Business Planning and

Financing Management Series

Building Block 2

The Business Plan

and Executive Summary
Workbook Template

Company: <Enter your company name here>

Last updated: <Enter the last update date here>

Table of Contents
Why Write a Business Plan?...................................................................3
1. Gather All of the Information..............................................................3
2. Team Business Planning Workshop......................................................3
3. Writing the Business Plan...................................................................3
a. Executive summary........................................................................3
b. Problem definition..........................................................................3
c. Solution........................................................................................3
d. Business model.............................................................................3
e. Product and technology..................................................................3
f. Marketing and sales........................................................................3
g. External environment and competition..............................................4
h. Management team.........................................................................4
i. Financial projections and key metrics.................................................4
j. Current status, use of proceeds and milestones..................................4
k. Risk analysis.................................................................................6
Writing the Executive Summary..............................................................6

Business Planning and Financing Management Series

Building Block 2: The Business Plan and Executive Summary

Why Write a Business Plan?

1. Gather All of the Information
<No work required in this section>

2. Team Business Planning Workshop

<No work required in this section>

3. Writing the Business Plan

a. Executive summary
<Refer to the end of this document for the activities associated with this section>

b. Problem definition
<Write the problem definition for your venture>

c. Solution
<Write the solution for your venture>

d. Business model
<Describe your business model. If you have a diagram or chart that illustrates
your business model, include it here>

e. Product and technology

<Describe your product and technology>

f. Marketing and sales

<Describe your go-to-market strategy. Cover all relevant points from the list in
the workbook>

Business Planning and Financing Management Series

Building Block 2: The Business Plan and Executive Summary

g. External environment and competition

<Summarize the external environment and competition in your marketplace>
<Insert here your PEST analysis previously completed in Market Strategy
Development Workbook 1: The Analytical Foundation>
<Complete the competitive matrix below>
Feature
Feature 1
Feature 2
Feature 3

Your Company

Competitor #1

Competitor #2

h. Management team
<Write an introductory paragraph for each management team member that
captures the key points discussed in the workbook. Include biographies and CVs
in the appendices to the business plan>

i. Financial projections and key metrics

<Include the income statement, balance sheet and cash flow prepared by your
accounting professional>

j. Current status, use of proceeds and milestones

<List your sources of funding in the following table>
Source of funding

Existing financing
($ amount)

Projected financing
($ amount)

Investment by principals
Equity investments by angel
investors
Equity investments by VCs
Debt financing
Cash flow from operations

Total funds

Business Planning and Financing Management Series

Building Block 2: The Business Plan and Executive Summary

<List your use of proceeds to date in the following table. The proceeds should
align with your financial statements>
Use of Proceeds
Sales and marketing
Research and development
Recruiting costs and salaries of new hires
Equipment
Capital expenses (e.g., office build-out)
Legal and accounting

$ Amount

Total uses

<Build a financing milestones diagram using the following template. You may find it
more convenient to draw it on a whiteboard with other members of the management
team and then make a clean PowerPoint version to include in your business plan>

Business Planning and Financing Management Series

Building Block 2: The Business Plan and Executive Summary

k. Risk analysis
<List the critical success factors for your venture>
<Complete the following risk template. Include any relevant risks not listed in the
table>
Type of Risk
Product Risk
Market Adoption Risk
Market Size Risk
Market Timing Risk
Competitive Risk
Financing Risk
Execution Risk

Risk

Mitigating Strategy

Writing the Executive Summary

<Write your executive summary. Provide your draft to a few close advisors for
review>

Business Planning and Financing Management Series

Building Block 2: The Business Plan and Executive Summary