How to create your business plan

We show you how it works!

When writing your business plan, are you thinking of using a standard business plan from the Internet? You’d better stay away from that, because it’s a no-go. Because apart from the fact that such plans are not individual and therefore rather unsuccessful, the providers of these plans usually only want to get hold of your data in order to make various consultants palatable to you. You should therefore be careful about what you include in your business plan. Even if you are okay with trade secrets, you should not communicate them to your investors without a confidentiality agreement. This is why there are usually two types of business plans: public and non-public. However, there are other factors you should keep in mind before writing your business plan.

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Keep the addressee in focus

Before you start, you should be clear about who you are addressing your business plan to. After all, there are many potential readers who might get to see your plan. Therefore, do not underestimate the point of the addressee. The individual criteria may differ significantly: Depending on whether you are writing the business plan for your landlord or want to apply for funding with it. Here, the following addressees may come into question:

Investor
Landlord
Job center
Bank
Federal Employment Agency

Depending on the purpose, your business plan must be prepared according to specific requirements. Because even if the result may appeal to credit institutions, it may well be that you do not achieve the hoped-for effect with the Federal Employment Agency, for example.

Get your business plan in shape

Not only the question of the addressee is important, but also the form of your business plan plays a decisive role. Here, for example, there is the classic variant. The contents are divided into different chapters. This can result in more than ten sections. And then there is the so-called canvas business plan, the form of which is based on a single, large sheet of paper in order to provide the viewer with the maximum amount of clarity. And then there's a third form. This one comes in handy when you want to apply for a loan from your lending institution. This application form is highly appreciated by many banks and lenders, as it makes it very likely that all the important facts have been communicated. It is best to discuss with your advisor which form is best suited for your business plan.

Structure the content of the business plan

You should be aware that the business plan is a significant document, so a clear structure is essential. You should clarify in advance with your advisor how the document should be structured and what size is appropriate. It is also very important that your plan should be fully elaborated. If something is missing, you run the risk that it will be rejected. Regardless of the addressee, banks, investors, landlords and the job center all look for completeness. Therefore, find out exactly when your business plan really has no more gaps.

Writing a business plan: This is how it works

As soon as you have made all essential considerations, you can start. Divide your business plan into three parts:

Financial plan
Lyric part
Appendix

As you can see from the list, the sections build on each other. Ideally, they answer all questions that might arise around your business idea. As you can see from the list, the sections build on each other. Ideally, they answer all questions that might arise around your business idea. In the first part you present important figures. Since you want to make a profit with your business, the “bare figures” are particularly important. If your calculations are not convincing, this is of course problematic. The first part of your business plan is therefore very important. In it, you show the business model to your addressees. This is done using tables. Depending on the type of business and its size, 12 to 20 tables should appear in the business plan. In the second part you explain your business plan in words and in the appendix you provide evidence of your suitability.

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