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- Best Business Plan Software Tools 1. Starting with number 5, we have the PlanGuru, best known for financial planning and budgeting. Christian Wiegler founded PlanGuru in 2013. This business plan software has the strongest financial features, ranging from budgeting to forecasting.
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Besides that Enloop is a good free business plan software, its premium plans are suitable for companies on a budget that looking for cheap and low-cost solutions. StratPad is one of the best cloud-based business plan software solutions to help small to mid-sized businesses. In addition to that, it is one of the top business plan apps available for the iPad, recognisedized by Entrepreneur and Forbes.
A new business generally needs two things. First, it needs a reason to exist. What are you going to bring to the marketplace that no one else is providing or how are you going to provide an existing product in a “better” fashion? Second, you’re going to need some cash. Even if you’re just going to be making websites in your bedroom, you’ll need some money for internet access, food, and some software or hosting.
These two problems can both be addressed through a solid business plan.
A business plan tells you – and anyone you decide to share it with – what your core function is. It helps you focus in on the things that you do best and it gives you metrics to determine what your success looks like. I say, “It gives you,” but really it’s just a template for managing your own thoughts.
In the same way that a blueprint is the physical manifestation of a building plan, a business plan is the physical manifestation of your business goals. Could you build a house without drawing up a blueprint? Sure. Is it a super good idea that we’re all about to adopt? Not even close.
In addition to putting your own thoughts on paper and making the organization process more structured, a good business plan is also your pitch. When you go into the bank, you’re going in with a clear message about what you do, who buys it, and how much you’re expecting them to spend with you over time.
The forecasting and economic consolidation that happens in your business plan makes talking to the bank – or VC or neighbor or rich uncle – that much easier.
To help you pull a plan together, there are – of course – plenty of software solutions. These range from the simple to the complex. You can opt for a solution that basically just lays the material you create out or one that helps you with every step of the process.
Today, we’ll look a few free business plan software options to help get you started. I’ll also give you a few non-software solutions, just in case you want to get your hands a bit dirty.
Note: Your hands may not get dirty, except in a metaphorical sense. Much depends on the type of pen you employ.
Free business plan software options
1. StratPad
StratPad is a cloud-based business plan software solution. There are a few different versions, depending on how many business plans you want to make, but for one plan, you can get a free account. As an additional little bonus, if you happen to teach business at a high school or university, StratCloud has a free version of its Unlimited offering.
That little bonus points to what StratCoud is really all about. The company provides workshops, videos, and educational blogs for entrepreneurs. It makes the bulk of its revenue not through subscriptions, but through the introductions it provides via StratPad Connect.
There, business coaches, accountants, and other professionals can connect with new businesses. Those leads generate a small fee from the professional, paid to StratPad. You’re not paying, so you’re the product – but it’s a pretty tame version of the old adage.
StratPad comes with follow along instructions and ends up generating a very clean and classic looking business plan. I like the layout of the system and I’m apparently not the only one. StratPad claims over 100,000 businesses are currently using its service.
2. Enloop
Enloop is another free option for those seeking a single business plan. The company attempts to bring a little bit of credibility with its offering by scoring your business plan. Once it’s been scored, bankers or investors can look to see how well you did.
The score encompasses some basics like cash flow and growth. It updates as you update the document, so you can see what metrics are having the biggest – in Enloop’s mind – impact on your business’s viability. Sharing the actual score is only available to paid users.
Enloop also makes it easy to collaborate on plans, and the free version of the service gives you one additional user. You’ll be able to forecast up to 36 months out for financials, and all of it can be dropped into a PDF.
3. Plan Cruncher
This is my wildcard entry into the mix. Plan Cruncher isn’t really a business plan software. Instead, it takes the information you give it and generates a sort of elevator pitch/cover letter for your business plan.
When you’ve input all the details, you’ll end up with a one-page overview of the business, including what you’re going to do, who’s involved in the project, where you are in the funding process, and what you’re looking for next.
I like this for two reasons. First, it’s kinda fun. The final product is covered in these little logos that Plan Cruncher has come up with, so you get a nice visual view of the business. Second, it makes you summarize the whole thing. You’ll be entering details in 140 character boxes and chopping your offering down into small consumable chunks. This is a great way to determine what the core parts of your business really are.
Plan Cruncher has just the one version. It’s free and you end up with a nice PDF when it’s all said and done. That being said, it is 100 percent focused on tech startups looking for cash from investors. If you roll into the bank with this thing, it better be because you’re the founder of Plan Cruncher and you brought it along to demonstrate what the service does. No banker is going to care about this.
Non-software options for business plan creation
Software doesn’t always have to be the solution. I mean, sure, you’ll need some software to make any business plan, but we’re talking about Microsoft Office style programs. These resources are excellent alternatives to software.
The SBA wants you to succeed in business and it’s got a whole host of resources to help you generate your own business plan on its website. One of the things you’ll miss out on by using software is a solid education.
By building your own plan, you’ll be forced to learn how the whole thing works, what investors are looking for, and what all the terms means. You’ll be forecasting and analyzing before you know it. The SBA has a great set of instructions on how to get up to speed before you head down to your bank.
Speaking of which…
Many major banks have free business planning tools to help you get started. On the Wells Fargo site, for instance, you can learn about how business plans work, use some tools to bring the whole thing together, and even do some competitive analysis.
As a major benefit, you’ll be working with the company that you’re going to be asking for money, right out of the gates. If you don’t like your bank’s offering, you can always find another bank that has better tools. Most of them are available without an account.
Another SBA shout out. The SCORE network hooks successful business folk up with the next crop of winners. You can reach out to knowledgeable, local, mentors who can help you craft a business plan. These people are there to help and to make business better.
That means 1) there’s not a cost associated with reaching out and 2) they’re not going to do your homework. If you show up with all your research and a good start, a mentor can help you put some finishing touches on or send you in search of more details. If you show up with nothing, expect to get nothing in return.
That’s probably a little unfair. I’m sure you can get help finding your way if you haven’t kicked things off yet. Just don’t expect to drop off your bank records and walk out with a plan that they’ve drawn up for you.
We’ll end on another quirky one. The BMC was developed by Swiss business consultant Alexander Osterwalder. The BMC breaks a business into nine basic building blocks and then has you fill out all those blocks. The result is a sort of brainstorm of business planning that fits on a single page.
This is a popular framework for lean start-ups, as you can present the entirety of the plan in a single slide – with more detail than Plan Cruncher provides. If that sounds intriguing, check out Alexander Cowan’s overview of the BMC for more details on how it actually works.
Final thoughts
A business plan can help you understand and champion the growth of your business. Thinking through your business’s core functions and challenges can give you a better understanding of where you should be spending your time.
You’ll also be in a better position to get the funding you need, when you need it. Business planning may be the least exciting part of starting your business, but it’s one of the most important. If you’ve got any other tools or software options that you’ve used and loved, let me know in the comments.
From startups to established corporations, business plans lay the framework for a company's vision and its financial future. Drafting a business plan is a crucial step in the growth of any business. For small businesses looking to take steps toward funding, creating a business plan can be a daunting task. The required accounting and financial data required alone could result in youa business owner spending all yourhis or her time crunching numbers instead of guiding and growing yourthe business.
Different types of business software and services can help solve this problem. By using a software to guide you through the writing process, or investing in a service tothat taps into its extensive research network to write your business plan for you, you can savespend your time and spend your effort on other aspects of your business.
Pricing
Business plan writing software will generally be less expensive than an actual business plan writing service. Software price is structured as either a monthly fee or a one-time price. LivePlan, for example, is primarily web-based and can be purchased for a monthly fee of $19.95. Business Plan Pro is a desktop program and can be purchased for $159.95. Business plan services' costs will vary based on the features your business needs. These companiesy generally charge a writing fee, and then added features cost extra. Go Business Plans, for example, charges $1,500 for plan writing and $150- to $300 for review.
Negotiation Tips
The first big decision to consider is whether you want to draft your own plan or you outsource it to a third-party service. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, so consider the following when thinking about what's best for your business.
Time – Depending on how quickly you need your business plan, different services offer different turnaround times. This can range from 10 days to up to 6six weeks. The time it takes for revisions to be returned is important as well. Some companies can get them back within a week, while others can take up to two weeks. This can make creating your business plan a multi-week process. Business plan software puts your business plan in your own hands, so you are responsible for how long the writing process takes.
Resources – Each writing service andor software offers different resources. If your business is young and in need of guidance, some writing services offer consulting and other options to help your business grow. If your plan needs extensive research on things like market conditions, software offers access to research materials, while writing services have access to different databases.
Depth of service – Software and services canmay offer features for creating your plan. Services, for example, offer rush jobs, printing, design services and even sample plans for you to review before deciding whether to hire the company. Software offers more research-oriented resources, like business tips, investor information and market analysis. While these features are usually built into business plan writing services as well, research-oriented software allows the business owneryou to review and adjust research on yourtheir own.
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State of the Industry
The value of a business plan has been ais widely debated topic, as some companies have achieved success without laying out a firm framework laid out. Whether your business needs a business plan depends largely on your short-term goals as a company. For startups still finding their footing, it may be a bit too early to lay out a rigid plan that could end up constraining the company. If you're a business owner looking to map out your business's growth so you can secure investment, then you need a business plan. Data supports this, with statistics indicating that businesses with business plans are twice as likely to secure funding and subsequently grow their business. According to surveys, 64 percent of businesses that completed a plan experienced growth, while only 43 percent of businesses that didn't draft a plan experienced growth.
There are two main ways to build a business plan: either by using software or outsourcing to a plan writing service. Software is oriented to walk business owners through the plan writing process with setup wizards and questions about the business. In addition to word processing, business plan software includes powerful finance and accounting tools so you can crunch numbers quickly to create multi-year projections. This is a do-it-yourself business plan construction model.
Business plan writing services will, on the other hand, do all the heavy lifting for you. With turnaround times ranging from 10 days to a few weeks, services will review your company's data, conduct research and draft your plan. Once it's finished, there is usually a revision period where your company can review and propose edits to the plan.
Another perk of different types of business plan software and services is they provide extensive resources for your company to use as ityou drafts its your plan. Some services can source 16 different research databases in addition to conducting their own research to ensure that sections on the market and industry your business is entering are accurate. Others will provide independent consulting, edit an already existing plan and pair your business with experts to help you grow different areas of your business. These resources can be a big help with not only drafting a business plan, but also with establishing a company vision and framework.
Free Business Plan Templates
SCORE, a nonprofit association that helps foster startups by providing mentorship and planning tools, says that the value of completing a business plan is not the finished product, but rather the process.
'The act of planning helps you to think things through thoroughly, study and research if you are not sure of the facts, and look at your ideas critically. It takes time now, but avoids costly, perhaps disastrous, mistakes later,' the introduction to SCORE's business template says.
Having a clear picture about the purpose of your business, its goals, and how it will operate is critical not only for your understanding of these issues, but more importantly to get potential lenders and investors to buy in.
Thankfully, you don't have to go to business school—or hire someone who did—to create a business plan. You can download a free business plan template and customize it to your needs.
Where to Find Free Business Plan Templates
1. SCORE
The nonprofit business mentorship program offers free templates for both startup and established businesses, as well as planning tools for nonprofits. Their startup business plan is made up of a narrative along with financial worksheets. The template includes over 150 questions to establish the body of your business plan and can be answered in any order. The executive summary, however, should be completed last. The goal of this completed template is to provide you with a fluid narrative.
2. BPlans.com
This site offers a free, basic template to download. The BPlan free template offers an organized guideline to creating your business plan and takes you though the steps to get your business plan 'investor-ready and SBA-approved.' If that's not in-depth enough for you, then you can buy their Business Plan Pro software or use LivePlan, an online business plan creator with built-in formulas for financial planning, videos from experts and the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues.
3. Office.com
The Microsoft Office site offers a gallery of templates, including business plan checklists, financials, presentations and marketing. These templates are useful if you want a specific template, rather than a general business plan. In addition, there is a PPT for business presentations for when you are ready to showcase your business to potential investors.
4. Free-Plan
Offers a comprehensive Word-based document that contains a detailed framework for building your business plan, including sample text, tables and charts, as well as a manual with section-by-section assistance. Free-Plan is ideal for new and established businesses looking to expand and in need of a business plan for internal or external use. Their micro-plan is designed for startups and very small businesses.
5. U.S. Small Business Administration
This site allows you to fill out a template online, with instructions on what to include in each section. Next to each category, tips and examples are provided as an additional resource. After completing the template, you can generate your business plan and save it to your computer as a Word document.
6. VFinance.com
VFinance is a publicly traded company that uses their own personal knowledge of investment knowledge in creating a business plan template. With this site you can download a free business plan template targeted to your industry, plus you'll get $75 toward three months of professional posting of your plan for potential investors to view.
7. BizGym.com
This online business planner allows you to fill out a template on the site section by section, tracks your progress on the plan, and allows you to share the plan once its completed. BizGym's recent update offers a collaborative platform with multiple pricing options, including a free 'Inventor' plan. Through this application you can access resources such as a deck builder, budget builder and pivot plan.
Tips
Write your executive summary last, after you've done the work of researching and thinking about your business.
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Explain the fundamentals of your business in two pages or less. Make it enthusiastic, professional, complete and concise, advises SCORE.
If a section of the template doesn't apply to your business, don't worry about filling it out.
If you're having trouble filling out your template or have questions about creating a business plan, SCORE has mentors that can give you free advice in person or via e-mail. Or, look for feedback and advice from groups like the Small Business Network on LinkedIn.
As evidenced above, there are plenty of options for free business templates, so don't feel like you need to pay for one, unless you can't find a template that thoroughly addresses your needs. Software like Business Plan Pro or Plan Write Business Plannercan provide you with further customization and assistance.
In addition to completing a business plan checklist, look for a due diligence checklist from potential lenders or investors to make sure you have a better understanding of the types of information they need.
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Many sites, including Bplans.com, Entrepreneuer.com and toolkit.com, offer free samples of business plans categorized by the type of company for you study before starting your own.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, a good business plan is a living document that should be reviewed and updated regularly.
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Before getting bogged down in the details of business planning, make sure you have a clear vision and set of values for your company. This creates a road map for you to follow in the rest of your planning.