Business Planning and
Financing Management Series
Building Block 2
The Business Plan
and Executive Summary
Workbook Template
Company: <Enter your company name here>
Last updated: <Enter the last update date here>
Table of Contents
Why Write a Business Plan? ................................................................... 3
1. Gather All of the Information .............................................................. 3
2. Team Business Planning Workshop ..................................................... 3
3. Writing the Business Plan................................................................... 3
a. Executive summary ........................................................................ 3
b. Problem definition .......................................................................... 3
c. Solution ........................................................................................ 3
d. Business model ............................................................................. 3
e. Product and technology .................................................................. 3
f. Marketing and sales ........................................................................ 3
g. External environment and competition ............................................. 4
h. Management team ......................................................................... 4
i. Financial projections and key metrics ................................................ 4
j. Current status, use of proceeds and milestones .................................. 4
k. Risk analysis ................................................................................. 6
Writing the Executive Summary ............................................................. 6
Business Planning and Financing Management Series
Building Block 2: The Business Plan and Executive Summary
2
Why Write a Business Plan?
1. Gather All of the Information
<No work required in this section>
2. Team Business Planning Workshop
<No work required in this section>
3. Writing the Business Plan
a. Executive summary
<Refer to the end of this document for the activities associated with this section>
b. Problem definition
<Write the problem definition for your venture>
c. Solution
<Write the solution for your venture>
d. Business model
<Describe your business model. If you have a diagram or chart that illustrates
your business model, include it here>
e. Product and technology
<Describe your product and technology>
f. Marketing and sales
<Describe your go-to-market strategy. Cover all relevant points from the list in
the workbook>
Business Planning and Financing Management Series
Building Block 2: The Business Plan and Executive Summary
3
g. External environment and competition
<Summarize the external environment and competition in your marketplace>
<Insert here your PEST analysis previously completed in Market Strategy
Development Workbook 1: The Analytical Foundation>
<Complete the competitive matrix below>
Feature
Feature 1
Feature 2
Feature 3
Your Company
Competitor #1
Competitor #2
h. Management team
<Write an introductory paragraph for each management team member that
captures the key points discussed in the workbook. Include biographies and CVs
in the appendices to the business plan>
i. Financial projections and key metrics
<Include the income statement, balance sheet and cash flow prepared by your
accounting professional>
j. Current status, use of proceeds and milestones
<List your sources of funding in the following table>
Source of funding
Existing financing
($ amount)
Projected financing
($ amount)
Investment by principals
Equity investments by angel
investors
Equity investments by VCs
Debt financing
Cash flow from operations
Total funds
Business Planning and Financing Management Series
Building Block 2: The Business Plan and Executive Summary
4
<List your use of proceeds to date in the following table. The proceeds should
align with your financial statements>
Use of Proceeds
Sales and marketing
Research and development
Recruiting costs and salaries of new hires
Equipment
Capital expenses (e.g., office build-out)
Legal and accounting
$ Amount
Total uses
<Build a financing milestones diagram using the following template. You may find it
more convenient to draw it on a whiteboard with other members of the management
team and then make a clean PowerPoint version to include in your business plan>
Business Planning and Financing Management Series
Building Block 2: The Business Plan and Executive Summary
5
k. Risk analysis
<List the critical success factors for your venture>
<Complete the following risk template. Include any relevant risks not listed in the
table>
Type of Risk
Product Risk
Market Adoption Risk
Market Size Risk
Market Timing Risk
Competitive Risk
Financing Risk
Execution Risk
Risk
Mitigating Strategy
Writing the Executive Summary
<Write your executive summary. Provide your draft to a few close advisors for
review>
Business Planning and Financing Management Series
Building Block 2: The Business Plan and Executive Summary
6