Writing A Business Plan:
Examples of Business Plans

We all start out looking for examples of business plans. We just want to see what they look like. I did too. In fact, when I started writing small business plans over 20 years ago, I went to a three day seminar just to find out what a business plan looks like.

Writing a small business plan was not what I had hoped.  I discovered that business plans were massive tomes in tiny print with page after page after page of numbers. (No, there weren't even any charts.)

You are very fortunate. Today's examples of business plans look very different than those from 20-25 years ago. A business plan has morphed into a vibrant, snazzy document that reflects your business and your personality.

When we designed the 7-Step Business Plan series, we knew we had to include examples of business plans so that you too would get your first glimpse. So we did.

Every single 7-Step Business Plan set for business financing includes examples of business plans.

Some business plan sets include 40-50 examples of business plans; some include a whole book of more than 400 links to business plan examples.

Once you've seen examples of business plans, what do you do with them?

Do you pick one and use it verbatim? Not a chance.

Examples of business plans that other people have written represent a vanilla style of writing and presentation for some non-existent business. Truthfully, most of them are pretty lousy.  Your business plan preparation is much more targeted.

For example, your business plan preparation assumes that yours is not a "non-existent business". Your business is very real, even if it doesn't have a home yet. Your business has a personality, a direction, a sense of style that sample business plans just don't have.

Let's look at a "for instance".

Here's a typical paragraph from a free business plan:

The book store will feature mystery writers from all eras. This store is based on a successful store in the Mendocino area, and will be located in downtown Greenville.

Now this paragraph has good intentions. For instance,

• It tells why the store is unique.
• It tells where it will be located, and the population it will serve.
• It builds on the success of another business.

These are all important things to include in a business plan. But you can do it a whole lot better. Lets take just one of those sentences and show how you can write it. Let's take "This store is based on a successful store in the Mendocino area..." Here is what your page may look like:

Multiple Streams of Income in a Mysterious Surrounding On a trip to Mendocino in Northern California two years ago we stumbled upon a tiny bookstore in the back of an alley. Venturing inside, we discovered shelf after shelf of amazing mystery books. There were even some first edition Edgar Allen Poes! We knew immediately that this is the model we wanted for our business. But we knew too that we would need to update and expand the idea to make it viable. We began our planning right then. We have designed a bookstore that: Focuses on mystery books of all eras. Incorporates collectible books, but does not rely on them. Incorporates mystery games, such as the new "Mystery Monopoly". Serves teas and coffees and light munchies, all with a mysterious theme, such as "Sherlock's Soda". Then we did one thing more that is immensely important: We took the business online. It is the online store that makes it possible for our business to reach around the world. We started it about a year ago, and already have enjoyed tremendous success with it. For instance, Our income from the online store is now over $3,000 a month (with very limited overhead). Our product mix is telling us what sells, and what doesn't. Our ezine and Facebook page keep us in touch with potential buyers on a weekly basis. We have sold books to people in over 30 countries throughout the world, with that number growing.

Will this approach get you funding if the projections aren't right? NEVER!

But will it give confidence to your lender? Absolutely.

This kind of approach for a bookstore demonstrates that you are a creative person with strong business skills. You took an existing business model and made it better. Cool.

So Why Even Bother With Examples Of Business Plans?

It would be easier if we just left out the examples of business plans. They take a long time to track down and categorize. There are actually two reasons we include them: the troops would rebel, and they really do serve a useful purpose.

Everyone asks for examples of business plans, even us.

And that brings me to the "useful" part. Reading through a few business plans to get an idea of what they cover, how they are organized, etc., is very useful. As you read through your examples of business plans, there are some things you should be looking for, such as:

• Formatting that looks clean and sharp.
• Color schemes that "work".
• Strong descriptions of business.
• Marketing plans that are persuasive.
• Biographical summaries that describe a successful person.
• Types of funding that have worked, especially those non-obvious ones.
• Mention of sources for demographics or marketing stats.
• Specific language or phrases that sound snappy.
• Cover art that is interesting.
• Projections that make sense.
• Clues to the basis of projections.
• How to handle the catastrophe contingency, an increasingly important issue.
• How much money to set aside for a rainy day.
• How others found ways of saving money and locating bargains.
• How to use charts and graphs and maps to present your demographics.
• What they do to entice the reader to read more.
• What do they do if the industry is in a slump.
• What makes you like one business plan, and not like another.

There is a lot more that you can discover in examples of business plans. Whatever your special circumstances are, keep an eye out for how other people handled the issue. You will be amazed at how often you can devise a better solution for yourself.

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