A good business plan template contains two main parts. A narrative followed by a series of financial worksheets. The narrative part of the business plan template embodies all the details and the strategy of the business plan and is further divided and subdivided into various sections. It is highly recommended that you work on creating a business plan template in a systematic way to avoid missing out on the inclusion of important facts and points.
Answering the question of how to make a business plan template begins by the realization that the first step is the creation of a rough draft, where you end up with a set of notes on each and every topic of the template. The next step is to work on these points and edit them to create a professional narrative that has a smooth flow. The purpose of creating the template is not to speed up the process of deriving the final business report but thinking about your business in an intelligent, smart and planning fashion. While going through the various facts and ideas, you gradually get involved in looking at ideas and business models in a more critical way. Though this process may initially appear to be a waste of time, the process of creating the template also has the power to prevent a poor decision that could prove to be a disaster in the long run, if not properly addressed upfront.
There is a generic template that is available for all types of businesses. To make a business plan template, you need to modify the standard template that is suitable for your industry and business. The style of writing, the overall organization and the presentation of the ideas is what makes a good business plan template. Creating a template involves a significant amount of research, re-thinking and planning. Detailed notes regarding the sources of information and the underlying assumptions that support the financial data and information must be kept carefully for quick and easy reference as and when needed.
To make a business plan template usually begins with the name and the details of the owners of the plan. This is followed by a table of contents that constitutes an executive summary, a general description of the company, the products and services the company offers, the marketing plan, the operational plan, and the management and organizational structures. These elements complete the narrative part of the business template. The financial part of the template should contain a financial statement, startup expenses and capitalization details, and a complete financial plan that encompasses the goals of the company.
The answer to how to make a business plan template is to create an organizational structure that will allow a company to present its assets, ideas, strategies and goals in document form so that a reader will be lead to the desired conclusion.