Last Updated on May 4, 2023 by David
Starting a business can be an overwhelming task; without proper planning, it can quickly become daunting.
However, with the right tools and resources, entrepreneurs can streamline their planning process and stay on track.
In this article, we will introduce you to 10 must-have business planning templates that can help you organize your ideas and make informed decisions for your business.
From startup business plan templates to business planning templates in Excel, we’ve got you covered.
By the end of this article, you’ll have access to a variety of templates that can be tailored to your unique business needs, allowing you to focus on what matters most: growing your business.
Here are 10 must-have business planning templates that can help you streamline your planning process:
One-Page Startup Business Plan Template
If you’re a startup company looking for a concise way to organize your business concept, the one-page business plan template is perfect for you.
This template presents key business concepts in an easily scannable layout, making it ideal for presenting to investors and stakeholders.
By using this template, you can create a high-level view of your business idea and reference it as you develop a more detailed roadmap for your business.
Source: SmartSheet
Simple Business Plan Excel Template
Looking to simplify your business planning and costing? You’re in luck!
We’re excited to introduce user-friendly Business Plan template in Excel. With this template, creating a business plan doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. Let us help you get started on your journey to success.
This template is great for those who prefer to work in Excel and includes sections for sales forecasts, expense budgets, and cash flow statements.
Source: Investaura
SWOT Analysis Template
A SWOT analysis template is a tool used to guide the process of analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of a business or project.
It typically consists of four sections, one for each aspect of the analysis. It helps gain a deeper understanding of the current situation and make informed decisions about future strategies.
This template helps you identify your business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
Source: Stakeholder Map.
Marketing Plan Template
This marketing plan template is a pre-designed document that helps businesses create a structured and organized plan for their marketing activities.
It includes sections for market analysis, target audience identification, marketing goals and objectives, strategies, tactics, and a timeline. It saves time and effort, provides a standardized format, and facilitates communication and progress tracking.
This template helps you plan out your marketing strategy and includes sections on the target audience, channels, and tactics.
Source: Stakeholder Map.
5-Year Financial Plan Projection Excel
A 5-year financial plan projection is a tool used to forecast a company’s financial performance over the next five years.
It includes revenue, expenses, and cash flow estimates and is used to guide long-term financial decisions.
The plan considers market trends, economic conditions, and internal financial data to create a realistic projection.
The plan typically includes detailed financial statements and analysis.
This template helps you create a comprehensive financial plan and includes sections on income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.
Source: Spreadsheet 123
Competitive Analysis Template
A competitor analysis template is a tool that helps businesses evaluate their competitors, their strengths and weaknesses, and their market share.
The template includes sections for identifying competitors and their offerings, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, and assessing their market position.
It can also cover SWOT analysis, strategic objectives, and potential vulnerabilities.
The template helps businesses gain insights to develop effective strategies to compete in their market.
Source: Template Archive.
Executive Summary Template
An executive summary is a brief and concise summary of a longer document, report, or proposal that provides an overview of its key points and findings.
It is designed to provide busy executives, stakeholders, and decision-makers with a quick and easy-to-understand snapshot of the larger document without having to read through the entire thing.
This Executive Summary Template is designed for use in Word and Google Docs. It provides a structured breakdown of key information that should be included in your summary, with each section featuring useful questions and tips to assist you in the writing process.
This template is highly customizable, allowing you to modify headings and rearrange content as required.
While the specific content of your summary will vary depending on your target audience and the material being summarized, there are several general principles to consider when crafting your summary.
Project Planner Template
While we strive to provide the best in online project management spreadsheets, we realize that some people would prefer to do their project management in Excel.
Whether that’s because you often need to do work without access to the Internet or because you live and breathe Excel every waking minute of your life, we’ve got you covered.
This Excel project management template from Vertex42 will let you do the same things our spreadsheet does.
Organize your projects by laying out a separate row for each task, and entering a start date and duration for each task.
Track your progress on each task by entering the completion percentage. And use the graphical view for a visual representation of your progress.
Source: Vertex 42.
Risk Management Templates for Excel
Risk Management Plan Template outlines steps to identify, assess, and manage risks in a project or organization.
It includes sections such as introduction, risk management process, risk identification, risk assessment, risk mitigation, risk monitoring and review, roles and responsibilities, and communication plan.
The risk management template helps organizations have a structured approach to managing risks and minimizing their impact on the project or business.
Source: Clear Risk.
Sales Plan Template
A sales plan template is a document that outlines a company’s sales goals, strategies, and tactics for a specific period of time.
It includes details on the target market, sales objectives, sales team structure, budget, and metrics for measuring success.
The template helps organizations to align their sales efforts with business objectives, identify potential obstacles, and prioritize sales activities.
It also serves as a roadmap for sales teams, providing clarity and direction on how to achieve their targets.
Ultimately, a sales plan template is important for driving revenue growth and improving overall sales performance.
Source: Template Lab.
Conclusion
A solid business plan is critical to the success of any organization.
But creating one from scratch can be daunting, so having access to ready-made templates is incredibly helpful.
The 10 must-have business planning templates we’ve covered in this article can serve as a useful starting point for any business, regardless of size or industry.
Whether you need to create a marketing plan, a financial forecast, or an operational strategy, these templates can save you time, provide structure, and help you stay focused on your goals.
By utilizing these templates, you can be sure that your business is on the right track toward achieving its objectives and staying competitive in today’s ever-changing marketplace.
