed.
For example, suppose you are going to expand the scope of your operation and bring on more employees. In that case, it might make sense to hire a human resources manager specializing in employee training. Or, if your sales team has been struggling with customer retention rates, it may be time for an overhaul of how they interact with customers before deciding whether or not to keep them on staff.
A well-written business plan will allow you to objectively evaluate each part of your company so that when changes are needed, you’ll know exactly where those changes should take place.
Helps in Attracting Investors
If you want to attract investors and lenders, a well-researched business plan is essential. Investors will be more likely to invest in your idea if they see that you have done your homework by researching the market and assessing the competition, among other things. They also want to see that you have thought through all the angles of your business before asking them for money.
This means having a detailed plan for how you will use their money and thinking about what could go wrong with the venture (known as “risk factors”). The more detail is included in this plan section, the better. It is important because it shows that not only do you understand what it takes to run a successful business.
10 Best Business Plan Template 2023
Bizplan
Best for Financial Model ($20 per month).
Stuarts Take
Bizplan is a business planning and management platform that helps entrepreneurs and small business owners create professional business plans, track progress, and manage finances. The platform offers a variety of tools and resources to help users develop and refine their business ideas, conduct market research, and create financial projections. Bizplan also provides access to a network of advisors and investors who can offer guidance and support. The platform offers both paid and free options and aims to provide a comprehensive set of resources to help business owners succeed.
| Best For | Progress Tracking |
| Price | Good |
| Annual Discount | Yes |
| Promotion | Yes |
The best approach to determine if your business idea will be successful is to write a business plan, which lays out a detailed road map of the steps you must take. Bizplan business plan template is the perfect solution for investors, entrepreneurs, and small businesses looking for an easy-to-use but powerful platform to create their professional business plans in minutes or hours instead of days or weeks.
Bizplan business plan template is a powerful yet simple tool that allows you to quickly create and update a real-time financial model, perform projections, and make decisions based on the data. The simplest solution for you or your firm’s leadership team to make sure that everyone involved is aware of their roles, duties, and objectives is to create a business plan. This business plan template will help keep everyone focused on achieving long-term success so that there are no surprises during the actual development process itself.
Bizplan business plan template is software designed to help you create a professional and effective business plan. You can customize your plan, update it in real time, and turn it into a fundraising tool for your startup business.
Key Features:
- Access Controls/Permissions.
- Accounting Integration.
- Business Plan Templates.
- Collaboration Tools.
- Commenting / Notes.
- Dashboard.
- Data Transformation.
- Data Visualization.
User Experience:
The Bizplan software also offers many other benefits, including an easy-to-use interface. Simply enter your company’s information, select the right template, and then fill in each section by following the prompts. It will be ready to go when you’re done with your business plan!
While the Bizplan business plan template does not provide a free trial, it does provide a 7-day money-back offer in case you don’t find your purchasing decision worth it. The platform provides users with guidance, instructions and templates.
With these tools, you can better understand the process of writing a business plan. If you are new to this process, Bizplan business plan template will help you get started.
Pricing:
Bizplan offers three pricing plans:
- Starter ($20/Month) – (Every Bizplan Feature, Full University Access, Expert Guidance, Unlimited Software).
- Business ($29/Month) – (Every Bizplan Feature, Full University Access, Expert Guidance, Unlimited Software, Lifetime Support).
- Premium ($349/Month) – (Every Bizplan Feature, Full University Access, Expert Guidance, Unlimited Software, Lifetime Support).
What I Like/Dislike | About Bizplan:
Likes:
- Easy to use
- Can be used as a fundraising tool
- Powerful tool to create business plans
Dislikes:
- No free trial
PlanGuru
Best for Well Organized Business ($99 per month).
Stuarts Take
PlanGuru is a business planning and budgeting software platform that helps entrepreneurs and small business owners create professional financial plans and forecasts. The platform offers a variety of tools and resources to help users develop and refine their business ideas, conduct market research, and create financial projections. PlanGuru also provides access to a network of advisors and investors who can offer guidance and support. The platform offers both paid and free options, and aims to provide a comprehensive set of resources to help business owners succeed. PlanGuru is known for its powerful financial modeling capabilities and its focus on long-term planning and strategic decision-making.
| Best For | Business Advisor |
| Price | Advantage |
| Annual Discount | Yes |
| Promotion | Yes |
A free and easy-to-use business plan template, PlanGuru allows you to create a detailed and well-organized business plan. This business plan template will help you organize your ideas into actionable plans for investors, banks and other stakeholders in your company. It can be used to plan your business from start to finish or just one specific area of your business if you choose to do so.
PlanGuru business plan template has been designed by professionals who understand the importance of having a clear plan for your business and being able to implement this plan effectively and efficiently into actionable tasks.
This business plan template helps you build an accurate forecast based on your growth strategy and set out key performance indicators (KPIs), so you know how successful your business will be before it starts trading.
Key Features:
- Budget / Forecast for up to 10 years.
- Intelligent 3-Way Forecasting Structure.
- 20+ Standard Forecasting Methods w/ Custom Formula Builder.
- Notes Payable and Line of Credit Tools.
- Financial Ratios.
- Online Dashboard, Scorecard and Reporting Tools.
User Experience:
The business plan templates are easy-to-use, so they won’t cause any unnecessary stress or confusion when creating them; however, if any changes are needed, these can easily be made through the software’s interface via drag & drop functionality. It saves time. This is especially important if you’re using PlanGuru business plan template for your own business, as that means less time spent researching and writing, which leaves you more time for things like earning money.
PlanGuru’s free trial gives you access to many of its features, so you can try it before you buy (if you like it). If you choose to purchase, there are several pricing options available. It’s good for first-time business owners.
If this is your first time creating a plan, then PlanGuru business plan template allows you to focus on what’s most important: building your product or service instead of worrying about how it looks.
Pricing:
PlanGuru offers two pricing plans:
- Starter ($99/Month) – (Budgeting Software, PlanGuru analytics, Advanced Reporting Excel Add, Training and Support Resources).
- Premium ($899/Month) – (Import directly from QuickBooks, Excel Import for Financial and Non-Financial Data, Ratios and KPI’s, Notes Payable and line of Credit Tools).
What I Like/Dislike | About PlanGuru:
Likes:
- Excellent forecasting
- Intuitive interface
- Free trial
Dislikes:
- Comparatively expensive
- The software has to be downloaded to your computer, and it can only run on Windows PC.
- Their prices are significantly higher than many of their competitors
LivePlan
Best for Professional Business($20 per month).
Stuarts Take
LivePlan is a business planning and management platform that helps entrepreneurs and small business owners create professional business plans, track progress, and manage finances. The platform offers a variety of tools and resources to help users develop and refine their business ideas, conduct market research, and create financial projections. LivePlan also provides access to a network of advisors and investors who can offer guidance and support. The platform offers both paid and free options and aims to provide a comprehensive set of resources to help business owners succeed. LivePlan is known for its user-friendly interface and its focus on real-time tracking and monitoring of business performance.
| Best For | Small Business |
| Price | Well Priced |
| Annual Discount | Yes |
| Promotion | Yes |
If you’re looking to draft up a professional business plan template, LivePlan is a great place to start. The software has an intuitive layout and solid financial planning features. It’s also packed with integrations and templates for most types of businesses. LivePlan is an easy-to-use business plan template that offers a design-oriented layout, solid financial planning features, and a plethora of integrations.
LivePlan business plan template is a business planning tool that allows users to create, edit and share their financial plans online. The LivePlan platform provides a drag-and-drop interface where users can easily lay out their financial plans in a way that best suits them. Users can access multiple prebuilt business plan templates upon signing up for an account.
LivePlan’s drag-and-drop interface allows you to effortlessly create your plan by building it from scratch or using one of their pre-made templates for industries like retail and hospitality.
Key Features:
- Accounting Integration
- Activity Dashboard
- Benchmarking
- Budgeting/Forecasting
- Business Plan Templates
- Charting
- Collaboration Tools
- Commenting/Notes
- Customizable Reports
- Customizable Templates
- Dashboard
- Dashboard Creation
- Data Import/Export
- Data Visualization
- Drag & Drop
- Financial Analysis
- Financial Management
User Experience:
The template lets you quickly enter information about your company and its customers, automatically populated into graphs in the rest of the document. It also has robust financial planning functionality, including budgeting tools and cash flow projections made possible through integrations with other products such as QuickBooks Online (QB).
LivePlan also makes it easy to share your plan with team members. Therefore, they can provide feedback or collaborate on goals effortlessly through an intuitive commenting system linked directly back through email notifications sent when someone comments on one of your sections. This approach helps keep projects moving forward without needing additional tools like Slack or Trello, which might not always be available due to internet connectivity issues.
Pricing:
LivePlan offers two pricing plans:
- Standard ($20/Month) – (Step-By-Step Instructions, Automatic Financial Statements, Full Financial Forecast, One-Page Pitch Builder, 500+ Sample Plans).
- Premium ($40/Month) – (Industry Benchmark Data, Forecast Scenarios, Performance Dashboards, Milestone Planner, Live Forecast, Syncs with Xero & QuickBooks).
What I Like/Dislike | About LivePlan:
Likes:
- Great integrations
- Clean and modern design
- Financial planning features
Dislikes:
- No free trial
Business Sorter
Best for Business Planning ($80 per month).
Stuarts Take
Business Sorter is a tool or software that helps businesses organize and classify their various operations and activities into different categories. It allows companies to identify and prioritize different tasks, projects, and functions, and assign them to the appropriate departments or teams. Business Sorter can be used to streamline business processes and improve efficiency by providing a clear overview of the various functions and responsibilities within an organization. It may also be used to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of different business operations, and to identify areas for improvement or optimization.
| Best For | Operation Differential |
| Price | Variable |
| Annual Discount | Yes |
| Promotion | Yes |
Business Sorter is a web-based business planning tool that helps you build a complete and professional business plan from start to finish. With its built-in templates, financial models, and expert guidance from the Business Sorter team, you can quickly create a high-quality plan for your new or existing business.
Not sure where to start? No problem! Business Sorter walks you through every step of building your plan: revenue projections, marketing plans, even executive summaries—it’s all there on the screen before you so that all you have to do is fill in the blanks. Once your plan is complete, simply click “Print” and then deliver it by email or print it out yourself.
Key Features:
- Digital Asset Management.
- Digital Experience Platforms (DXP)
- Enterprise Content Management (ECM)
- Headless CMS.
- Knowledge Management.
- Localization.
- Mobile Forms Automation.
- Web Accessibility.
User Experience:
Business Sorter is a great tool to help you plan and organize your business ideas. It’s easy to use, and you can start immediately without spending hours upon hours looking for information on the internet. You’ll be able to create a fully fleshed-out business plan in minutes. It includes templates for both personal and professional plans.
This tool helps you create a solid foundation for your company based on real data about current market trends and what has been proven successful in other industries. It can also help with areas like marketing, financing or staffing, often overlooked because they require so much time. Moreover, it comes with a free trial offer for 14 days, and in those 14 days, you can access all the features and then decide if a business sorter is worth your investment.
Pricing:
Business Sorter offers three pricing plans:
- Small Team ($80/Month) – (Create up to 40 plans. No software install. Secure data protection. Ongoing support. Access anywhere on any device. Pay monthly – cancel anytime online. Automatic saving. Free updates. Calendar integration. Xero integrated.).
- Enterprise (Contact Us) – (Includes overview dashboard for multiple teams and clients. Contact Business Sorter).
- Medium Team ($240/Month) – (Create up to 40 plans. No software install. Secure data protection. Ongoing support. Access anywhere on any device. Pay monthly – cancel anytime online. Automatic saving. Free updates. Calendar integration. Xero integrated).
- Large Team ($640/Month) – (Create up to 40 plans. No software install. Secure data protection. Ongoing support. Access anywhere on any device. Pay monthly – cancel anytime online. Automatic saving. Free updates. Calendar integration. Xero integrated.).
What I Like/Dislike | About Business Sorter:
Likes:
- Very economical
- Complete guidance
- Intuitive interface
Dislikes:
- Fewer integration options
GoSmallBiz
Best Professional Business Plan ($39 per month).
Stuarts Take
GoSmallBiz is a business management platform that offers a range of tools and resources for small business owners. It provides access to a variety of online courses, templates, and guides that can help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. GoSmallBiz also offers a range of tools for managing finances, marketing, and operations, including budgeting, invoicing, and project management. The platform is designed to be user-friendly and accessible, with a range of features and resources that are tailored to the needs of small businesses. GoSmallBiz aims to help entrepreneurs succeed by providing them with the knowledge and resources they need to manage and grow their businesses.
| Best For | Business Management |
| Price | Varied |
| Annual Discount | Yes |
| Promotion | Yes |
GoSmallBiz is more than just professional business plan software. It helps small businesses prepare for growth and success. The platform gives users access to industry trends, financial planning and other helpful information. GoSmallBiz is a business plan tool that helps you create a customized, professional, comprehensive business plan.
GoSmallBiz business plan template has many benefits over other business plan tools. It is easy to use – just answer the questions in your template and customize it to fit your needs. You don’t need any experience with finance or accounting, as GoSmallBiz will help you answer all these questions.
Key Features:
- Online Business Consultation. Expert business consultants. Ask unlimited questions via app & online.
- Business Planning Software. Award-winning software with expert guidance built in
- Business Forms. Extensive library of common forms, ready for adaptation.
User Experience:
It’s important to note that GoSmallBiz does not offer free business plan templates—you will have access to them only after signing up for one of their paid plans. However, they provide some sample templates that are very helpful in writing your business plan.
In addition to these features, GoSmallBiz’s customer service is available via email, phone, and live chat, making it a good choice for clients that experience issues and need assistance immediately. In addition, the company has developed a help page that details frequent issues and their solutions. So, you won’t always have to call customer service if something goes wrong.
Pricing:
GoSmallBiz offers three pricing plans:
- Go ($199/Yearly) – (Corporation/LLC, Annual Reporting Filing, Business and Legal Forms, Stock Certificates).
- Guide ($40/Month) – (Sales and Marketing Consultation, Legal consultation, Tax Consultation, Live Tech support).
- Grow ($39/Month) – (Website Builder, Google My Business, Optimization, Email Marketing, Website Consultation).
What I Like/Dislike | About GoSmallBiz:
Likes:
- Multiple tools in one place
- Best option for small businesses
- Tutorial and courses to help you grow
Dislikes:
- Very limited exporting options
- Complicated pricing plans
Master Plan Lean
Best for Business Plan($99 per month).
Stuarts Take
The Master Plan Lean is a business management strategy that emphasizes the continuous improvement of processes and the elimination of waste in order to create value for customers. It is based on the principles of the Toyota Production System, which was developed by the Japanese car manufacturer Toyota.
In the Master Plan Lean approach, organizations focus on maximizing value for customers by identifying and eliminating non-value-adding activities, or “waste,” from their processes. This is done through a systematic approach called the “Lean methodology,” which involves identifying the value stream, mapping the flow of value, identifying waste, and implementing improvements to eliminate waste and optimize the flow of value.
The goal of the Master Plan Lean is to create a more efficient and effective organization that is able to deliver high-quality products and services to customers in a timely and cost-effective manner. It is often used in manufacturing, healthcare, and other service industries, and has been successful in helping organizations improve their productivity, reduce costs, and increase customer satisfaction.
| Best For | Strategy |
| Price | Expensive |
| Annual Discount | Yes |
| Promotion | Yes |
The Master Plan Lean is one of the most popular business plan templates. It’s also one of the most basic. If you’re looking for a simple, affordable way to start your business plan, this might be a good choice.
The Master Plan Lean business plan template comes with everything you need to start writing your business plan. It includes sections on goals, strategies, financials, and marketing plans (as well as pro tips from investors). You can customize each section by clicking the dropdown arrow next to each section title and choosing from a list of pre-loaded questions. Once completed with these questions — and once all sections are filled out — you can print out as many copies as needed!
The Executive Summary section defines your vision statement, mission statement, and other key components central to your business plan. It also has a section that will be read first by potential investors.
Key Features:
- Training and educating value stream team members
- Developing operating procedures
- Preparing infrastructure, equipment, premises and other aspects of the production, operating and support environment
- Hiring and onboarding people
- User testing
Master Plan Lean is a type of business planning and management approach that emphasizes efficiency and the elimination of waste. The main features of Master Plan Lean include a focus on value, the use of a systematic process to identify and eliminate waste, the use of data and metrics to drive decision-making, and the involvement of all employees in continuous improvement efforts. Other key features of Master Plan Lean include a focus on customer needs and the use of agile and flexible techniques to respond to changing market conditions.
User Experience:
When creating your plan, it is important to think about your target market. Your target market is the group of people who are interested in your product or service. This section is key because it allows you to explain how you will reach that market through various marketing strategies.
Examples of marketing strategies include:
· Traditional media such as television ads and billboards.
· Digital media such as email campaigns and social media posts.
Master Plan Lean is a business planning software developed by the well-known team at MasterPlan Software. This lean business plan tool allows you to create professional business plans in minutes without any technical knowledge or training. This is one of the best tools you can get if you want to start your own business or expand your current one.
Pricing:
Master Plan Lean offers three pricing plans:
- FREE – (1 master account, Access to free and legacy content).
- Video Library ($99/Month) – (1 master account, Access to ALL videos, Access to ALL quizzes, Access to ALL resources).
- Learning System ($199/Month) – (All Video Library features, 250 user logins, Basic training reports, Training certificates).
- LMS Integration ($2999/Month) – (All Video Library features, Ability to embed videos directly from vimeo.com, SCORM integration available with additional setup fee).
What I Like/Dislike | About Master Plan Lean:
Pros:
- Strong customer relationships
- Limited waste
- Less infrastructure
- Smarter way of working
Cons:
- Missed deliveries
Enloop
Best for Creating Business Plans($19 per month).
Stuarts Take
Enloop is a business planning and management software platform that helps users create professional business plans and financial projections. It includes features such as customizable templates, automatic financial forecasting, performance tracking, and collaboration tools. Enloop aims to make the process of creating a business plan easier and more efficient by providing a range of resources and tools to help users organize and present their ideas in a clear and compelling way. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes and industries and is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to those without financial expertise.
| Best For | Planning Management |
| Price | Affordable |
| Annual Discount | Yes |
| Promotion | Yes |
Enloop is a business plan creation software that can help you make the most of your time. It has plenty of features that make creating business plans fast and easy, but it’s not perfect by any means. If you’re looking for an app that makes your life easier but doesn’t cost a fortune, Enloop might be right up your alley.
Enloop is a cloud-based software that allows you to create professional business plans. Enloop is a popular choice for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses.
Enloop offers templates for a variety of different industries, including:
● Small Business Plans
● Marketing Plans
● Startups & Entrepreneurship
There are several business plan templates for common business plans. If you want to create a new one, Enloop allows you to do so by customizing the template with your information. You can also copy and paste content from other sources into your plan, which is useful if you want to use a standard format that has already been written but wants to change some details.
Enloop automatically generates financial statements, charts, graphs and summaries from your data. This saves time when creating these documents manually because they don’t need to be inputted manually one at a time into an application like Microsoft Word or Excel; instead, they’re generated automatically based on your data inputs into Enloop itself.
Another feature that makes Enloop stand out is its ability to automate parts of your business plan, such as generating an executive summary right after completing the rest of it (as opposed to having someone else write them).
Key Features:
- Add your business info. Enter your company information into each section.
- Let the app generate your text. We generate basic text for each section of your plan.
- Review your automatically generated financial forecasts.
- Watch your score improve.
- Compare your forecasts to your peers.
- Repeat.
User Experience:
Enloop allows you to create charts and graphs from your business plan. You can also generate charts and graphs from a spreadsheet, which is great if you have already created a spreadsheet for your business plan.
You can create a financial forecast that’s as accurate as possible. This can be done in minutes and will help you keep track of your business finances. You can also create a business plan, which is an important part of any company. It helps you determine how to make money and where your investments should go.
The Enloop business plan template is designed to provide a clutter-free interface that facilitates the creation of a solid business plan. The interface allows you to focus on creating an effective business plan without distractions, which can be especially beneficial if you’re working on a tight timeline.
Pricing:
Enloop offers three pricing plans:
- Free– (Automated Text Writing, We create customized text you can edit, Text and Data Synced, Your financials auto-inserted into text, Real-time Performance Score, Improve your odds with a higher score).
- Detailed ($19/Month) – (Automated Text Writing, We create customized text you can edit, Text and Data Synced, Your financials auto-inserted into text, Real-time Performance Score, Improve your odds with a higher score, Pass / Fail Report and Certificate, Understand critical issues immediately).
- Performance ($39/Month) – (Automated Text Writing, We create customized text you can edit, Text and Data Synced, Your financials auto-inserted into text, Real-time Performance Score, Improve your odds with a higher score, Pass / Fail Report and Certificate, Understand critical issues immediately, Country Currency Formatting, 100+ currency symbols and formats, Charts, Data comes alive with color charts).
What I Like/Dislike | About Enloop:
Likes:
- Free trial
- Compatible with all devices
- User-friendly interface
- Adequate customer support
Dislikes:
- Lag sometimes
IdeaBuddy
Best for Business Plans ($5 per month).
Stuarts Take
IdeaBuddy is a business idea generation and management tool that helps users identify, evaluate, and develop new business ideas. It includes features such as idea brainstorming and voting, business model and financial analysis, and collaboration tools. IdeaBuddy is designed to help users generate creative and innovative ideas and then assess their feasibility and potential for success. It is suitable for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and anyone looking to develop new business ideas and bring them to fruition. The platform is user-friendly and designed to be accessible to people with a wide range of experience and expertise.
| Best For | Idea Generation |
| Price | Affordable |
| Annual Discount | Yes |
| Promotion | Yes |
Ideabuddy is a website that offers sample business plans and tools to help you create your own. The website includes options for both free business plans, as well as a paid option. It also offers a software tool called Business in a Box, which allows users to create their own business plan template using pre-written sections or by adding their own text.
This business template software includes options for both free business plans, as well as a paid option. If you’re looking for a specific business plan and can’t find it on the site, you can purchase one-time downloads through the site. Users who wish to access the full library of business plans can sign up for a subscription that includes access to all plans in their database.
The business plan software is a great tool to help you create your own business plan. It’s an online tool that helps you build your strategy and is completely free.
Key Features:
- Chat. Email/Help Desk. FAQs/Forum.
- Training options
- Documentation
- Videos
- Live Online
User Experience:
The Business in a Box software offers templates for creating plans for different types of businesses, including:
· B2B (Business to Business)
· B2C (Business to Consumer)
· Non-profit
In addition to being a great way to share your ideas with others, a sample business plan can also be used as you start and grow your own company. It will help you visualize a full, formal business plan.
The sample templates we provide are designed to give entrepreneurs insight into the types of information that need to be included in their plans and how such information should be presented. They can serve as excellent starting points for writing their plans, which will help them make important decisions about their businesses.
Pricing:
IdeaBuddy offers three pricing plans:
- Free Plan – (Templates, Idea Plan, Business Guide, Financial Plan, Business Plan).
- Dreamer ($5/Month) – (Templates, Idea Plan, Business Guide, Financial Plan, Business Plan, Share ideas with others, invite collaborators).
- Founder ($10/Month) – (Templates, Idea Plan, Business Guide, Financial Plan, Business Plan, Idea Validation, Notes and Tips, Share ideas with others, invite collaborators).
- Team Pro ($22/Month) – (Templates, Idea Plan, Business Guide, Financial Plan, Business Plan, Idea Validation, Notes and Tips, Share ideas with others, invite collaborators, Whiteboard).
What I Like/Dislike | About IdeaBuddy:
Likes:
- Value for money
- Efficient customer support
- User-friendly interface
Dislikes:
- Lag sometimes
iPlanner
Best for Marketing Plans($24 per month).
Stuarts Take
iPlanner is a business planning and management software platform that helps users create professional business plans and financial projections. It includes features such as customizable templates, automatic financial forecasting, performance tracking, and collaboration tools. iPlanner is suitable for businesses of all sizes and industries and is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to those without financial expertise. The platform aims to make the process of creating a business plan easier and more efficient by providing a range of resources and tools to help users organize and present their ideas in a clear and compelling way. It also includes tools for project management and collaboration, allowing users to work together on their business plans and track progress toward their goals.
| Best For | Templates |
| Price | Varied |
| Annual Discount | Yes |
| Promotion | Yes |
iPlanner is a powerful business planning tool that helps you to plan and manage your business. You can use it to create an inventory list, financial forecast, or even a marketing plan. This software also allows you to create a board meeting agenda, build a team and assign tasks in real-time.
It provides users with templates for different plans, such as financial forecasts, marketing plans, sales pipeline management templates, etc. Therefore, all content created using this tool will look professional regardless if someone wants something simple like creating an inventory list or more complex things like creating presentations about upcoming events at work meetings (or anywhere else).
Key Features:
- Business Plan Templates
- Collaboration Tools
- Dashboard
- Financial Modeling
- Financial Templates
- Key Performance Indicators
- Pitch Presentation
- Projections
User Experience:
iPlanner is the best business planner for many reasons. The first reason is that it’s easy to use and affordable, so you can get your plan done faster and more efficiently. The second reason is that iPlanner has a great support team who will help you when you have questions or need assistance with your plan. And thirdly, iPlanner’s reputation as an excellent business tool speaks for itself; this company has been around for years, so they are well-known in their field of work and provide quality products for their customers.
iPlanner is a business planning software that can help you develop your business, marketing, and financial plans. It’s ideal for new entrepreneurs who want to create their first business plan and for established businesses who want to review or revise their current business plans.
Pricing:
iPlanner offers three pricing plans:
- Professional ($24/Month) – (Number of projects:1, Subscription in month:3, This service level is intended for startups, small business owners and entrepreneurs developing a business plan or financial plan).
- Corporate ($59/Month) – (Number of projects:12, Subscription:6, This service level is intended for serial entrepreneurs, business coaches, mentors and business support organizations).
- Corporate Plus (Custom) – (Special functions included: Action plan, plan-actual financial analysis, Review meetings, Bespoke business plan templates. This service level is intoned for business incubators, start-up accelerators, small business support).
What I Like/Dislike | About iPlanner:
Likes:
- Affordable
- Many extra features other than business plan creation
- All packages include an unlimited number of user access
Dislikes:
- No step-by-step instructions
- No free trial
Venngage
Best for Produce Documents ($16 per month).
Stuarts Take
Venngage is a cloud-based design platform that allows users to create professional-quality visual content such as infographics, reports, presentations, and social media graphics. It includes a range of templates, design elements, and customization options to help users create engaging and visually appealing content without the need for advanced design skills. Venngage is suitable for businesses, marketing professionals, and individuals looking to create professional-quality visuals for a variety of purposes. The platform is user-friendly and designed to be accessible to users with a wide range of experience and expertise. It also includes collaboration features, allowing users to work together on projects and share their creations with others.
| Best For | Templates |
| Price | Good |
| Annual Discount | Yes |
| Promotion | Yes |
The business plan template known as Venngage makes it simple and fast for you to produce documents that give the impression of having been prepared by professionals. The drag-and-drop feature makes it easy to reorder content or move elements around the design. Smart drawing tools make it easy to create a professional-looking business plan quickly. With team collaboration options, you can pass around drafts and get suggestions from your coworkers.
Since it is web-based software, Venngage software can be used on any device. When you open the program, you’ll see an option to start a new business plan. You can choose between templates available in Venngage, including a business plan outline and an industry analysis template. The program also has features like a pitch deck creator and a resource library where you can find information about specific topics related to your business plan.
Key Features:
- Add multiple pages
- Unlimited support
- Branding
- Custom templates
- 100 image uploads
- Privacy controls
- Business and premium templates
- Team sharing
- Unlimited infographics
- Premium charts
- Team collaboration
- Export PDF, PNG, & Hi-Res PNG
- Export interactive PDF
User Experience:
Venngage has different types of plans, which limits the features you can use in their free plan. Smart tools and unlimited designs in paid plans make it easy to quickly create a professional-looking business plan. With team collaboration options, you can pass around drafts and get suggestions from your coworkers.
Venngage might be a good choice for you, but it depends on your budget and what kind of plan you need. If you’re just starting, Venngage offers a free plan that lets you quickly create a business plan with some basic features like an interactive wireframe and drag-and-drop design tools.
Pricing:
Venngage offers three pricing plans:
- Free – (5 Designs, Share Publicly, Free Diverse Icons and Widgets, 6 Image Uploads).
- Premium ($16/Month) – (Unlimited Designs, PNG & Hi Res PNG Exporting, Share Privately, Email & Chat Support, Premium Icons and Widgets, 50 Image Uploads).
- Business ($39/Month) – (Team Size of 1-10 Members, Organize with Folders, Share Designs with Team, Real-Time Collaboration, Priority Email & Chat Support, My Brand Kit, HTML and PowerPoint Exports, Phone Support, 500 Image Uploads).
- Enterprise ($499/Month) – (Team Size of 11-100+, Dedicated Account Manager, Multi-Factor Authentication ,Live Onboarding & Team Training Sessions, Custom Built Features* (API, Custom MSLA, Integrations).
What I Like/Dislike | About Venngage:
Likes:
- Allows customization
- Free plan
- Easy to use
Dislikes:
- Can only be used as a web-based application
What To Do With Your Business Plan
The startup process of a new business is one of the most exciting times in your life. In addition to the thrill of starting a new business, you can impact your community and industry. However, it’s also one of the most difficult processes you will ever go through. It requires every ounce of energy, creativity, resourcefulness, and a business model that you can muster up. Last but not least, for a successful business plan, you need to do market research, evaluate your target customers, write a business plan, prepare an executive summary, and hire a management team.
However, what to do while writing a business plan? Following pointers will help you in better understanding:
Create a Structure
The structure of your business plan is one of the most important elements. It should be clear and easy to follow. It should give readers a sense of where they are at any given point in your story. When writing a long-form business plan, it’s best to have an outline before you start writing. If you’re creating a shorter document like an elevator pitch or 30-second presentation, the structure is less important because no one will read through all those words anyway!
To create an outline for your business plan:
● Think about how many points you want to make in each section. For example: “Purpose” could have three points; “Vision” four; and so on. The more specific and detailed these points are, the more useful they’ll be for readers who are exploring different options among which to invest in.
● List these points from most important down to least important (or vice versa). Make sure there’s some kind of logical progression between them too.
Write Your Company Description
Describe your company in a few sentences. The company description is often the first section of a business plan (typically the shortest). It should be no more than two or three paragraphs describing your business’s mission, vision, and values. You should also include:
● Size of your company
● Location
Explain Your Products and Services
Your business plan is a set of instructions for your future. It should tell you what to do and when to do it so that you can achieve your goals. Your goals may be anything from:
● Making more money
● Growing your business
● Getting funding for research and development (R&D)
Describe Your Marketing Plan
As you outline your marketing plan, define your target market. Describe what kinds of advertising — including traditional media like TV and radio as well as digital media like social media and email newsletters. They will be most effective for reaching this audience. Explain how much money you plan on spending on marketing each month or quarter (or year), how much revenue it’s possible for you to generate from each source of advertising and whether there are any limitations based on geography or availability of space/time slots.
Finally, explain how many leads per week or month it will take for your business model to work. You can estimate this by finding out the average number of leads from similar companies in similar industries. Check with industry associations (like chambers of commerce) for local statistics if necessary but only use these numbers as rough guidelines because every company has different requirements.
Discuss Your Financials
Now that you’ve completed your business plan, it’s time to consider some of your company’s most important financial documents.
Financial statements:
If you’re working with investors or lenders, they’ll need detailed information about how much money you’re spending and making. These statements show how well a company is doing financially (or not). The three basic financial statements are:
● Income statement: Shows revenue, costs and profits over time; this is where you’ll see what part of the sales price goes toward expenses like salaries and advertising.
● Balance sheet: Provides an overview of the current state of affairs regarding assets versus liabilities. Also useful in showing cash flow during a given period.
● Profit & loss statement (P&L): Shows an overall view of how much money came into the business through sales vs how much went out through expenses.
Business Plan – Your Roadmap To Success
A business plan won’t make your business successful on its own, but it will help you identify the problems that need to be solved and the available solutions. A good business plan will also show how your product or service can address these issues and offer the solution that customers want.
Business plans are also important because they act as a roadmap to guide you through the startup process. They can help you with:
● Identifying your market and competition.
● Identifying your target market.
● Creating a marketing strategy for success.
Conclusion
Business plans are an essential part of launching a successful business. This is true for startups and established companies, but it is especially important for new ventures that don’t have a track record. A business plan helps you clearly define the problems you are addressing and that your solution is legally, logically and economically viable.
You need the best business template software to create the best business plan. We have mentioned all the best and most effective business template software and their pricing plans – so choose what fits you the best!