Business Plan Templates - Should I Use One?

Free Business Plan Templates are a Great Place to Start When Writing Your Business Plan

Generally, the most common question about business plans is “where do I start?” Many people have great ideas, but are unsure of the next steps they need to take in order to grow that idea into a business. Fortunately, there are free business plan templates available online that answer that question for you. Using a business plan outline will not only help you strategize and organize your ideas, but it will end up saving you quite a bit of time and money in the long run.

Not all Free Business Plan Templates are Created Equal

It’s important to get quality information when writing your business plan – make sure the resources you use are legitimate. For instance, all the information found on the Small Business Plans website and within our business plan outline was created by an industry professional. With abundant resources on the internet, it may be hard to cut through the clutter – make sure you’re using information from someone who has practiced and succeeded as an entrepreneur.

There are several things to look for when choosing a business plan template to work from:

• Does the site tell you who created it?
• Was it created by experienced people who have written business plans before?
• Have they owned/operated successful businesses?
• Have they used business plans to raise money?

The answers to these questions will help you know when you’ve found a quality business plan template.

Look Beyond the Business Plan Template or Business Plan Outline

A business plan outline is great, but don’t forget to pay attention to the details! Each section of the free business plan template or outline you are using should also have in-depth information about what to include within each segment. Numerous sections within the free business plan template found on our site not only include brief descriptions of each part, but they also include important considerations for the author to be aware of, as well as real life, working examples.

Find business plan templates that include:

• The purpose of each section
• Detailed descriptions about how to write each section
• What should be included in each segment (sub categories)
• Additional considerations the author should be aware of if necessary
• Real life, working examples that the user can relate to their own strategy
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Comments on what investors or bankers look for (as these are likely the people you will need to pitch to get your business up and running!)

Why It’s Important to Choose the Right Site for Free Business Plan Outline Information

Since you’re investing your own time following the directions the site owner provides—be sure you’re comfortable with the advice they offer.

Do some research before committing to one particular business plan outline. It takes time to assess quality websites – look for sites that provide depth so that you can come back again expecting to find updated, reliable information for your business plan outline.

Using a Free Business Plan Template: Overview

• Using a free business plan template saves time and money
• Be sure you find quality sources online for free business plan templates and outlines
• Look for experienced, proven business leaders to provide this valuable information
• Be selective and choose sites you can believe in and trust when writing your business plan outline