A business plan is a document that explains what a company’s objectives are, and how it will achieve them. It contains a road map for the company from a marketing, financial, and operational standpoint. Some business plans are more detailed than others, but they are used by all types of businesses, from large, established companies to small startups.

If you are applying for a business loan, your lender may want to see your business plan. Your plan can prove that you understand your market and your business model, and that you are realistic about your goals. Even if you don’t need a business plan to apply for a loan, writing one can improve your chances of securing finance.

Why Do I Need a Business Plan?

There are many reasons why all businesses should have a business plan. A business plan can improve the way your company operates, but a well written plan is also invaluable for attracting investment.

On an operational level, a well-written business plan has several advantages. A good plan will explain how a company is going to develop over time, and will lay out the risks and contingencies that it may encounter along the way.

A business plan can act as a valuable strategic guide, reminding executives of their long-term goals amid the chaos of day-to-day business. It also allows businesses to measure their own success – without a plan, it can be difficult to determine whether a business is moving in the right direction.

A business plan is also valuable when it comes to dealing with external organizations. Indeed, banks and venture capital firms often require a viable business plan before considering whether they’ll provide capital to new businesses.

Sections of a Business Plan

Every business is different, and so is every business plan. Nevertheless, most business plans contain a number of generic sections. Common sections are: executive summary, company overview, products and services, market analysis, marketing and sales plan, operational plan, and management team. If you are applying for a loan, you should also include a funding request and financial statements.

Let’s look at each section in more detail.

Executive Summary

The executive summary is a summary of the information in the rest of your business plan, but it’s also where you can create interest in your business.

You should include basic information about your business including what you do, where you are based, your products, and how long you’ve been in business. But you can also mention what inspired you to start your business, your key successes so far, and your growth plans.

Company Overview

In this section, focus on the core strengths of your business, the problems you want to solve, and how you plan to address them.

Here, you should also mention any key advantages that your business has over your competitors, whether this is operating in a new market or a unique approach to an existing one. You should also include key statistics in this section, such as your annual turnover and number of employees.

Products and Services

In this section, provide some details of what you sell. A lender doesn’t need to know all the technical details of your product, but they will want to see what they are desirable.

Market Analysis

A market analysis is a core section of your business plan. Here, you need to demonstrate that you understand the market you are operating in, and how you are different from your competitors. If you can find statistics on your market, and particularly on how it is projected to grow over the next few years, put them in this section.

Marketing and Sales Plan

Your marketing and sales plan gives details on what kind of new customers you are looking to attract, and how you are going to connect with them. This section should contain your sales goals, and link these to marketing or advertising that you are planning.

If you are looking to expand into a new market, or reach customers that you haven’t before, you should explain the risks and opportunities for doing so.

Operational Plan

This section explains the basic requirements of running your business on a day-to-day basis. Your exact requirements will vary depending on the type of business you run, but be as specific as possible.

If you need to rent office space, for example, you should include the cost of it in your operational plan. You should also include the cost of staff, equipment and any raw materials needed to run your business.

Management Team

The management team section is one of the most important sections in your business plan if you are applying for a loan. Your lender will want reassurance that you have a skilled, experienced, competent and reliable senior management team in place.

Funding Requests

If you are applying for a loan, you should add a funding request. This is where you explain how much money you are looking to borrow, and explain in detail how you are going to use it.

The most important part of the funding request section is to explain how the loan you are asking would improve the profitability of your business, and therefore allow you to repay your loan.

Financial Statements

Most lenders will also ask you to provide evidence of your business finances as part of your application. Graphs and charts are often a useful addition to this section, because they allow your lender to understand your finances at a glance.

The overall goal of providing financial statements is to show that your business is profitable and stable. Include three to five years of income statements, cash flow statements, and balance sheets. It can also be useful to provide further analysis, as well as income statements and projections of how your business will grow in the coming years.

What Do Lenders Look for in a Business Plan?

Lenders want to see that your business is stable, that you understand the market you are operating in, and that you have realistic plans for growth.

Your lender will base their decision on what are known as the “five Cs.” These are:

• character: You can stress your good character in your executive summary, company overview, and your management team section.
• capacity: This is, essentially, your ability to repay the loan. Your lender will look at your growth plans, your funding requests, and your financial statements in order to assess this.
• Capital: This is the amount of money you already have in your business. The larger and more established your business is, the more likely you are to be approved for finance, so highlight your capital throughout your business plan.
• conditions: Conditions refer to market conditions. In your market analysis, you should be able to prove that your business is well positioned in relation to your target market and competitors.
• Collaterals: Depending on your loan, you may be asked to provide collateral, so you should provide information on the assets you own in your operational plan.

The Bottom Line

Writing a business plan can benefit your business, whether you are applying for a loan or not. A good business plan can help you develop strategic priorities and stick to them. It describes how you are going to grow your business, which can be valuable to lenders who want to see that you are able to repay the loan you are applying for.