Here's a comprehensive, investor-ready startup business plan template broken into actionable sections. You can copy this structure into Google Docs/Notion and fill in the brackets.

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[Your Company Name] Business Plan

Prepared: [Date] | Confidentiality: Private
Stage: [Pre-seed/Seed/Series A] | Seeking: $[Amount] [Equity/Debt/Grant]

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1. Executive Summary

Write this LAST. One page maximum. This is your elevator pitch in document form.

The Opportunity: [What painful problem are you solving?]
The Solution: [Your product/service in 1 sentence]
The Market: [$X billion market, growing at Y% annually]
Traction: [Current metrics: users, revenue, growth rate, LOIs]
The Ask: [Funding amount and runway extension]
Team: [Why are you the ones to build this?]

Action Item: If you can't explain this section in 60 seconds, simplify your message.

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2. Company Overview

Mission Statement: [The "why" that drives you]
Vision: [The world 10 years from now if you succeed]
Legal Structure: [C-Corp, LLC, etc.]
Location: [HQ and remote policy]
Stage of Development: [Concept/MVP/Growth/Scale]

Key Milestones Achieved:

• [Date]: [Specific achievement with metrics]
• [Date]: [Next milestone you're targeting]

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3. Market Analysis

Investors invest in markets first, teams second.

Target Market

Total Addressable Market (TAM): [$X - Everyone who could theoretically buy] **Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM):** [$Y - Who you can reach with current model]
Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM): [$Z - Realistic 5-year capture: 3-5% of SAM]

Customer Profile (ICP)

Demographics: [Age, income, job title, company size]
Psychographics: [Pain level 1-10, current workarounds, buying triggers]
User Persona: "[Name], the [Role], struggles with [Specific scenario]"

Competitive Landscape

Moat Strategy: [Network effects? Proprietary tech? Switching costs?]

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4. Product/Service Line

Core Offering: [Describe features, not benefits first, then translate to outcomes]
Technology Stack: [For tech startups: frontend, backend, infrastructure]
IP Protection: [Patents filed, trademarks, trade secrets]

Product Roadmap:

• Now: [Current capability]
• Q[X]: [Next feature and why customers want it]
• Year 2: [Platform play/expansion]

Pricing Strategy:

• Model: [SaaS subscription/Transaction fee/Freemium/Enterprise]
• Unit Economics: CAC $[X], LTV$[Y], Payback period [Z months]

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5. Go-to-Market Strategy

How you get customers before running out of money.

Acquisition Channels (Pick 2-3 max initially)

1. [Channel]: [Tactic] → Expected CAC: $[X], Volume: [Y]/month
2. [Channel]: [Tactic] → Expected CAC: $[X], Volume: [Y]/month

Sales Process

B2B: [Outbound → Demo → Pilot → Contract length]
B2C: [Ad → Landing page → Trial → Conversion %]

Partnerships

• [Strategic partner who lends credibility]
• [Distribution partner for scale]

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6. Operations & Team

Founding Team:

• [Name], CEO: [Previous exit/relevant experience]
• [Name], CTO: [Technical background]
• [Name], [Role]: [Specific expertise gap filled]

Advisory Board: [Industry experts lending credibility]

Key Hires Needed (Next 12 Months):

1. [Role] - [Timing] - [Cost]
2. [Role] - [Timing] - [Cost]

Location & Facilities: [Office/co-working/remote infrastructure]

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7. Financial Plan

3-year projections minimum. Be conservative with revenue, generous with expenses.

Revenue Model

Year 1: $[X] ([N] customers ×$[Price] × [Frequency])
Year 2: $[Y] (Growth assumption: [Z**Year 3:**$[W]

Startup Costs (One-time)

Monthly Burn & Runway

Current Burn: $[X]/month **Post-Funding Burn:**$[Y]/month
Runway: [Z] months until next round/break-even

Key Metrics Dashboard

• CAC: $[X]
• LTV: $[Y] (Target: LTV/CAC > 3x)
• Monthly Churn: [Z%] (Target: <5% for early stage)
• Gross Margin: [X%]

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8. Funding Requirements

Amount Sought: $[X] on a [Pre-money valuation of$Y]
Instrument: [SAFE/Convertible Note/Equity]
Use of Funds:

• [40%] Product development/engineering
• [30%] Sales & marketing
• [20%] Operations/team
• [10%] Buffer/contingency

Milestones this round achieves: [Metric that unlocks Series A]

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9. Risk Analysis & Mitigation

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10. Appendix

• Technical architecture diagrams
• Letters of Intent from customers
• Detailed financial models (Excel)
• Founder resumes
• Market research sources

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Immediate Next Steps for You:

1. Start with Section 3 (Market Analysis) - If the market isn't big enough or growing, don't write the rest yet.
2. Validate assumptions - Interview 10 potential customers before finalizing Section 4.
3. Create the financial model - Use a template like eo.finance or Pry to make this interactive.

To customize this further for your specific situation, tell me:

• What industry/stage are you in? (Pre-revenue MVP vs. scaling?)
• Is this for internal planning, accelerator applications, or investor pitches?
• What's your biggest unknown right now? (Market size, unit economics, or go-to-market?)

I can then provide industry-specific examples for your financial projections or competitive analysis.

Writing a business plan can feel overwhelming, but it is the most critical step to moving from "idea" to "execution." This template is designed to be actionable—don't just read it; fill out each section with specific data and goals.

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Section 1: The Executive Summary

Do this last. It is a 1-2 page snapshot of the entire plan designed to hook investors or partners.

• The Hook: What is the one sentence that describes your business?
• The Problem: What specific pain point are you solving?
• The Solution: How does your product/service solve it?
• Key Ask: Are you looking for funding, partners, or a roadmap for yourself?

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Section 2: Company Overview & Problem Statement

Define what you are building and why it needs to exist right now.

• Mission Statement: Why does this company exist beyond making money?
• The Problem: Describe the "gap" in the market. Use data or anecdotes to prove people are struggling with this.
• Your Solution: Describe your product/service. Focus on benefits, not just features (e.g., "Saves users 5 hours a week" vs. "Has an automated dashboard").
• Action Item: Write down your "Value Proposition." Why should a customer choose you over a giant like Amazon or Google?

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Section 3: Market Analysis

Show that you know your customer and your competition.

• Target Audience: Create a "Buyer Persona." (Age, location, income, what keeps them up at night?)
• Market Size (TAM/SAM/SOM):
  • Total Addressable Market: Everyone who could ever use this.
  • Serviceable Obtainable Market: The portion of the market you can realistically capture in the next 2-3 years.
• Competitive Analysis: List your top 3 competitors. Identify one thing you do better than each of them (Price? Speed? Quality? Niche focus?).

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Section 4: Marketing & Sales Strategy

How will people find out you exist, and how will you close the deal?

• Acquisition Channels: Where will you find customers? (e.g., Instagram ads, LinkedIn outreach, SEO, Partnerships).
• Pricing Strategy: Are you a "budget" option, "premium/luxury," or "subscription-based"?
• Sales Process: From the moment a lead finds you, what are the steps to make them pay?
• Action Item: Choose one primary marketing channel to master first before trying to be everywhere at once.

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Section 5: Operational Plan

The "nuts and bolts" of how the business runs day-to-day.

• Technology Stack: What software do you need? (e.g., Shopify, Slack, CRM, AWS).
• Suppliers/Partners: Who are you relying on to deliver your product?
• Key Milestones: What are the 3 big goals for the next 6 months? (e.g., "Launch Beta," "Hire first salesperson," "Reach 100 paying customers").

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Section 6: Management & Team

Execution is everything. Why are you the right person to lead this?

• Founders: What is your unique "unfair advantage" in this industry?
• Advisors: Who is mentoring you or on your board?
• Hiring Plan: Who are the first three people you need to hire to scale?

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Section 7: Financial Plan

Investors skip straight to this section. Be realistic.

• Startup Costs: How much money do you need to get to Day 1?
• Revenue Model: Exactly how do you make money? (Unit sales, monthly fees, lead gen?)
• 12-Month Projection: Create a simple spreadsheet showing expected income vs. expenses.
• Break-even Point: How many units/subscriptions do you need to sell to stop losing money each month?

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How to Get Started Right Now

1. The "One-Page" Draft: Don't try to write 30 pages today. Fill out one bullet point for each section above in a single document.
2. Validate: Talk to 5 potential customers. Ask them if your "Solution" actually solves their "Problem."
3. Refine the Financials: Use a tool like Google Sheets to list every single monthly expense you can think of (hosting, coffee, insurance, software).

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To help me provide more specific guidance, I have a few questions for you:

1. What industry is your startup in (SaaS, E-commerce, Service-based, etc.)?
2. Are you writing this plan primarily for yourself (to stay organized) or for outside investors?
3. What is the biggest "unknown" or "fear" you currently have about your business model?