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Business Plan Templates

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2 Essential Templates For Starting Your Business. Available as an interactive PDF or a Google Docs template.

With this business plan template, you'll be able to:

• Write a company description that sells your story
• Plan for the future: lay out goals and metrics for success
• Describe your product line in detail and plan for how to stand out from competitors
• Consider any legal formalities that require attention when starting your business
• Put together necessary financial projections to make a strong start
• Create your buyer persona and determine your product/marketing fit

Build A Business Plan That Works

Available as a one-page interactive PDF and a full template on both Google Docs and Microsoft Word!

Whether you’re starting a business or drafting a formalized document with  your current business goals, it’s important to clearly defi ne the scope of all aspects of the venture — from mission, to target customers, to fi nances, and beyond.

When just starting out, it can be tempting to think of a business plan as simply your company’s name and a description of your product or service. But in reality, planning a business involves thinking through a lot more details.

In this business plan template we’ll guide you through the steps of writing company and product descriptions, setting sales and marketing goals and plans, and thinking through legal and fi nancial logistics. We've included a  plain text, designed , and  completed example version of this template. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do you write a business plan.

A business plan is a formal written document that you can use to identify the purpose of your company, make important decisions about your future and help grow your company. HubSpot's free business plan templates provides guidance to establishing your company mission, customer research, competition, and a business strategy to profitability.

Why do I need to fill out the information requested?

We will always keep your personal information safe..

We ask for your information in exchange for a valuable resource in order to (a) improve your browsing experience by personalizing the HubSpot site to your needs; (b) send information to you that we think may be of interest to you by email or other means; (c) send you marketing communications that we think may be of value to you. You can read more about our privacy policy here .

Where can I get a free business plan template?

HubSpot's Free Business Plan Templates are the best way to create a professional, thorough business plan. The templates include instructions and everything you need to know about starting your company.

Is this really free?

Absolutely.

Just sharing some free knowledge that we hope you’ll find useful. Keep us in mind next time you have marketing questions!

What are the basic format of a business plan?

A business plan is a written document that outlines the company's goals, strategy and implementation. The format of the plan varies depending on the type of organization (e.g., for-profit or nonprofit) and size, but most plans share some common features such as an overview, executive summary, and financial information.

What is the best business plan template?

A great business plan template clearly defines the scope of the venture -- from mission, to target customers, to finances, and beyond. HubSpot's business plan template will guide you through the steps of writing company and product descriptions, setting sales and marketing goals and plans, and thinking through legal and financial logistics.

What is needed to start a business?

If you're thinking about starting a business, you'll need to do some research first. You can't just start a business without doing any market research. Market research will tell you if there's an opportunity to turn your idea into a successful business. After that, write your business plan so that you know how much money and time it will take for the project to succeed. Use HubSpot's free business plan template today!

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10 Free Business Plan Templates in Word, Excel, & ClickUp

ClickUp Contributor

February 13, 2024

Turning your vision into a clear and coherent business plan can be confusing and tough. 

Hours of brainstorming and facing an intimidating blank page can raise more questions than answers. Are you covering everything? What should go where? How do you keep each section thorough but brief?

If these questions have kept you up at night and slowed your progress, know you’re not alone. That’s why we’ve put together the top 10 business plan templates in Word, Excel, and ClickUp—to provide answers, clarity, and a structured framework to work with. This way, you’re sure to capture all the relevant information without wasting time. 

And the best part? Business planning becomes a little less “ugh!” and a lot more “aha!” 🤩

What is a Business Plan Template?

What makes a good business plan template, 1. clickup business plan template, 2. clickup sales plan template, 3. clickup business development action plan template, 4. clickup business roadmap template, 5. clickup business continuity plan template, 6. clickup lean business plan template, 7. clickup small business action plan template, 8. clickup strategic business roadmap template , 9. microsoft word business plan template by microsoft, 10. excel business plan template by vertex42.

A business plan template is a structured framework for entrepreneurs and business executives who want to create business plans. It comes with pre-arranged sections and headings that cover key elements like the executive summary , business overview, target customers, unique value proposition, marketing plans, and financial statements.  

A good business plan template helps with thorough planning, clear documentation, and practical implementation. Here’s what to look for:

• Comprehensive structure: A good template comes with all the relevant sections to outline a business strategy, such as executive summary, market research and analysis, and financial projections 
• Clarity and guidance: A good template is easy to follow. It has brief instructions or prompts for each section, guiding you to think deeply about your business and ensuring you don’t skip important details
• Clean design: Aesthetics matter. Choose a template that’s not just functional but also professionally designed. This ensures your plan is presentable to stakeholders, partners, and potential investors
• Flexibility : Your template should easily accommodate changes without hassle, like adding or removing sections, changing content and style, and rearranging parts 🛠️ 

While a template provides the structure, it’s the information you feed it that brings it to life. These pointers will help you pick a template that aligns with your business needs and clearly showcases your vision.

10 Business Plan Templates to Use in 2024

Preparing for business success in 2024 (and beyond) requires a comprehensive and organized business plan. We’ve handpicked the best templates to help you guide your team, attract investors, and secure funding. Let’s check them out.

If you’re looking to replace a traditional business plan document, then ClickUp’s Business Plan Template is for you!

This one-page business plan template, designed in ClickUp Docs , is neatly broken down into the following sections:

• Company description : Overview, mission, vision, and team
• Market analysis : Problem, solution, target market, competition, and competitive advantage
• Sales and marketing strategy : Products/services and marketing channels
• Operational plan : Location and facilities, equipment and tools, manpower, and financial forecasts
• Milestones and metrics: Targets and KPIs

Customize the template with your company logo and contact details, and easily navigate to different sections using the collapsible table of contents. The mini prompts under each section guide you on what to include—with suggestions on how to present the data (e.g., bullet lists, pictures, charts, and tables). 

You can share the document with anyone via URL and collaborate in real time. And when the business plan is ready, you have the option to print it or export it to PDF, HTML, or Markdown.

But that’s not all. This template is equipped with basic and enterprise project management features to streamline the business plan creation process . The Topics List view has a list of all the different sections and subsections of the template and allows you to assign it to a team member, set a due date, and attach relevant documents and references.

Switch from List to Board view to track and update task statuses according to the following: To Do, In Progress, Needs Revision, and Complete. 

This template is a comprehensive toolkit for documenting the different sections of your business plan and streamlining the creation process to ensure it’s completed on time. 🗓️

If you’re looking for a tool to kickstart or update your sales plan, ClickUp’s Sales Plan Template has got you covered. This sales plan template features a project summary list with tasks to help you craft a comprehensive and effective sales strategy. Some of these tasks include:

• Determine sales objectives and goals
• Draft positioning statement
• Perform competitive analysis
• Draft ideal customer persona
• Create a lead generation strategy

Assign each task to a specific individual or team, set priority levels , and add due dates. Specify what section of the sales plan each task belongs to (e.g., executive summary, revenue goals, team structure, etc.), deliverable type (such as document, task, or meeting), and approval state (like pending, needs revisions, and approved).

And in ClickUp style, you can switch to multiple views: List for a list of all tasks, Board for visual task management, Timeline for an overview of task durations, and Gantt to get a view of task dependencies. 

This simple business plan template is perfect for any type of business looking to create a winning sales strategy while clarifying team roles and keeping tasks organized. ✨

Thinking about scaling your business’s reach and operations but unsure where or how to start? It can be overwhelming, no doubt—you need a clear vision, measurable goals, and an actionable plan that every member of your team can rally behind. 

Thankfully, ClickUp’s Business Development Action Plan Template is designed to use automations to simplify this process so every step toward your business growth is clear, trackable, and actionable.

Start by assessing your current situation and deciding on your main growth goal. Are you aiming to increase revenue, tap into new markets, or introduce new products or services? With ClickUp Whiteboards or Docs, brainstorm and collaborate with your team on this decision.

Set and track your short- and long-term growth goals with ClickUp’s Goals , break them down into smaller targets, and assign these targets to team members, complete with due dates. Add these targets to a new ClickUp Dashboard to track real-time progress and celebrate small wins. 🎉

Whether you’re a startup or small business owner looking to hit your next major milestone or an established business exploring new avenues, this template keeps your team aligned, engaged, and informed every step of the way.

ClickUp’s Business Roadmap Template is your go-to for mapping out major strategies and initiatives in areas like revenue growth, brand awareness, community engagement, and customer satisfaction. 

Use the List view to populate tasks under each initiative. With Custom Fields, you can capture which business category (e.g., Product, Operations, Sales & Marketing, etc.) tasks fall under and which quarter they’re slated for. You can also link to relevant documents and resources and evaluate tasks by effort and impact to ensure the most critical tasks get the attention they deserve. 👀

Depending on your focus, this template provides different views to show just what you need. For example, the All Initiatives per Quarter view lets you focus on what’s ahead by seeing tasks that need completion within a specific quarter. This ensures timely execution and helps in aligning resources effectively for the short term.

This template is ideal for business executives and management teams who need to coordinate multiple short- and long-term initiatives and business strategies.

In business, unexpected threats to operations can arise at any moment. Whether it’s economic turbulence, a global health crisis, or supply chain interruptions, every company needs to be ready. ClickUp’s Business Continuity Plan Template lets you prepare proactively for these unforeseen challenges.

The template organizes tasks into three main categories:

• Priorities: Tasks that need immediate attention
• Continuity coverage: Tasks that must continue despite challenges
• Guiding principles: Resources and protocols to ensure smooth operations

The Board view makes it easy to visualize all the tasks under each of these categories. And the Priorities List sorts tasks by those that are overdue, the upcoming ones, and then the ones due later.

In times of uncertainty, being prepared is your best strategy. This template helps your business not just survive but thrive in challenging situations, keeping your customers, employees, and investors satisfied. 🤝

Looking to execute your business plan the “lean” way? Use ClickUp’s Lean Business Plan Template . It’s designed to help you optimize resource usage and cut unnecessary steps—giving you better results with less effort.

In the Plan Summary List view, list all the tasks that need to get done. Add specific details like who’s doing each task, when it’s due, and which part of the Business Model Canvas (BMC) it falls under. The By Priority view sorts this list based on priorities like Urgent, High, Normal, and Low. This makes it easy to spot the most important tasks and tackle them first.

Additionally, the Board view gives you an overview of task progression from start to finish. And the BMC view rearranges these tasks based on the various BMC components. 

Each task can further be broken down into subtasks and multiple checklists to ensure all related action items are executed. ✔️

This template is an invaluable resource for startups and large enterprises looking to maximize process efficiencies and results in a streamlined and cost-effective way.

The Small Business Action Plan Template by ClickUp is tailor-made for small businesses looking to transform their business ideas and goals into actionable steps and, eventually, into reality. 

It provides a simple and organized framework for creating, assigning, prioritizing, and tracking tasks. And in effect, it ensures that goals are not just set but achieved. Through the native dashboard and goal-setting features, you can monitor task progress and how they move you closer to achieving your goals.

Thanks to ClickUp’s robust communication features like chat, comments, and @mentions, it’s easy to get every team member on the same page and quickly address questions or concerns.

Use this action plan template to hit your business goals by streamlining your internal processes and aligning team efforts.

For larger businesses and scaling enterprises, getting different departments to work together toward a big goal can be challenging. The ClickUp Strategic Business Roadmap Template makes it easier by giving you a clear plan to follow.

This template is packaged in a folder and split into different lists for each department in your business, like Sales, Product, Marketing, and Enablement. This way, every team can focus on their tasks while collectively contributing to the bigger goal.

There are multiple viewing options available for team members. These include:

• Progress Board: Visualize tasks that are on track, those at risk, and those behind
• Gantt view: Get an overview of project timelines and dependencies
• Team view: See what each team member is working on so you can balance workloads for maximum productivity

While this template may feel overwhelming at first, the getting started guide offers a step-by-step breakdown to help you navigate it with ease. And like all ClickUp templates, you can easily customize it to suit your business needs and preferences.

Microsoft’s 20-page traditional business plan template simplifies the process of drafting comprehensive business plans. It’s made up of different sections, including:

• Executive summary : Highlights, objectives, mission statement, and keys to success
• Description of business: Company ownership and legal structure, hours of operation, products and services, suppliers, financial plans, etc.
• Marketing: Market analysis, market segmentation, competition, and pricing
• Appendix: Start-up expenses, cash flow statements, income statements, sales forecast, milestones, break-even analysis, etc.

The table of contents makes it easy to move to different sections of the document. And the text placeholders under each section provide clarity on the specific details required—making the process easier for users who may not be familiar with certain business terminology.

No business template roundup is complete without an Excel template. This business plan template lets you work on your business financials in Excel. It comes with customizable tables, formulas, and charts to help you look at the following areas:

• Highlight charts
• Market analysis
• Start-up assets and expenses
• Sales forecasts
• Profit and loss
• Balance sheet
• Cash flow projections
• Break-even analysis

This Excel template is especially useful when you want to create a clear and visual financial section for your business plan document—an essential element for attracting investors and lenders. However, there might be a steep learning curve to using this template if you’re not familiar with business financial planning and using Excel.

Try a Free Business Plan Template in ClickUp

Launching and running a successful business requires a well-thought-out and carefully crafted business plan. However, the business planning process doesn’t have to be complicated, boring, or take up too much time. Use any of the above 10 free business plan formats to simplify and speed up the process.

ClickUp templates go beyond offering a solid foundation to build your business plans. They come with extensive project management features to turn your vision into reality. And that’s not all— ClickUp’s template library offers over 1,000 additional templates to help manage various aspects of your business, from decision-making to product development to resource management .

Sign up for ClickUp’s Free Forever Plan today to fast-track your business’s growth! 🏆

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Powerful business plan templates

Plan for the future, no matter what your business plans are or the size of your business with these designs and templates. whether it's just one big project or an entire organization's worth of dreams, these templates will keep you and your company on track from ideation to completion..

Put your ideas to work with simple templates for every business plan

Every successful business took a lot of planning to get there, and these templates will be cornerstones of your future success. Whether you're looking to attract new business, pitch your services or reimagine your company, with these simple, customizable templates at your fingertips you can turn complexity into something tangible. These templates can become marketing assets or simply remain internal touchpoints for your team. And as your dreams change, you'll always have this template to refer to – it's easy to change what exists on paper. If you're a small business, focusing on your niche can help you dominate in your field, and you can forge a plan to figure out exactly what that niche might be and how to target your ideal customer . When it's time to share your vision with stakeholders, craft a presentation that outlines your plan succinctly and with style. Let these templates from Microsoft Designer be your partner in business strategy for years to come.

Free Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan Templates

By Joe Weller | April 22, 2020

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In this article, we’ve compiled the most useful fill-in-the-blank business plan templates for you to download for free in Word, PDF, and Excel formats.

Included on this page, you’ll find a simple fill-in-the-blank business plan template , a fill-in-the-blank nonprofit business plan template , and a fill-in-the-blank Lean business plan template , as well as a 5-step how-to for filling out your business plan .

Simple Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan Template

This fill-in-the-blank business plan template is easy to use and will help guide you as you write your business plan. It comes with all the standard components of a business plan and allows you to customize content that’s relevant to your product or service. 

Download Simple Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan Template

Word | PDF  | Smartsheet

Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan Template for Startups

This fill-in-the-blank business plan template is designed for the startup business that needs funding and resources to get up and running. Use this template to provide your potential investors and stakeholders with information on your product and service offerings, timeline of milestones, financial requirements, marketing efforts, market analysis, and other key details.

‌Download Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan Template for Startups

Fill-In-the-Blank Small Business Plan Template

Use this fill-in-the-blank small business plan template to guide you through each part of your business strategy — whether you have an established business or plan to start at a future date. This business plan comes with a title page and includes ready-to-fill content in each section to keep your plan thorough and organized. 

Download Fill-In-the-Blank Small Business Plan Template

Fill-In-the-Blank Nonprofit Business Plan Template

Use this fill-in-the-blank nonprofit business plan template to convey your nonprofit organization’s purpose and objectives to stakeholders. This template includes space for information about your nonprofit’s background, key personnel, program offerings, market analysis, marketing activities, fundraising methods, and much more. 

Download Fill-In-the-Blank Nonprofit Business Plan Template

Fill-In-the-Blank Lean Business Plan Template

This fill-in-the-blank lean business plan template enables you to highlight the key details of your plan on a single page. The template also gives you room to add the following: the names of your management team members; a visual timeline of your milestones; your unique value proposition, target customers, marketing activities, cost structure, and revenue streams; and the details about the problem you’re solving. 

Download Fill-In-the-Blank Lean Business Plan Template

Excel | Word | PDF

For additional resources related to a lean business plan, check out “One-Page Business Plan Templates.”

How Do You Fill Out a Business Plan?

How you write your business plan depends on the size and nature of your business. Below, we outline five simple steps you can take to prepare and fill out your business plan.

• Determine the Purpose of Your Business Plan: Are you creating a strategic roadmap for your business? Are you seeing if your business idea is feasible? Are you trying to attract investors? When you understand the goals of your plan, you can tailor it to your specific needs. For example, if the goal of your plan is to persuade investors to take a chance on your business, you should include sections that discuss your funding goals, how you plan to use any investment funds, what investors will receive in exchange for their investment, and what key milestones you plan to achieve with the funds. Once you determine the purpose of your plan, you will have a better idea of what information to convey and highlight in your plan. 
• Executive Summary
• Company Overview
• Market Analysis
• Organization Structure
• Service or Product Offerings
• Marketing Plan
• Sales and Operations Plan
• Financial Plan
• Financial Projections
• Conduct Research: Gather and analyze all the information you can about your business, including market and industry trends, target customers, competitors, and product or service offerings. To write a thorough and effective plan, you must have a keen understanding of your organization, your market, and the industry in which you operate. Some effective ways to conduct research include looking at your historical sales records, interviewing customers, sending surveys to your target audience, and looking at direct competitors in your industry.
• Fill In Each Section of Your Business Plan Outline: Use the research you gathered in the last step to fill out the relevant sections of your business plan outline. Only include information that is essential to the operation of your business, and keep the outline concise in order to make sure that the pertinent details don’t get lost in a sea of information. Be sure that each section of your outline focuses on and aligns with the purpose of your business plan.
• Organize and File Away All Documentation That Pertains to Your Business: File away all the information you compile about your business in an accessible location, and make sure that this information is well organized. Have a system in place to quickly locate any information that investors and stakeholders need, such as licensing agreements, patents, or other vital documentation. In addition, add some of this supporting documentation to the appendix section of your business plan and make sure you can easily locate and update it as your strategies and objectives change.

Find additional business plan templates, including a customizable business plan outline template, by visiting “Simple Business Plan Templates.”  You can learn how to write a successful simple business plan here . Visit this free non-profit business plan template roundup  or if you are looking for a business plan template by file type, visit our pages dedicated specifically to  Microsoft Excel ,  Microsoft Word , and  Adobe PDF  business plan templates. Read our articles offering  startup business plan templates  or  free 30-60-90-day business plan templates  to find more tailored options.

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When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

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Print Shop Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Print Shop Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their print shop companies.

If you’re unfamiliar with creating a print shop business plan, you may think creating one will be a time-consuming and frustrating process. For most entrepreneurs it is, but for you, it won’t be since we’re here to help. We have the experience, resources, and knowledge to help you create a great business plan.

In this article, you will learn some background information on why business planning is important. Then, you will learn how to write a print shop business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What Is a Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your print shop business as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategies for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan

If you’re looking to start a print shop business or grow your existing print shop company, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your print shop business to improve your chances of success. Your print shop business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Print Shop Businesses

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for a print shop business are personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, and angel investors. When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to ensure that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for print shop companies.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for a print shop business.

If you want to start a print shop business or expand your current one, you need a business plan. The guide below details the necessary information for how to write each essential component of your print shop business plan.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your executive summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the kind of print shop business you are running and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a print shop business that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of print shop businesses?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan.

• Give a brief overview of the print shop industry.
• Discuss the type of print shop business you are operating.
• Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers.
• Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy. Identify the key members of your team.
• Offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Overview

In your company overview, you will detail the type of print shop business you are operating.

For example, you might specialize in one of the following types of print shop businesses:

• Digital printing : This type of printing is one of the most cost-effective and fast printing processes available today. Electronic files and digital images replace the need for paper, press set-up and ink, which helps reduce the carbon footprint on the earth.
• Offset lithography printing: Used for magazines, circulars, brochures and books, this type of print shop specializes in larger volumes and includes traditional methods of binding.
• Screen printing: Any material that is not flat is a candidate for screen printing: shirts, hats, fabric bags, etc. Screen printing forces ink through a screening process that is replicated onto fabric or other materials used.
• 3D printing: This type of printing is performed through design, initiated by a computer program, followed by the print process in a 3D printer. The 3D printer is calibrated and outfitted with special plastics to fulfill the specifications of the 3D computer program.

In addition to explaining the type of print shop business you will operate, the company overview needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of printing projects completed, the amount of revenue earned, or reaching X number of clients served, etc.
• Your legal business Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry or market analysis, you need to provide an overview of the print shop industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the print shop industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your marketing strategy, particularly if your analysis identifies market trends.

The third reason is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your print shop business plan:

• How big is the print shop industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential target market for your print shop business? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your print shop business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: individuals, schools, charitable organizations, corporations, and innovators.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of print shop business you operate. Clearly, individuals would respond to different marketing promotions than corporations, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, including a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the potential customers you seek to serve.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can recognize and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

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With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other print shop businesses.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t directly competing with your product or service. Stores that house copy machines or overseas service companies may be examples of indirect competitors. You will want to mention any direct competition, as well.

For each direct competitor, provide an overview of their business and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as

• What types of customers do they serve?
• What type of print shop business are they?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide bundled services including printing and binding?
• Will you offer large 3D printing projects that your competition doesn’t?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a print shop business plan, your marketing strategy should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of print shop company that you documented in your company overview. Then, detail the specific products or services you will be offering. For example, will you provide cover design, book layout and digital printing to create a niche service for authors?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your plan, you are presenting the products and/or services you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the site of your print shop company. Document where your company is situated and mention how the site will impact your success. For example, is your print shop business located in a busy retail district, a business district, a standalone office, or purely online? Discuss how your site might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your print shop marketing plan is where you will document how you will drive potential customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertise in local papers, radio stations and/or magazines
• Reach out to websites
• Distribute flyers
• Engage in email marketing
• Advertise on social media platforms
• Improve the SEO (search engine optimization) on your website for targeted keywords

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your print shop business, including answering calls, planning and providing printed items or 3D printed items, billing customers and assisting with maintenance of equipment, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to book your Xth print project , or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your print shop business to a new city.

Management Team

To demonstrate your print shop business’ potential to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing print shop businesses. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in managing a print shop business or successfully running a small co-op of screen printers.

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenue and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you see 5 new customers per day, and/or offer discounted packaged pricing? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your print shop business, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a lender writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and ensure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

When creating your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a print shop business:

• Cost of equipment and office supplies
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Other start-up expenses (if you’re a new business) like legal expenses, permits, computer software, and equipment

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your office location lease or a list of corporations on a monthly printing contract.

Writing a business plan for your print shop business is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will understand the print shop industry, your competition, and your customers. You will develop a marketing strategy and will understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful print shop business.

Print Shop Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my print shop business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily write your print shop business plan.

How Do You Start a Print Shop Business?

Starting a Print Shop business is easy with these 14 steps:

• Choose the Name for Your Print Shop Business
• Create Your Print Shop Business Plan
• Choose the Legal Structure for Your Print Shop Business
• Secure Startup Funding for Your Print Shop Business (If Needed)
• Secure a Location for Your Business
• Register Your Print Shop Business with the IRS
• Open a Business Bank Account
• Get a Business Credit Card
• Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits
• Get Business Insurance for Your Print Shop Business
• Buy or Lease the Right Print Shop Business Equipment
• Develop Your Print Shop Business Marketing Materials
• Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your Print Shop Business
• Open for Business

Where Can I Download a Free Business Plan Template PDF?

Click here to download the pdf version of our basic business plan template.

Our free business plan template pdf allows you to see the key sections to complete in your plan and the key questions that each must answer. The business plan pdf will definitely get you started in the right direction.

We do offer a premium version of our business plan template. Click here to learn more about it. The premium version includes numerous features allowing you to quickly and easily create a professional business plan. Its most touted feature is its financial projections template which allows you to simply enter your estimated sales and growth rates, and it automatically calculates your complete five-year financial projections including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. Here’s the link to our Ultimate Business Plan Template.

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your Print Shop business plan?

OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.  

Click here to see how a Growthink business plan writer can create your business plan for you.

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

Print Shop Business Plan Template [Updated 2024]

Print Shop Business Plan Template

If you want to start a print shop or expand your current printing business, you need a business plan.

The following Print Shop business plan template gives you the key elements to include in a winning printing company business plan. In addition to this template, a solid plan will also include market research to help you better understand the printing industry, your competitive advantage and your specific target market. It will also help you prepare your marketing strategy and financial statements.

You can download our Ultimate Business Plan Template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.

Example Business Plan For Print Shops

Below are links to each of the key sections of a sample business plan for successful print shop businesses.

I. Executive Summary – The Executive Summary provides an overview of your business opportunity and summarizes the business plan.

II. Company Overview – The company overview includes information about your business concept, print shop services and legal structure.

III. Industry Analysis – The industry analysis includes market research that supports your business and provides insights into market trends and print shop industry data on all print shop services including digital printing, lithography printing, screen printing and

IV. Customer Analysis – The market analysis provides an overview of your target markets and customer segments.

You can download our business plan template (including a full, customizable financial model) to your computer here.

V. Competitive Analysis – The competitive analysis should identify your direct and indirect competitors and their printing services. It should also highlight your competitive edge and unique value proposition.

VI. Marketing Plan – The marketing plan includes your marketing strategy, sales strategy, pricing strategy and search engine optimization plan.

VII. Operations Plan – The Operations Plan includes information on your company’s day to day operations and processes.

VIII. Management Team – The management team section includes a profile of the business owner and business management, their experience and company responsibilities.

IX. Financial Plan – The financial plan includes financial projections, a cash flow statement, profit and loss statement and balance sheet.

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Print Shop Business Plan Home I. Executive Summary II. Company Overview III. Industry Analysis IV. Customer Analysis V. Competitive Analysis VI. Marketing Plan VII. Operations Plan VIII. Management Team IX. Financial Plan