The indispensable guide to where you are, where you want to be, and what to do to get there.

Overview

A business plan contains all the good stuff like your mission and vision statements, goals, risk analysis, and financial position.

For most businesses this is something that shouldn’t be skipped. Although it may be less relevant if you’re, say, a freelancer working on a project-by-project basis.

Do periodic reviews and remember to save the previous version when updating it. And if you have innovative services or practices, you may wish to protect the plan with a confidentiality agreement.

Government business websites often have handy templates to get you started.

Also see

If you have a confidentiality agreement for your business plan, store it in 11.14 Other legal matters.

When it’s time to update your business plan, don’t forget to review 11.24 Collected wisdom & analysis.

Links

Business plan resources and templates from the Australian, UK, and US governments.