Most business plans are overcomplicated, overlong, and never read after they're written. I've seen 40-page plans from small businesses that were genuinely launching with no funding and no staff. Complete waste of time.
Here's a different approach: a business plan on two pages that you'll actually use.
Why Most Business Plans Fail
Traditional business plan templates come from the world of venture capital and bank lending — contexts where a detailed plan makes sense. For most small businesses and startups, that template is completely wrong.
What you actually need is clarity on four things: what you're doing, who it's for, how you'll make money, and what you need to start. Everything else is noise — at least in the beginning.
The Two-Page Business Plan
Here's the framework I use with clients. It fits on two sides of A4 and covers everything that matters.
Page 1: The Business
What you do (1–2 sentences): Not the mission statement, not the vision — just what you actually do. "We provide digital marketing services to local restaurants and food businesses in Cheshire."
Who it's for: Describe your ideal customer in specific terms. Not "small business owners" — "restaurant owners in Cheshire with 2–10 staff who want more bookings without managing marketing themselves."
The problem you solve: What specific frustration or challenge does your customer have that you fix? The more specific, the better.
How you're different: Why would someone choose you over the alternatives? Not "we're better" — be specific. Local knowledge, faster delivery, specialised expertise, a different price point.
Page 2: The Numbers
Revenue model: How do you make money? Per job, monthly retainer, product sales? List your main income streams.
Pricing: What do you charge? What does one customer pay you on average?
Monthly targets: How many customers/clients/sales do you need to hit breakeven? To make a profit you can live on?
Start-up costs: What do you need to spend to launch? List it all honestly.
First 90-day plan: What are the 3–5 specific actions you'll take in the first 90 days? Not goals — actions. "Build website. Contact 20 restaurants. Attend 2 local networking events."
The Questions That Matter Most
When I sit with a new client to plan their business, I always ask these questions:
- Who will be your first five customers, and how specifically will you find them?
- What happens if your first idea doesn't work — what's your pivot?
- How long can you survive financially without income? (This determines how fast you need to move)
- What's your unfair advantage? (What do you know or have that competitors don't?)
When to Build a Longer Plan
If you're applying for a bank loan, grant, or investor funding — yes, you'll need a more detailed plan with financial projections. In that case, use the two-page version as your foundation, then expand the financial section with 3-year projections and market data.
For everyone else: keep it simple, keep it honest, and keep it actionable. A business plan you actually use is worth a hundred you file and forget.
One Final Thing
Your plan will be wrong. Almost all plans are. Markets change, customers surprise you, ideas evolve. The value of planning isn't having a perfect plan — it's the clarity and discipline that the planning process forces on you. Write it. Test it. Update it.
If you'd like help building yours, I offer business planning sessions as part of my coaching — book a free call and we'll work through it together.