Free Financial Templates for a Business Plan

By Andy Marker | July 29, 2020

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In this article, we’ve rounded up expert-tested financial templates for your business plan, all of which are free to download in Excel, Google Sheets, and PDF formats.

Included on this page, you’ll find the essential financial statement templates, including income statement templates , cash flow statement templates , and balance sheet templates . Plus, we cover the key elements of the financial section of a business plan .

Financial Plan Templates

Download and prepare these financial plan templates to include in your business plan. Use historical data and future projections to produce an overview of the financial health of your organization to support your business plan and gain buy-in from stakeholders

Business Financial Plan Template

Business Financial Plan Template

Use this financial plan template to organize and prepare the financial section of your business plan. This customizable template has room to provide a financial overview, any important assumptions, key financial indicators and ratios, a break-even analysis, and pro forma financial statements to share key financial data with potential investors.

Download Financial Plan Template

Word | PDF | Smartsheet

Financial Plan Projections Template for Startups

Startup Financial Projections Template

This financial plan projections template comes as a set of pro forma templates designed to help startups. The template set includes a 12-month profit and loss statement, a balance sheet, and a cash flow statement for you to detail the current and projected financial position of a business.

‌ Download Startup Financial Projections Template

Excel | Smartsheet

Income Statement Templates for Business Plan

Also called profit and loss statements , these income statement templates will empower you to make critical business decisions by providing insight into your company, as well as illustrating the projected profitability associated with business activities. The numbers prepared in your income statement directly influence the cash flow and balance sheet forecasts.

Pro Forma Income Statement/Profit and Loss Sample

small business financial plan template

Use this pro forma income statement template to project income and expenses over a three-year time period. Pro forma income statements consider historical or market analysis data to calculate the estimated sales, cost of sales, profits, and more.

‌ Download Pro Forma Income Statement Sample - Excel

Small Business Profit and Loss Statement

Small Business Profit and Loss Template

Small businesses can use this simple profit and loss statement template to project income and expenses for a specific time period. Enter expected income, cost of goods sold, and business expenses, and the built-in formulas will automatically calculate the net income.

‌ Download Small Business Profit and Loss Template - Excel

3-Year Income Statement Template

3 Year Income Statement Template

Use this income statement template to calculate and assess the profit and loss generated by your business over three years. This template provides room to enter revenue and expenses associated with operating your business and allows you to track performance over time.

Download 3-Year Income Statement Template

For additional resources, including how to use profit and loss statements, visit “ Download Free Profit and Loss Templates .”

Cash Flow Statement Templates for Business Plan

Use these free cash flow statement templates to convey how efficiently your company manages the inflow and outflow of money. Use a cash flow statement to analyze the availability of liquid assets and your company’s ability to grow and sustain itself long term.

Simple Cash Flow Template

small business financial plan template

Use this basic cash flow template to compare your business cash flows against different time periods. Enter the beginning balance of cash on hand, and then detail itemized cash receipts, payments, costs of goods sold, and expenses. Once you enter those values, the built-in formulas will calculate total cash payments, net cash change, and the month ending cash position.

Download Simple Cash Flow Template

12-Month Cash Flow Forecast Template

small business financial plan template

Use this cash flow forecast template, also called a pro forma cash flow template, to track and compare expected and actual cash flow outcomes on a monthly and yearly basis. Enter the cash on hand at the beginning of each month, and then add the cash receipts (from customers, issuance of stock, and other operations). Finally, add the cash paid out (purchases made, wage expenses, and other cash outflow). Once you enter those values, the built-in formulas will calculate your cash position for each month with.

‌ Download 12-Month Cash Flow Forecast

3-Year Cash Flow Statement Template Set

3 Year Cash Flow Statement Template

Use this cash flow statement template set to analyze the amount of cash your company has compared to its expenses and liabilities. This template set contains a tab to create a monthly cash flow statement, a yearly cash flow statement, and a three-year cash flow statement to track cash flow for the operating, investing, and financing activities of your business.

Download 3-Year Cash Flow Statement Template

For additional information on managing your cash flow, including how to create a cash flow forecast, visit “ Free Cash Flow Statement Templates .”

Balance Sheet Templates for a Business Plan

Use these free balance sheet templates to convey the financial position of your business during a specific time period to potential investors and stakeholders.

Small Business Pro Forma Balance Sheet

small business financial plan template

Small businesses can use this pro forma balance sheet template to project account balances for assets, liabilities, and equity for a designated period. Established businesses can use this template (and its built-in formulas) to calculate key financial ratios, including working capital.

Download Pro Forma Balance Sheet Template

Monthly and Quarterly Balance Sheet Template

small business financial plan template

Use this balance sheet template to evaluate your company’s financial health on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. You can also use this template to project your financial position for a specified time in the future. Once you complete the balance sheet, you can compare and analyze your assets, liabilities, and equity on a quarter-over-quarter or year-over-year basis.

Download Monthly/Quarterly Balance Sheet Template - Excel

Yearly Balance Sheet Template

small business financial plan template

Use this balance sheet template to compare your company’s short and long-term assets, liabilities, and equity year-over-year. This template also provides calculations for common financial ratios with built-in formulas, so you can use it to evaluate account balances annually.

Download Yearly Balance Sheet Template - Excel

For more downloadable resources for a wide range of organizations, visit “ Free Balance Sheet Templates .”

Sales Forecast Templates for Business Plan

Sales projections are a fundamental part of a business plan, and should support all other components of your plan, including your market analysis, product offerings, and marketing plan . Use these sales forecast templates to estimate future sales, and ensure the numbers align with the sales numbers provided in your income statement.

Basic Sales Forecast Sample Template

Basic Sales Forecast Template

Use this basic forecast template to project the sales of a specific product. Gather historical and industry sales data to generate monthly and yearly estimates of the number of units sold and the price per unit. Then, the pre-built formulas will calculate percentages automatically. You’ll also find details about which months provide the highest sales percentage, and the percentage change in sales month-over-month. 

Download Basic Sales Forecast Sample Template

12-Month Sales Forecast Template for Multiple Products

small business financial plan template

Use this sales forecast template to project the future sales of a business across multiple products or services over the course of a year. Enter your estimated monthly sales, and the built-in formulas will calculate annual totals. There is also space to record and track year-over-year sales, so you can pinpoint sales trends.

Download 12-Month Sales Forecasting Template for Multiple Products

3-Year Sales Forecast Template for Multiple Products

3 Year Sales Forecast Template

Use this sales forecast template to estimate the monthly and yearly sales for multiple products over a three-year period. Enter the monthly units sold, unit costs, and unit price. Once you enter those values, built-in formulas will automatically calculate revenue, margin per unit, and gross profit. This template also provides bar charts and line graphs to visually display sales and gross profit year over year.

Download 3-Year Sales Forecast Template - Excel

For a wider selection of resources to project your sales, visit “ Free Sales Forecasting Templates .”

Break-Even Analysis Template for Business Plan

A break-even analysis will help you ascertain the point at which a business, product, or service will become profitable. This analysis uses a calculation to pinpoint the number of service or unit sales you need to make to cover costs and make a profit.

Break-Even Analysis Template

Break Even Analysis

Use this break-even analysis template to calculate the number of sales needed to become profitable. Enter the product's selling price at the top of the template, and then add the fixed and variable costs. Once you enter those values, the built-in formulas will calculate the total variable cost, the contribution margin, and break-even units and sales values.

Download Break-Even Analysis Template

For additional resources, visit, “ Free Financial Planning Templates .”

Business Budget Templates for Business Plan

These business budget templates will help you track costs (e.g., fixed and variable) and expenses (e.g., one-time and recurring) associated with starting and running a business. Having a detailed budget enables you to make sound strategic decisions, and should align with the expense values listed on your income statement.

Startup Budget Template

small business financial plan template

Use this startup budget template to track estimated and actual costs and expenses for various business categories, including administrative, marketing, labor, and other office costs. There is also room to provide funding estimates from investors, banks, and other sources to get a detailed view of the resources you need to start and operate your business.

Download Startup Budget Template

Small Business Budget Template

small business financial plan template

This business budget template is ideal for small businesses that want to record estimated revenue and expenditures on a monthly and yearly basis. This customizable template comes with a tab to list income, expenses, and a cash flow recording to track cash transactions and balances.

Download Small Business Budget Template

Professional Business Budget Template

small business financial plan template

Established organizations will appreciate this customizable business budget template, which  contains a separate tab to track projected business expenses, actual business expenses, variances, and an expense analysis. Once you enter projected and actual expenses, the built-in formulas will automatically calculate expense variances and populate the included visual charts. 

‌ Download Professional Business Budget Template

For additional resources to plan and track your business costs and expenses, visit “ Free Business Budget Templates for Any Company .”

Other Financial Templates for Business Plan

In this section, you’ll find additional financial templates that you may want to include as part of your larger business plan.

Startup Funding Requirements Template

Startup Funding Requirements Template

This simple startup funding requirements template is useful for startups and small businesses that require funding to get business off the ground. The numbers generated in this template should align with those in your financial projections, and should detail the allocation of acquired capital to various startup expenses.

Download Startup Funding Requirements Template - Excel

Personnel Plan Template

Personnel Plan Template

Use this customizable personnel plan template to map out the current and future staff needed to get — and keep — the business running. This information belongs in the personnel section of a business plan, and details the job title, amount of pay, and hiring timeline for each position. This template calculates the monthly and yearly expenses associated with each role using built-in formulas. Additionally, you can add an organizational chart to provide a visual overview of the company’s structure. 

Download Personnel Plan Template - Excel

Elements of the Financial Section of a Business Plan

Whether your organization is a startup, a small business, or an enterprise, the financial plan is the cornerstone of any business plan. The financial section should demonstrate the feasibility and profitability of your idea and should support all other aspects of the business plan. 

Below, you’ll find a quick overview of the components of a solid financial plan.

  • Financial Overview: This section provides a brief summary of the financial section, and includes key takeaways of the financial statements. If you prefer, you can also add a brief description of each statement in the respective statement’s section.
  • Key Assumptions: This component details the basis for your financial projections, including tax and interest rates, economic climate, and other critical, underlying factors.
  • Break-Even Analysis: This calculation helps establish the selling price of a product or service, and determines when a product or service should become profitable.
  • Pro Forma Income Statement: Also known as a profit and loss statement, this section details the sales, cost of sales, profitability, and other vital financial information to stakeholders.
  • Pro Forma Cash Flow Statement: This area outlines the projected cash inflows and outflows the business expects to generate from operating, financing, and investing activities during a specific timeframe.
  • Pro Forma Balance Sheet: This document conveys how your business plans to manage assets, including receivables and inventory.
  • Key Financial Indicators and Ratios: In this section, highlight key financial indicators and ratios extracted from financial statements that bankers, analysts, and investors can use to evaluate the financial health and position of your business.

Need help putting together the rest of your business plan? Check out our free simple business plan templates to get started. You can learn how to write a successful simple business plan  here . 

Visit this  free non-profit business plan template roundup  or download a  fill-in-the-blank business plan template  to make things easy. 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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How to Write a Small Business Financial Plan

Stairs leading up to a dollar sign. Represents creating a financial plan to achieve profitability.

Noah Parsons

3 min. read

Updated January 3, 2024

Creating a financial plan is often the most intimidating part of writing a business plan. It’s also one of the most vital. Businesses with well-structured and accurate financial statements in place are more prepared to pitch to investors, receive funding, and achieve long-term success.

Thankfully, you don’t need an accounting degree to successfully put your budget and forecasts together. Here is everything you need to include in your financial plan along with optional performance metrics, specifics for funding, and free templates.

  • Key components of a financial plan

A sound financial plan is made up of six key components that help you easily track and forecast your business financials. They include your:

Sales forecast

What do you expect to sell in a given period? Segment and organize your sales projections with a personalized sales forecast based on your business type.

Subscription sales forecast

While not too different from traditional sales forecasts—there are a few specific terms and calculations you’ll need to know when forecasting sales for a subscription-based business.

Expense budget

Create, review, and revise your expense budget to keep your business on track and more easily predict future expenses.

How to forecast personnel costs

How much do your current, and future, employees’ pay, taxes, and benefits cost your business? Find out by forecasting your personnel costs.

Profit and loss forecast

Track how you make money and how much you spend by listing all of your revenue streams and expenses in your profit and loss statement.

Cash flow forecast

Manage and create projections for the inflow and outflow of cash by building a cash flow statement and forecast.

Balance sheet

Need a snapshot of your business’s financial position? Keep an eye on your assets, liabilities, and equity within the balance sheet.

What to include if you plan to pursue funding

Do you plan to pursue any form of funding or financing? If the answer is yes, then there are a few additional pieces of information that you’ll need to include as part of your financial plan.

Highlight any risks and assumptions

Every entrepreneur takes risks with the biggest being assumptions and guesses about the future. Just be sure to track and address these unknowns in your plan early on.

Plan your exit strategy

Investors will want to know your long-term plans as a business owner. While you don’t need to have all the details, it’s worth taking the time to think through how you eventually plan to leave your business.

  • Financial ratios and metrics

With all of your financial statements and forecasts in place, you have all the numbers needed to calculate insightful financial ratios. While these metrics are entirely optional to include in your plan, having them easily accessible can be valuable for tracking your performance and overall financial situation.

Common business ratios

Unsure of which business ratios you should be using? Check out this list of key financial ratios that bankers, financial analysts, and investors will want to see.

Break-even analysis

Do you want to know when you’ll become profitable? Find out how much you need to sell to offset your production costs by conducting a break-even analysis.

How to calculate ROI

How much could a business decision be worth? Evaluate the efficiency or profitability by calculating the potential return on investment (ROI).

  • Financial plan templates and tools

Download and use these free financial templates and calculators to easily create your own financial plan.

small business financial plan template

Sales forecast template

Download a free detailed sales forecast spreadsheet, with built-in formulas, to easily estimate your first full year of monthly sales.

Download Template

small business financial plan template

Accurate and easy financial forecasting

Get a full financial picture of your business with LivePlan's simple financial management tools.

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Content Author: Noah Parsons

Noah is the COO at Palo Alto Software, makers of the online business plan app LivePlan. He started his career at Yahoo! and then helped start the user review site Epinions.com. From there he started a software distribution business in the UK before coming to Palo Alto Software to run the marketing and product teams.

small business financial plan template

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  • What to include for funding

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A business budget template is one of the most important tools you can use to run your small business. However, many small-business owners skip this vital business management step.

The misconceptions surrounding budgeting are plenty. It seems complicated and time-consuming. But with a good business budget template, the process can be much less daunting.

An effective small-business budget template is a living document. Creating a budget and then forgetting about it is wasted effort. You must compare your actual numbers against your budgeted numbers regularly.

Therefore, your budget should be easy to access and adjust on an ongoing basis. But you don’t have to spend a lot of money on business budgeting software , if you don't want to. There are several free small-business budget templates available online.

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Why you need a business budget template

A business budget template is an essential tool for business owners who want to take care of their bottom line. Why should you invest in a smart template from the start?

Here's how a business budget template can set you up for success:

Track cash flow, expenses and revenue.

Prepare for regular business slowdowns.

Allocate your budget to the portions of your business that need capital most.

Plan for business investments and purchases.

Project all costs to starting and running your business.

Generally speaking, your business budget template can act as a business health scorecard if you invest in setting one up properly. Here's our list of the best budget templates available so you can do just that.

Capterra’s Free Small-Business Budget Template

The Capterra small-business budget template has been a fan favorite since it was published in 2015. In this one simple Excel workbook, you can create your monthly budget, your annual budget and then compare your actual numbers to your budgeted numbers. It also has a convenient overview sheet, which gives users access to their performance at a glance.

To help you through the process, Capterra has included a detailed Instructions tab, which walks you through how to use the template step by step. Start here to save yourself hours of time and frustration. As a bonus, there are several resources linked on the Instructions tab to help you create the perfect budget for your small business.

PDFConverter.com 15 Best Budgets

Rather than one bloated Excel workbook that tries to do everything, PDFConverter.com has compiled a library of 15 small-business budget templates.

These templates cover a wide range of budgeting needs, from a basic overview of your business income and expenses to marketing budget templates. The startup budget template is ideal for newbie entrepreneurs still in the planning stage of their businesses. And the cash flow template is perfect for identifying and plugging cash flow leaks.

Annual Business Budget in Google Sheets

Do you love all things Google? You can create a comprehensive budget for your small business right from Google Sheets. Simply navigate to your Sheets and then click on Template Gallery . Our friends at Intuit QuickBooks have created an annual business budget you can use for free.

To fully appreciate the power of the template, review the Summary tab after you have entered your budget figures. The tables and graphs on this tab offer a visual representation of your income and expenses, making it easy to see where you stand at a glance.

Microsoft Office Template

This beautiful template from Microsoft Office focuses exclusively on expenses, but it does that job exceptionally well. There are tabs for planned and actual expenses, a tab for automatically calculated variances between the two and an expense analysis tab complete with pie charts.

Your accounting software

While not a free template per se, you likely have a powerful budgeting tool available right inside your business accounting software . Though not as flexible as a separate template, there are many advantages to using the budgeting feature of your accounting software.

The budgeting feature in your accounting software will coincide with your chart of accounts. Depending on the software you use, you can create a budget to actual comparison reports with the click of a button, making analysis a cinch.

Some software programs even let you set multiple budget scenarios and have “cloning” features, which simplify the budgeting process after the first year.

Designing your budget

Now that you’ve chosen your business budget template, it’s time to start designing your budget. This is where many small-business owners procrastinate because people typically see budgeting as restrictive or punishing.

It's time to shift your perspective on budgeting. Most people start with income and tinker with their expense amounts until they arrive at a balanced or surplus budget. This method usually leads to unrealistic projections and ends in frustration.

Instead of a top-down approach, consider “reverse engineering” your budget by following these four simple steps:

Form your income projections and write those down outside of your budget template. Put this paper or spreadsheet away until after you have completed the next step.

Enter your expenses into your budget template. Be very honest in your entries and include everything. Going through several months’ or even a year’s worth of accounting data or bank and credit card statements will ensure you capture all your spending. This is not the step where you want to try to eliminate expenses. Record everything, only excluding expenses you have already eliminated from your monthly or annual spending.

Enter your income from the projections you formed in step 1.

Review your budget. If your budget shows a projected loss, analyze your expenses and identify areas where you can reduce spending.

This approach makes sure you avoid the temptation of forcing your budget to balance. While you do want your budget to balance — or better, to show a cash surplus — having unrealistic income or expense numbers will lead to frustration and resistance during the budgeting process.

Monthly or quarterly, compare your actual income and expense numbers to your budgeted numbers. Regular tracking helps identify financial pitfalls before they become unmanageable.

Frequently asked questions

How do i make a budget template.

You can create a small-business budget template from scratch by using free software like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. However, it’s often more efficient to download a template (see our list above). A template with built-in tables and formulas makes plugging in your revenue and expenses and calculating your profit or loss quick and straightforward.

What is included in a small-business budget?

Your small-business budget will include your revenue, expenses and your profit or loss. Each section will be broken into subcategories. For example, under revenue, you might have sales and income from sponsorships. Expenses might be broken down into rent, employee salaries and marketing. After you tally your revenue and expenses, you can then calculate your profit and loss statement.

How much should a small-business budget be?

A budget will vary by your business and industry. For example, you can potentially start a social media consulting business for less than $5,000. But a food truck business may necessitate a budget of at least $50,000. You must tailor your small-business budget to your unique needs.

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7 free small business budget templates for future-proofing your finances

Hero image with an icon representing a budget

As a small business owner, you're likely balling with a lot more than your personal checking account. If you don't properly manage your business finances, there's more on the line than an overdraft fee—you now have an entire organization to account for.

Small business budgets are necessary to balance revenue, estimate how much you'll spend, and project financial forecasts, so you can stay out of the red and keep your business afloat.

But creating a small business budget template isn't a small task. Since I don't have a business to run, I did the heavy lifting for you—check out these free, downloadable templates for your small business budgeting.

Table of contents:

2. Overhead budget template

3. multiple-project budget template.

4. Startup budget template 

5. Labor budget template

6. cash flow budget template, 7. administrative budget template, periodic budget reviews, how to design your small business budget plan, small business budget faq, 1. static budget template.

Best for: Multiple departments or revenue streams; Industries with complex operations

A static budget combines all the function-specific budgets a business uses into one. Typically, a static budget includes the following items (plus any other budgets your business might use):

Cash flow projections: Estimations of how much money will flow into and out of your business. They also help you decide when, how, and what you should spend money on.

Total expected spending: All estimated expenses, including labor and administrative costs. 

By integrating all of your budgets and projections, the static budget provides a full picture of your business's estimated expenses and financial strategy for the upcoming fiscal year. 

Screenshot of a static budget template.

Best for: Service-based businesses

It's easy to forget about expenses that aren't directly tied to production, like delivery charges or utilities. But these costs exist (and can add up quickly), so you need an overhead budget. A detailed overhead budget template will include:

Administration expenses

It compares your budgeted amount to actual figures (warning: it may be a rude awakening) and can help improve accuracy for future financial planning. 

Predicting overhead spending helps you plan how to use other funds more practically too—if you know how much you'll spend on overhead, you can make better business decisions. For example, you'd know whether you can afford to invest money into other initiatives like adding a delivery service or upgrading equipment.

Screenshot of overhead budget template.

Best for: Project-based industries

If you're managing multiple projects like website development or event planning, each with its own budget and expenses, you need a multiple-project budget to help keep your head on straight. This type of budget will help you track the following items per project:

Product-by-product COGS (cost of goods sold)

Labor costs

Equipment and resource costs

Indirect project expenses like travel

A multiple-projects budget establishes estimates for everything you need to get projects across the finish line. It also lets you track costs to ensure you're not spending more than you accounted for in the budget.

Screenshot of a multiple-project budget template.

4. Startup budget template

Best for: New small businesses and startups

Startups need to ensure financial success from the get-go, so they can reinvest profit into the business and potentially attract more investors. 

But unlike established small businesses, you don't have past financial data to base expenses on. That's why you need a startup budget to focus on expenses for your first year of business, including items like:

Funding from investors and loans

Licensing and permits

Logo and website design

Website domain

Business software

Security installation 

Overhead expenses

Capital expenses

Screenshot of a startup budget template.

Best for: Larger businesses with lots of employees

Unless you're a one-person show, you'll need a labor budget. And even if you are a one-person show, it's good to know if you can afford to pay yourself. A labor budget breaks down all employee-related costs like: 

Payroll taxes

Contract labor

Screenshot of a labor budget template.

Break down employee costs into direct, indirect, fixed, and variable categories to clarify how your company allocates its resources. You can also consider different scenarios more easily when you understand the breakdown of labor costs.

For example, you can simulate the impact of adding or reducing staff in specific departments or assess the effects of different compensation structures on different teams.

An accurate forecast of labor costs ensures you can sustainably meet your staffing needs and can help you make informed hiring decisions. Down the road, it can also help you determine if you can afford to give your staff raises, bonuses, or additional benefits.

Best for: Businesses with fluctuating income and expenses; Seasonal businesses; Retail

As important as it is to be mindful of how much money you're spending, you should also track how much money you're making . A cash flow budget helps estimate how money is flowing in and out of your business. It includes:

Starting balance (set at the beginning of the month, quarter, or year)

Projected cash inflow from all revenue streams

Estimated cash expenditures

Ending balance (calculated at the end of the month, quarter, or year)

This type of budget lets you proactively manage your resources, anticipate potential cash shortages, and strategize for growth. For instance, if you know you're only going to break even this year, you may wait on expanding or making a large investment. 

Screenshot of a cash flow budget template.

Best for: Businesses focused on streamlining operations

An administrative budget includes all those general expenses that the company as a whole needs to function. This type of budget accounts for: 

Depreciation expenses

Training and development

Communication expenses

Accounting fees

While you could technically include administrative expenses in an overhead budget and call it a day, a separate administrative budget gives more of an eagle-eye view of how well your business is operating. 

Without an eye on administrative costs, you may be spending unnecessarily or lose focus on areas where it'd be wiser to invest your money. In other words, you could be spending way too much on fancy pens when you should be saving up to upgrade your cash register. 

Screenshot of an administrative budget template.

A budget isn't a "set it and forget it" deal. Regular budget reviews can help you stay on track with your financial goals and respond proactively to changing market conditions. 

You should compare your estimated budget to actual spending. Then you can see where you went over and where you can splurge more. Try to review your budget monthly, quarterly, and yearly.

Monthly: Compare actual performance against your budgeted figures for the month. Identify any deviations and look for insights into cash flow, sales trends, and expense management.

Quarterly: Dive deeper into performance over the last three months. Use trends to project revenue and expenses for the upcoming quarter and identify areas for improvement.

Yearly: Reflect on your long-term financial objectives for the fiscal year. Assess the effectiveness of your budgeting strategies, and set new budget targets for the upcoming year. 

It's cliched but true: you gotta spend money to make money. But that's no excuse to start throwing cash at your business willy-nilly.

Budgeting forces you to prioritize your objectives, so you spend money on the things that matter most. Here's how to create a small business budget in four steps:

Identify your working capital for the budgeting period. Add up your current assets like cash, accounts receivable, and inventory. Then subtract current liabilities like accounts payable and short-term debt. The remaining amount is what you have left to cover your operational expenses during the budgeting period.

Separate business and personal expenses. If you haven't already, open a dedicated business bank account. This makes it easier to track, categorize, and analyze your finances.

Determine your fixed and variable costs. Make a list of costs that stay the same every month (fixed costs) and what changes (variable costs). These will change based on the purpose of the budget. For instance, a labor budget will only consider employee-related costs.

Calculate your total expenses. Add up all the costs for your business, including fixed costs, variable costs, labor, and any other applicable expenses. This total is how much your business needs to run. Any leftover money from your working capital can be allocated toward other business investments. 

Budgeting methods

If you've budgeted before and hated it, you may just have been using an ineffective budgeting method for your preferences. Here are a few budgeting methods to try instead: 

Traditional: This budget is set for a determined amount of time and uses last year's numbers as a benchmark. Once you set your budget, you don't change it unless you get approval for an adjustment.

Rolling: This dynamic approach spans a continuous time frame instead of a fixed time period. As each month or quarter passes, you add a new budget period and drop the oldest period. This lets businesses adjust projections based on real-time performance and market conditions.

Flexible: This budget changes along with your sales forecast. As real-time sales activity deviates from budgeted amounts, you recalculate the budget to reflect the new data. 

Still don't know where to start with your small business budget? Check out the answers to these common questions before you open a new Google Sheet.

What should a business budget include?

A business budget should include all income sources and expenses. Income sources could include projected revenue from sales, loans, or potential investor funding. Expenses may include items like office space rent, employee salaries, insurance, and marketing. Add anything that helps paint a full picture of your finances.

How much does the average small business startup cost?

The average small business startup costs $40,000 in its first year of business. But this will absolutely vary depending on your type of business, unique expenses, and cash income. For instance, there are multiple types of businesses you can start with $10,000 or less.

What is the best free business budgeting software?

The best free budgeting business software will depend on what your business needs, but you can try apps like Mint or Wave. Or you can use a spreadsheet—scroll up for some free small business budget templates.

Automate your small business

Knowing when or where to invest money into your business is just one of the many tasks you have on your plate as a small business owner. Learn how automation for small businesses can help take some of those recurring tasks off your hands, so you can focus on growing your business. 

Related reading:

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The best CRMs for small businesses

How to create effective document templates

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Cecilia Gillen

Cecilia is a content marketer with a degree in Media and Journalism from the University of South Dakota. After graduating, Cecilia moved to Omaha, Nebraska where she enjoys reading (almost as much as book buying), decor hunting at garage sales, and spending time with her two cats.

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Select Funding

How to Create a Small Business Financial Plan (w/ Example)

Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy but in any given year, thousands of small businesses close their doors. There are many reasons that may happen, but one is a lack of proper financial planning.

At Select Funding, small business owners are at the heart of what we do. We understand how crucial it is for any business to have a financial plan that spells out the company’s business goals, plans for financial management , and all other relevant information. With that in mind, here is your guide to creating a small business financial plan. We’ve even included a template to help you create your own financial plan.

What is Small Business Financial Planning?

Small business financial planning involves reviewing the financial status of your small business to get an overview and determine whether you have the resources you need to turn your small business into a success story.

The process of financial planning, while challenging, can help you understand how much cash and other resources you have to enable you to measure your progress and meet your business goals. It’s a key step in determining whether your business idea is sustainable.

The document that you need to create is a small business financial plan, which should incorporate key figures including information about your business income and cash flow and other details that will provide you with a clear picture of your finances.

We will share a full template to create a financial plan with you later in this post, but for now, the most important thing to understand is that your financial plan is an overview of your business finances and resources.

Free Download: Small Business Budget Template

Why is it Important for a Small Business to Have a Financial Plan?

We believe that it’s beneficial and essential for every small business to have a financial plan. Here are some of the most important reasons to have one.

Benefit #1: It Helps You Assess Your Business Financial Needs

A small business financial plan is essential because it helps business owners to assess their business’s financial needs. Without a clear overview of your financial status and prospects, it may be difficult to know when it’s time to obtain additional small business financing.

Benefit #2: It Helps You Project Your Growth

It’s difficult to get a small business off the ground and grow it into a successful and sustainable organization. Having a small business financial plan puts the financial facts at your fingertips, making it easy to project your future growth and – just as importantly – set realistic and achievable financial goals.

Benefit #3: It Helps You Recognize Opportunities

When you own and run a small business, it’s essential to have the agility ( and resources ) to recognize and take advantage of opportunities when they arise. Without proper financial management, including the creation of a financial plan, it’s likely that you’ll miss opportunities or lack the resources to take advantage of them when you spot them.

Benefit #4: It Helps You Evaluate Your Progress

If you’re not tracking key metrics such as cash flow and revenue, you may not realize how far your company has come – or how far it could go. A small business financial plan is a living document that you can use to assess your progress, celebrate your achievements, and reallocate resources when necessary.

Benefit #5: It Empowers You for Crisis Management

Even the most successful companies experience a crisis now and again. An example is what happened when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down many businesses or required them to pivot to survive in unforeseen circumstances. Having a financial plan allows small business owners to review their finances and resources quickly, so they can make informed decisions that benefit the company and ensure its survival.

Benefit #6: It Helps with Risk Management

Running a business comes with some unavoidable risks, but some risks are avoidable and having a business financial plan can help you identify them and avoid them before they damage your company. For example, you can put guidelines in place to avoid overspending and create a contingency plan and emergency fund to use if you experience a sales slump or some other crisis.

Benefit #7: It Helps with Fundraising

Finally, every small business needs an injection of cash at some point. The cash may come from small business financing such as a term loan or a line of credit or it may come from a private investor. Either way, having a financial plan will help you determine how much cash you need. It will also make you more attractive to lenders and investors when you have a handle on your finances.

What Does a Small Business Financial Plan Include?

Before we get into the steps required to write a small business financial plan, here’s an overview of the things that should be included in such a plan:

  • Balance sheet. Your balance sheet serves as a snapshot of your company’s financial position, showing the differences between your assets and liabilities at the moment it is created. The difference between what you have and what you owe is your business’s net worth. The balance sheet should also include a snapshot of equity, including your equity as an owner and that of any investors.
  • Break-even analysis. Your break-even analysis is essential because it tells you how long it will take you to break even, or recoup your investments in your company. These investments may include startup costs and expenses for ongoing operations. The break-even should include a breakdown of both fixed and variable costs. You’ll need to use your sales projection to determine how long it will take you to break even.
  • Cash flow statement. Your cash flow statement should reveal both where your cash is coming from and where it’s going. If you’re starting a business, you may not have very much information, but you should include your funding sources and your start-up expenses. An established business can use bank statements to analyze cash flow.
  • Sales forecast. Your sales forecast is useful because it requires you to look ahead and determine how many sales you expect to make and how much money those sales will generate. 
  • Personnel plan. Finally, your personnel plan serves as an overview of departments within your business, individual positions within those departments, and information about the purpose of each. This element may not be necessary if your business has only a few employees.

Another way of looking at it is that your financial plan should serve as a complete overview of your business’s financial position and projections.

Download the Small Business Budget Template

How Do You Write a Small Business Financial Plan?

Before we share our small business financial plan template with you, here are the steps you’ll need to follow to create your small business financial plan:

  • Create a list of your existing business assets, liabilities, and equity. Make sure to include any cash you have on hand, including money from investors, as well as a list of any debts you have incurred.
  • Think about your strategic goals and what you hope to achieve. For each goal, estimate what resources, financial and otherwise, you will need to achieve it. You should also think about the impact each goal will have on your cash flow .
  • Work on your financial projections. These should include sales projections and income projections. It’s our recommendation to create a projection based on your most optimistic assumptions, one created based on your most pessimistic assumptions, and one that illustrates the most likely and realistic scenario.
  • Do the necessary calculations. Looking at the list of reports that should be included in your financial plan as outlined in the previous section, do the necessary calculations, so you can include correct figures in your plan.
  • Plan for contingencies. Think about what you will do if you run into a cash shortage or fail to meet one of your goals. Deciding ahead of time where you’ll find the money to make up a shortfall makes it less likely that you’ll take the wrong steps.

Once your small business financial plan is complete, it’s essential to revisit it periodically and update it with new cash flow projections, etc. Remember, your financial plan is a living document.

Small Business Financial Plan Template

Here is a basic template that you can use to create your small business financial plan.

Financial Overview: Use this space to provide an overview with key points and takeaways of the financial data included in your plan.

Key Financial Ratios and Indicators: Calculate key ratios and input them here, including ratios for debt, profitability, operations, liquidity, and working capital.

Break-Even Analysis

Financial Statements

Profit and Loss Statement

Cash Flow Statement

Balance Sheet

Sales Forecast

Assumptions

Use this section to support the values provided in your financial plan.

Keep in mind that creating a complete small business financial plan will increase the chances that you can meet financial challenges as they arise and attain your business goals.

Have You Done Financial Planning for Your Business?

Creating a small business financial plan is something that can help you as a business owner. Doing the calculations and making the recommended financial projections decreases the likelihood that you’ll stumble when faced with a crisis and increases your chances of success.

Do you need help with financial planning for your small business? Select Funding has the financing solutions you need. Click here to learn about our small business financing and begin the application process today.

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How to Prepare a Financial Plan for Small Business?

Ajay Jagtap

  • December 18, 2023

11 Min Read

financial plan for small business

Let’s face it—accurate financial forecasting and planning isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, nor is it something someone would enjoy scratching their heads over.

In fact, it is considered to be the most difficult part of the business plan.

While it’s the most challenging aspect of business planning, it’s also the most important when convincing potential investors to invest in your business.

(You can’t simply ignore that!)

That’s why we decided to help you eat this giant frog at once. This is the ultimate guide to preparing a small business financial plan .

It will help you understand the critical components of financial planning, articulate quick steps to prepare a financial plan and provide a small business financial plan example to help you get started.

Sounds good? Let’s dive right in.

What is a Business Financial Plan?

A financial plan is an integral part of a business plan that helps determine if your business idea is sustainable and keeps you on track to financial health.

It’s the process of planning the financial aspects of a small business, which comprises its three major components: balance sheet, income statement, and cash-flow statement.

Besides these financial statements, this section may also include details about assets & liabilities, revenue and sales forecasts, break-even analysis, and others.

Key Takeaways

  • Cash flow projection, balance sheet, and income statement are considered to be the three core components of a financial plan.
  • Make sure to be realistic and conservative about your revenue forecasts; it is better to be surprised than disappointed.
  • Preparing a financial plan is easier and faster when you use a financial planning tool .
  • A clear market understanding, realistic assumptions, and thorough research are crucial to preparing reliable financial projections.

Why is Financial Planning Important to a Small Business?

It’s no secret and won’t come off as a big surprise that financial planning is crucial to building a successful business.

In fact, Y Combinator, a leading US startup accelerator, considered recent financial statements and projections to be critical elements of their Series A due diligence checklist .

A solid financial plan helps you manage cash flow, provides clear economic direction, helps you set realistic financial projections, and accounts for months when revenue might be lower than expected.

It helps you budget expenses, plan for yearly taxes, and show if your business is committed to its financial goals. It helps your investors understand where your business stands today and in 5 years.

Now that you know how important financial planning is for your small business, let’s head straight to discussing the critical elements of a financial plan.

Key Components of a Small Business Financial Plan

As mentioned earlier, cash flow projections, income statements, and balance sheets are three major components of a financial plan—but that’s not all. Here are all the key components you must consider including in your very own financial plan.

1. Income Statement

An income or profit and loss statement is a financial statement that shows any business’s income and expenditure over a specific time.

Your income statement also helps determine whether your business is making any profit or loss over a specific period—usually prepared at the end of the month, quarter, or year.

Your income or P&L statement must list the following:

  • Cost of goods or cost of sale
  • Operating expenses
  • Revenue streams
  • Gross margin
  • EBITDA (Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, & amortization)

2. Cash flow Statement

A cash flow statement is yet another important financial statement that summarizes the amount of cash and cash equivalents entering and leaving a business over a given time.

cash-flow

Your cash flow statement will consist of the following three components:

  • Cash revenue projection
  • Cash disbursement
  • Cash flow reconciliation

Your company’s cash flow forecast can be critical while assessing your firm’s liquidity and ability to generate positive cash flows, pay off debts, and invest in growth initiatives.

3. Balance Sheet

A balance sheet is a financial statement that reports any company’s assets, liabilities, and shareholder equity at a specific point in time. Your balance sheet is one of three major financial statements used in evaluating your company’s performance.

This statement consists of three parts: assets, liabilities, and the balance calculated by the difference between the first two. The final numbers on this sheet reflect the business owner’s equity or value.

Balance sheets follow the following accounting equation with liabilities plus owner equity on one side and assets on the other.

Here is what the core purpose of having a balance sheet:

  • Indicates the capital need of the business
  • It helps to identify the allocation of resources
  • It calculates the requirement of seed money you put up, and
  • How much financing is required?

Considering it’s a critical element in helping investors understand the current condition of your business, this is something you can’t simply miss out on.

4. Break-even Analysis

A break-even analysis is referred to as a financial calculation that weighs the costs of a new business, product, or service against the unit sell price to determine a point at which you have sold enough units to cover all your costs.

break even

Your break-even point helps you understand when your investment is returned dollar-to-dollar, no more or less. This is the point where your small business is neither making profits nor burning cash.

However, anything you sell beyond that will result in profits.

Break-even analysis can be mandatory in situations when you either plan to expand your business, lower your pricing, or narrow down your business scenarios.

5. Sales forecast

Your sales forecast is a process of estimating your expected future revenue. It estimates how much your business plans to sell within the next month, quarter, year, or so. Your sales projection needs to be consistent with the sales number within your profit and loss statement.

Segmentation of these forecasts will depend on how closely you want to monitor your sales revenue. For instance, if you are a restaurant business, you may consider keeping catering and dine-in revenues separate from each other.

6. Expense Budget

expense breakdown

Managing expenses is one of the fundamentals of your financial plan, and it starts with an expense budget. The expense budgets can include operating expenses, direct costs, or repaying debts.

Consider it as an informed prediction of your future business expenses based on your research, experience, and common sense.

Having covered all the key elements of a solid financial plan, let’s discuss creating one.

How to Create a Financial Section of a Business Plan?

1. create a strategic plan.

A strategic plan helps you understand what you want to accomplish with your financial plan. You may consider your operational expenses, financing needs, objectives, and exit strategy while creating a strategic plan.

You can start by asking yourself a few questions, like how much financing you need, where most of your expenses go, and what other resources will you need.

Once you determine your financial needs, set realistic goals based on these requirements—identifying your business KPIs would make an excellent starting point.

2. Choose the Right Financial Planning Tool

It may take you forever to start and finish creating a financial plan using traditional and old-school methods.

It worked just fine earlier, but that’s not how you do it today.

Having a financial forecasting tool will not just simplify the process, but will also help speed things up. In fact, it’s the best way to prepare financial forecasts and meet financial obligations.

small business financial plan template

Create a Financial Plan with Upmetrics in no time

Enter your Financial Assumptions, and we’ll calculate your monthly/quarterly and yearly financial projections.

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Start Forecasting

3. Make Presumptions to Project Financials

Of course, Upmetrics will help with automatic and accurate forecasting, but at least you have to feed it some information to get started. Right?

That’s why the next step—making predictions about your business financials.

It’s just about predicting your business growth and financial future based on its current performance and past financial records, so no need to overthink or complicate things.

Start off by gathering historical financial data, conducting industry research, and compiling relevant documents about your business and industry.

Once you have developed rough assumptions and understand your business finances, you can start preparing financial projections.

4. Prepare Realistic Financial Projections

Here we come—discussing the most important steps of all. Although it’s challenging to get through, Upmetrics’ forecasting tool makes it relatively easier for rookie entrepreneurs to follow.

Upmetrics allows you to forecast financials for up to 7 years, while new startups usually consider planning only for the next five years.

However, this is something that varies from business to business based on their financial goals and investor specifications, so it’s up to you how you plan your projections.

Following are the two key aspects of your financial projections:

Revenue Projections

Since your revenue projections help investors understand how much revenue your business plans to generate in the near future, it’s an important one for them to consider.

It generally involves conducting market research, determining pricing strategy, and cash flow forecast—which we’ve already discussed in the previous steps.

The following would be the key components of your revenue projections:

  • Market analysis
  • Sales forecast
  • Pricing strategy
  • Growth assumptions
  • Seasonal variations

Expense Projections

Although both are different, revenue and expense forecasts are closely related to each other.

Similar to how revenue forecasts project revenue predictions, expense projections will predict expenses or future costs associated with operating a small business.

The following would be the key components of your expense projections:

  • Fixed costs
  • Variable costs
  • Employee costs or payroll expenses
  • Operational costs
  • Marketing and advertising expenses
  • Emergency fund

Remember, a clear understanding of your industry and market, realistic presumptions, and thorough research are the key to reliable financial projections.

5. “What if” Scenarios and Sensitivity Analysis

We learned to forecast financials, next—let’s discuss conducting sensitivity analysis to understand potential risks and opportunities involved in your business operations.

“What if” scenario or sensitivity analysis analyzes a business in three scenarios: best, expected, and worst-case. It increases transparency and helps investors and lenders understand your business’s future considering all three scenarios.

This proactive exercise will help make necessary adjustments to your financial plan and will be of incredible use in making strategic decisions.

6. Track Progress and Adjust Your Financial Plan

This may not sound like a necessary step while creating a financial plan, but it’s also an important one.

It’s critical to closely monitor your assumptions and make adjustments to make sure the assumptions you made are still relevant and you are heading in the right direction.

There won’t be any complex data analysis or big calculations, so worry not!

You simply have to compare your assumptions with the actual numbers to stay relevant. You may consider key business metrics to do so, like the number of customers acquired, cost per acquisition, or any other specific metrics.

Consider making adjustments if your assumptions do not resonate or match actual numbers.

And it was the last step in our financial plan writing guide. Next? Here’s a business financial plan example to help you get started.

Small Business Financial Plan Example

Since we’ve already learned about small business financial planning, let’s quickly review the coffee shop financial plan example created using Upmetrics:

Important Assumptions

  • The sales forecast is conservative and assumes a 5% increase in Year 2 and a 10% in Year 3.
  • The analysis accounts for economic seasonality – wherein some month’s revenues peak (such as holidays ) and wane in slower months.
  • The analysis assumes the owner will not withdraw any salary till the 3rd year; at any time, it is assumed that the owner’s withdrawal is available at his discretion.
  • Sales are on a cash basis – nonaccrual accounting.
  • Moderate ramp-up in staff over the 5 years forecast
  • Barista’s salary in the forecast is $36,000 in 2023.
  • In general, most cafes have an 85% gross profit margin.
  • In general, most cafes have a 3% net profit margin.

Projected Balance Sheet

balance-sheet

Projected Cash-Flow Statement

cash-flow

Projected Profit & Loss Statement

profit-and-loss

Break-Even Analysis

break-even

Improve Your Financial Planning with Upmetrics

What’s the best way to create a financial plan? If you had asked this question maybe a decade ago, I would definitely have said—EXCEL. Not today.

With the AI revolution and modern business & financial plan software, financial planning has never been this accurate before.

Want to improve your financial planning game? Upmetrics is the way to go. No manual calculations or preparing visual reports; simply enter your assumptions and watch things getting done.

What are you waiting for? Try Upmetrics for your business financial plan.

Build your Business Plan Faster

with step-by-step Guidance & AI Assistance.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What components should be included in a business financial plan.

Your business financial plan should include the following six components:

  • Income statement
  • Cash flow projections
  • Break-even analysis
  • Balance sheet
  • Sales forecasts
  • Expense outlay

How often should I update my business financial plan?

Well, there is no certain rule about it. However, reviewing and updating your financial plan once a year is considered an ideal practice as it ensures that the financial aspirations you started and the projections you made are still relevant.

How to determine any business’s break-even point in a financial plan?

This is considered to be the formula for determining a break-even point: fixed costs ÷ gross profit margin = break-even point .

However, business plan tools like Upmetrics can automatically calculate different business ratios like break-even points and others.

What financial ratios should small businesses monitor in a financial plan?

There are multiple financial ratios, but here are some of the important ones for small business owners to consider:

  • Working capital
  • Return on equity
  • Debt-to-equity ratio
  • Net profit margin
  • Current ratio
  • Quick ratio
  • Return on assets
  • Debt-to-asset ratio

About the Author

small business financial plan template

Ajay is a SaaS writer and personal finance blogger who has been active in the space for over three years, writing about startups, business planning, budgeting, credit cards, and other topics related to personal finance. If not writing, he’s probably having a power nap. Read more

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Popular Templates

Business Plan Template for Small Business

Business Plan Template for Small Business

Starting a small business can be an exhilarating journey, but it also comes with its fair share of challenges. That's where ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Small Business comes in to ease your entrepreneurial journey.

With ClickUp's Business Plan Template, you can:

  • Outline your business goals, strategies, and financial projections with ease
  • Create a roadmap for success and secure funding for your venture
  • Make informed business decisions based on a well-structured plan

Whether you're starting a new venture or looking to take your existing small business to new heights, ClickUp's Business Plan Template is your ultimate tool for success. Get started today and set your business up for growth and profitability!

Business Plan Template for Small Business Benefits

A Business Plan Template for Small Business offers a wide range of benefits for entrepreneurs and small business owners, including:

  • Streamlining the process of creating a comprehensive business plan
  • Providing a clear structure and format for organizing business goals, strategies, and financial projections
  • Ensuring all essential components of a business plan are included
  • Helping to secure funding by presenting a professional and well-thought-out plan to potential investors or lenders
  • Serving as a roadmap for the business, guiding decision-making and strategic initiatives
  • Facilitating communication and collaboration among team members involved in the planning process

Main Elements of Small Business Business Plan Template

If you're an entrepreneur or a small business owner looking to create a solid business plan, ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Small Business has got you covered!

With this List template, you'll have all the essential elements to organize and track your business plan effectively:

  • Custom Statuses: Keep track of the progress of each section of your business plan with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do.
  • Custom Fields: Utilize custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section to provide additional details and categorize your business plan sections.
  • Custom Views: Access different views, such as Topics, Status, Timeline, Business Plan, and a Getting Started Guide, to gain various perspectives on your business plan and easily navigate through different sections.

With ClickUp's Business Plan Template, you can confidently create and manage a comprehensive business plan that sets your small business up for success!

How To Use Business Plan Template for Small Business

If you're a small business owner looking to create a comprehensive business plan, using the Business Plan Template in ClickUp can streamline the process. Follow these 6 steps to get started:

1. Define your business concept

Begin by clearly defining your business concept and what sets you apart from your competitors. Outline your mission, vision, and values to give your business a strong foundation.

Use a Doc in ClickUp to articulate your business concept and ensure clarity in your messaging.

2. Conduct market research

Before diving into your business plan, conduct thorough market research to understand your target audience, industry trends, and potential competitors. This information will help you make informed decisions and identify unique opportunities for growth.

Use the Table view in ClickUp to organize and analyze your market research data.

3. Outline your products or services

Detail the products or services your business will offer, including their unique features and benefits. Additionally, consider pricing strategies and any potential partnerships or suppliers that will support your offerings.

Create tasks in ClickUp to outline each product or service and assign responsibilities to team members.

4. Develop a marketing and sales strategy

A strong marketing and sales strategy is vital for the success of your small business. Identify your target market, outline your marketing channels, and develop a sales plan to reach and engage your potential customers.

Use the Board view in ClickUp to visually map out your marketing and sales strategies and track progress.

5. Create a financial plan

The financial section of your business plan is crucial for demonstrating the viability and profitability of your small business. Outline your startup costs, projected revenue, and expenses, as well as any funding sources or loans you may require.

Utilize the Gantt chart in ClickUp to create a timeline for financial milestones and track progress.

6. Set goals and milestones

Finally, set realistic and measurable goals for your small business and establish milestones to track your progress. These goals can include revenue targets, customer acquisition goals, or operational milestones.

Use Goals in ClickUp to set and track your business goals, ensuring alignment and accountability across your team.

By following these 6 steps and utilizing the Business Plan Template in ClickUp, you can create a comprehensive business plan that sets your small business up for success.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Business Plan Template for Small Business

Entrepreneurs and small business owners can use the ClickUp Business Plan Template to create a comprehensive and organized plan for their company's success.

First, hit "Add Template" to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you'd like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create a solid business plan:

  • Use the Topics View to outline and categorize different sections of your business plan
  • The Status View will help you track the progress of each section, with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do
  • Utilize the Timeline View to set deadlines and visualize the timeline of your business plan
  • The Business Plan View provides a comprehensive overview of all sections and their statuses
  • Create a Getting Started Guide View to provide a step-by-step guide for implementing your business plan

Customize your business plan template even further with custom fields:

  • Use the Reference field to link important documents or resources related to each section
  • The Approved field can be used to indicate whether each section has been approved or not
  • The Section field allows you to categorize each section based on their purpose or topic

With this template, you can create a well-structured and organized business plan that will guide your small business towards success.

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Access our collection of user-friendly templates for business planning, finance, sales, marketing, and management, designed to assist you in developing strategies for either launching a new business venture or expanding an existing one.

You can use the templates below as a starting point to create your startup business plan or map out how you will expand your existing business. Then meet with a  SCORE mentor to get expert business planning advice and feedback on your business plan.

If writing a full business plan seems overwhelming, start with a one-page Business Model Canvas. Developed by Founder and CEO of Strategyzer, Alexander Osterwalder, it can be used to easily document your business concept.

Download this template to fill out the nine squares focusing on the different building blocks of any business:

  • Value Proposition
  • Customer Segments
  • Customer Relationships
  • Key Activities
  • Key Resources
  • Key Partners
  • Cost Structure
  • Revenue Streams

For help completing the Business Model Canvas Template, contact a SCORE business mentor for guidance

From creating a startup budget to managing cash flow for a growing business, keeping tabs on your business’s finances is essential to success. The templates below will help you monitor and manage your business’s financial situation, create financial projections and seek financing to start or grow your business.

This interactive calculator allows you to provide inputs and see a full estimated repayment schedule to plan your capital needs and cash flow.

A 12-month profit and loss projection, also known as an income statement or statement of earnings, provides a detailed overview of your financial performance over a one-year period. This projection helps you anticipate future financial outcomes by estimating monthly income and expenses, which facilitates informed decision-making and strategic planning. 

If you’re trying to get a loan from a bank, they may ask you for a personal financial statement. You can use this free, downloadable template to document your assets, liabilities and net worth. 

A Personal Financial Statement is a

Marketing helps your business build brand awareness, attract customers and create customer loyalty. Use these templates to forecast sales, develop your marketing strategy and map out your marketing budget and plan.

How healthy is your business? Are you missing out on potential growth opportunities or ignoring areas of weakness? Do you need to hire employees to reach your goals? The following templates will help you assess the state of your business and accomplish important management tasks.

Whether you are starting your business or established and looking to grow, our Business Healthcheck Tool will provide practical information and guidance.

Learn how having a SCORE mentor can be a valuable asset for your business. A SCORE mentor can provide guidance and support in various areas of business, including finance, marketing, and strategy. They can help you navigate challenges and make important decisions based on their expertise and experience. By seeking out a SCORE mentor, you can gain the guidance and support you need to help grow your business and achieve success.

SCORE offers free business mentoring to anyone that wants to start, currently owns, or is planning to close or sell a small business. To initiate the process, input your zip code in the designated area below. Then, complete the mentoring request form on the following page, including as much information as possible about your business. This information is used to match you with a mentor in your area. After submitting the request, you will receive an email from your mentor to arrange your first mentoring session.

Copyright © 2023 SCORE Association, SCORE.org

Funded, in part, through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

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Free business plan template (with examples)

Alan Bradley

Sierra Campbell

Sierra Campbell

“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.

Updated 3:37 a.m. UTC Feb. 12, 2024

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Starting a business can be a daunting undertaking. As with so many large projects, one of the most difficult challenges is just getting started, and one of the best ways to start is by putting together a plan. A plan is also a powerful tool for communication and can serve as a cornerstone for onboarding new partners and employees or for demonstrating your philosophy and priorities to potential collaborators. 

A solid business plan will not only provide a framework for your business going forward but will also give you an early opportunity to organize and refine your thoughts and define your mission statement, providing a guidepost that can serve as a beacon for your business for years to come. We’ve provided a business plan template below to help guide you in the creation of your new enterprise.

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Business plan template

What should a business plan include?

Regardless of the type of business you own or the products and services you provide, every business plan should include some core elements:

  • Mission statement. The definition and executive summary of your business.
  • Market analysis. A breakdown of the market segment and customers you hope to reach, built through primary (gathered by you) and secondary (gathered from outside sources) research.
  • Organization and logistics. The nuts and bolts of how your business is operated
  • Products or services. What your company provides its customers.
  • Advertising and marketing. How you intend to get your products in front of your customers.
  • Forecasting. Revenue forecasting for partners or potential investors.

Why do you need a business plan?

A business plan is a framework for success. It provides a number of key benefits:

  • Structure. The outline around which to design your business.
  • Operational guidance. A signpost for how to run your business from day to day.
  • Expansion. A vision for the future growth of your enterprise.
  • Definition. A platform to consider every element of your business and how best to execute your plans for them.
  • Collaboration. A synopsis of what’s exceptional about your business and a way to attract funding, investment or partnerships.
  • Onboarding. An efficient summary of your business for new or potential employees.

Business plan examples

We’ve created two fictional companies to illustrate how a business might use a business plan to sketch out goals and opportunities as well as forecast revenue.

Bling, Incorporated

Our first hypothetical example is a jewelry and accessory creator called Bling, Incorporated. A hybrid business that manufactures its products for sale both online and through physical retail channels, Bling’s mission statement is focused on transforming simple, inexpensive ingredients into wearable statement pieces of art. 

Market analysis includes gathering data around sourcing sustainable, inexpensive components, aesthetic trends in fashion and on which platforms competitors have had success in advertising jewelry to prospective customers. Logistics include shipping products, negotiating with retailers, establishing an e-commerce presence and material and manufacturing costs. 

Bling, Incorporated advertises initially through social platforms like TikTok and Facebook, as well as with Google AdSense, with plans to eventually expand to television advertising. Revenue forecasting is structured around a low overhead on the basis of inexpensive materials, no dedicated storefront and broad reach through digital platforms.

Phaeton Custom Cars

Phaeton is a custom car builder and classic car restoration business with a regional focus and reach. Its mission statement defines it as a local, family-owned business serving a community of auto enthusiasts and a broader regional niche of collectors. 

Market analysis breaks down the location and facilities of other competitor shops in the region as well as online communities of regional car enthusiasts likely to spend money on custom modifications or restoration projects. It also examines trends in valuations for custom parts and vintage cars. Logistics include pricing out parts and labor, finding skilled or apprentice laborers and mortgaging a garage and equipment. 

Phaeton advertises in regional publications, at local events and regional car shows and online through Facebook and Instagram, with an emphasis on a social presence highlighting their flashiest builds. Revenue forecasting is built around a growing reputation and high-value commissions.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

A business plan may not be a prerequisite for every type of business, but there are few businesses that wouldn’t benefit from one. It can serve as an important strategic tool and help crystalize a vision of your business and its future.

Business plans do just that: they help you plan the future of your business, serve as a platform to brainstorm ideas and think through your vision and are a great tool for showcasing why your business works to potential investors or partners.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Alan Bradley

Alan is an experienced culture and tech writer with a background in newspaper reporting. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, The Escapist, PC Mag, PC Gamer, and a multitude of other outlets. He has over twenty years of experience as a journalist and editor and is the author of the urban fantasy novel The Sixth Borough.

Sierra Campbell is a small business editor for USA Today Blueprint. She specializes in writing, editing and fact-checking content centered around helping businesses. She has worked as a digital content and show producer for several local TV stations, an editor for U.S. News & World Report and a freelance writer and editor for many companies. Sierra prides herself in delivering accurate and up-to-date information to readers. Her expertise includes credit card processing companies, e-commerce platforms, payroll software, accounting software and virtual private networks (VPNs). She also owns Editing by Sierra, where she offers editing services to writers of all backgrounds, including self-published and traditionally published authors.

How to start a small business: A step-by-step guide

How to start a small business: A step-by-step guide

Business Eric Rosenberg

Process Street

Small Business Financial Planning Template

Identify financial goals, assess current financial situation of the business, estimate future income and expenses, create a detailed budget, develop a debt repayment plan, strategy for revenue growth, plan for contingencies and emergencies, design a savings and investment plan, choose suitable insurance coverage, consider tax implications and strategies, approval: budget review.

  • Create a detailed budget Will be submitted

Implementation of financial plan

Monitor financial indicators regularly, adjust financial plan as necessary, approval: adjustments to financial plan.

  • Monitor financial indicators regularly Will be submitted
  • Adjust financial plan as necessary Will be submitted

Conduct annual review of financial plan

Decide on possible exit strategies, revisit financial goals, approval: final financial plan.

  • Conduct annual review of financial plan Will be submitted
  • Decide on possible exit strategies Will be submitted
  • Revisit financial goals Will be submitted

Take control of your workflows today.

More templates like this.

Financial management

Keeping your finances in check is easy to start-and maintain- when you use an excel budget planning template in your financial management routine. customize an excel template to suit your unique financial management needs, whether you're balancing the books of a small business or keeping track of your household budget..

small business financial plan template

Budget your personal and business finances using these templates

Manage your finances using Excel templates. Stay on track for your personal and business goals by evaluating your income and expenses. Use these templates to add in pie charts and bar graphs so that you can visualize how your finances change over time. Create infographics that show what categories are included in your budget and the types of factors that incorporate each category. Download your financial management template so that you can access it and edit it as you need.

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Finance Strategy Template

Finance Strategy Template

What Is A Finance Strategy Plan?

A Finance Strategy Plan, also known as a Financial Strategy plan, plays a crucial role in the operations of any organization as it serves as a roadmap for effectively allocating and distributing financial resources to fulfill both short-term and long-term strategic objectives.

The primary purpose of a Finance Strategy Plan is to outline a structured approach for managing and optimizing financial resources within an organization. It involves formulating a comprehensive action plan that aligns financial decisions with the overall business goals and objectives. By doing so, the plan helps ensure that financial resources are utilized efficiently and effectively to support the organization's mission and drive sustainable growth.

What's Included In This Finance Strategy Template?

  • 4x Financial Focus Areas
  • 12x Financial Objectives
  • 22x Financial Projects
  • 26x Financial KPIs

Once you have set your template, you can also create up to two dashboards for real-time performance monitoring.

And yes - you get free access with no credit card required. ✅

#1 Strategy Execution Platform Learn how to get more value out of your free template! Book a demo

Who Is This Finance Strategic Plan For?

A Finance Strategy can be developed by the finance department but can be used by all departments in an organization since they all need to effectively manage and allocate financial resources to meet their teams’ goals. The plan serves as a guide for CEOs, CFOs, managers, and entrepreneurs who seek to align financial decisions with the business strategy.

It is relevant to businesses of all sizes, including startups, established companies, nonprofit organizations, and government entities. The Finance Strategic Plan empowers stakeholders to make informed decisions, optimize resource allocation, mitigate risks, and drive sustainable financial growth in their respective domains.

How Is This Finance Strategy Template Relevant To Your Organization?

The Finance Strategy Template is highly relevant to your organization as it provides a structured framework for financial management, including forecasting, to effectively navigate your financial situation. By utilizing this template, your organization can develop robust financial forecasts that aid in budgeting, resource allocation, and decision-making.

The template helps you assess your current financial situation and identify areas for improvement. It guides you in developing strategies to optimize financial performance, mitigate risks, and seize opportunities. Implementing this template enhances your organization's financial management practices, allowing you to proactively plan, adapt, and achieve your strategic objectives.

1. Define clear examples of your focus areas

The first step to devising a Finance Strategy plan would be to have an understanding of the areas within your organization that your team and you want to focus on. These focus areas can be divided up per department, or per finance policy, you want to implement to attain your desired strategic goals.  

Examples of strategic focus areas that could fall under a finance strategy plan could be: Profitability, Liquidity, Efficiency, Resource Allocations.

Cascade’s Finance Strategy Template comes pre-filled with the most common focus areas, but it’s 100% editable, so you can change them to match your organization’s needs.

2. Think about the objectives that could fall under that focus area

What strategic goals do your team and you want to have planned over the next 305 years? Are the goals short-term or long-term? Distinguishing and accordingly setting financial objectives will give your company a solid plan to help move it in the direction of long-term success.

Setting financial objectives will also make you aware of potential risks and how to mitigate or minimize the impact of said risks. Depending on your area of focus, these objectives can help you increase revenue, boost profit margins and facilitate making investment decisions.

Examples of some objectives for the focus area of “Profitability” could be: Close the Series A round, Improve the company's cash flow and margins, Seek to attain internal and external growth.

3. Set yourself measurable targets (KPIs) to tackle the objective

Financial KPIs (or metrics) are extremely crucial to providing you with measurable values that provide indicators of your company's financial performance, with regard to expenses, sales, profits, and cash flow, as a means of enabling an organization to optimize and achieve its business objectives and financial goals.

Some examples of KPIs for the objective “Improve the company's cash flow and margins” could be:

  • Reduce accounts receivable
  • Increase gross margins
  • Increase operational margins

Remember it's crucial that all the KPIs you set have measurable goals tied to them.

4. Implement related projects to achieve the KPIs

Projects can be viewed as the actionable initiatives of your set goals; they are the jobs you undergo to achieve your end strategic objectives.

A few examples of projects that enhance “Profitability” within your organization could be:

  • Contact and set up meetings with VCs
  • Assist founders to focus on key drivers of their business
  • Hire bookkeeping and admin team to handle invoices and payments and manage inventory
  • Create a customer discount scheme to recognize early payments
  • Generate an efficient Project Information Management and Streamline operations

5. Utilize Cascade tools to track and visualize performance

Whilst projects can be perceived as the actions that help your team and you to achieve your goals, widgets can assist in providing visual aids of the progress of your goals. Setting up widgets on Cascade's dashboards in the form of charts and graphs can help you to track your team's performance on a specific objective.

small business financial plan template

👉🏻Check Out Our Related Templates!

Our Template Library has thousands of ready-to-use templates to support you in creating your strategic plans.

Here are some other Financial Templates you may like:

  • Financial Risk Management Plan Template
  • Financial Business Plan Template
  • Business Startup Financial Plan Template
  • Small Business Financial Plan Template
  • Business Continuity Plan Template for Financial Services
  • Financial Business Resilience Plan Template

I'm a financial planner — I have 4 tips for my business owner clients looking to open a business bank account

Our experts choose the best products and services to help make smart decisions with your money ( here's how ). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners ; however, our opinions are our own. Terms apply to offers listed on this page.

  • Legally protecting yourself in case of an audit is the No. 1 reason to use a business bank account.
  • Different banks will offer different levels of convenience, and they'll come with different fees.
  • Fraud detection and other security features are especially important for protecting your business.

Insider Today

When starting a business, it can be overwhelming thinking about all the things you need to do and consider. However, it is essential that you do not overlook the value of opening a business bank account — usually both a business checking account and a high-yield business savings account .

As a CPA and financial planner, one of the first things I tell all my business owner clients to do is to keep their personal and business transactions separate. While there are a multitude of reasons you should have a separate bank account for your business, legal protection is certainly the most important.

If you experience an audit, it is important to have an easy way to track your business expenses and income. When business finances are commingled with personal finances, it becomes nearly impossible to provide a clear financial trail.

When choosing a business bank account, there are several important factors to consider. Here are four things I tell my business owner clients to consider when choosing a business bank account.

1. Access to banking services and customer service

When it comes to running a business, a variety of banking services can help you effectively manage your business finances. Beyond just opening a business bank account, you want to ensure that the financial institution you choose can provide access to services such as a checking account, savings account, business loans , wire transfers, fraud prevention services, a notary, checkbooks, business credit cards , online and mobile banking, and bill payment services.

If you want more one-on-one attention from a banker, consider opening an account with your local bank or credit union. You may also prefer a physical branch if you plan to make daily deposits or withdrawals of cash or checks.

This may be more challenging to do with an online bank. Many online banks may offer deposits and withdrawals, but their ATM network may not be as large as a well-known brick-and-mortar bank. For this reason, some small business owners open an account at their local bank where they have their personal accounts and know the level of customer service they will receive.

Consider opening your business checking and savings accounts at different financial institutions so that you can have access to both better banking services at a physical branch and higher interest rates at an online bank.

2. Terms and fees (including minimum balance)

The fees associated with business bank accounts can vary widely depending on the financial institution. Some of the most common fees to be aware of include monthly maintenance fees, overdraft fees , wire transfer fees, minimum balance fees, and ATM fees.

You may find that online banks charge fewer fees than brick-and-mortar banks, but you must consider this in conjunction with the other features.

Seek an account with reasonable fees that can accommodate your business.

3. Ease of paying contractors

Some business bank accounts, especially online accounts, offer free invoicing and bookkeeping software/features.

If you use accounting software (such as QuickBooks) to manage your business finances, accessing a business bank account that offers integration features may be desirable. Trust me, this will make your or your accountant's life much easier.

In addition, some accounts allow integrations with payroll and tax preparation software. This will help to make the process of paying contractors with 1099s more seamless.

4. The bank's security offerings

One of the most important things you should consider when choosing a business bank account is security. There are certain features that you want to look for to make sure your account is protected.

First, you want to make sure that the bank you choose is FDIC-insured (or NCUA-insured if a credit union). In addition, you want to make sure that the institution has additional layers of security such as multi-factor authentication and fraud detection services, which include account monitoring and alerts for suspicious activity.

Ensure that whatever bank you choose offers the best security features to protect your business from fraud.

When choosing a bank account, consider all the various banking features offered by different financial institutions to find the one that best suits your business's financial needs. Also, remember that your decision is not permanent. It is easy to switch banks if necessary.

Watch: The 3 most important things you need to know about starting a business

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    $0 Read Review Learn more Why you need a business budget template A business budget template is an essential tool for business owners who want to take care of their bottom line. Why...

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    Key Takeaways A financial plan details a business's current standing and helps business leaders make informed decisions about future endeavors and strategies. A financial plan includes three major financial statements: the income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement.

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    Small Business Financial Plan Template. Here is a basic template that you can use to create your small business financial plan. Overview. Financial Overview: Use this space to provide an overview with key points and takeaways of the financial data included in your plan.

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    The Small Business Financial Plan template is designed for entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses in various industries. It provides an easy-to-follow framework for creating a comprehensive financial plan that can be used to manage cash flow, plan for growth, and ensure the long-term success of the business. 1.

  10. How to Create a Financial Plan a Small Business

    Once you determine your financial needs, set realistic goals based on these requirements—identifying your business KPIs would make an excellent starting point. 2. Choose the Right Financial Planning Tool. It may take you forever to start and finish creating a financial plan using traditional and old-school methods.

  11. Business Plan Template for Small Business

    A Business Plan Template for Small Business offers a wide range of benefits for entrepreneurs and small business owners, including: Streamlining the process of creating a comprehensive business plan Providing a clear structure and format for organizing business goals, strategies, and financial projections

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    A financial plan template or a financial plan sample identifies the "Project Finance" which you need to meet your objectives. In the document, you define all of the expenses you need for your project like materials, labor, administration costs, and others. You also include an estimation of each of these expenses.

  16. Small Business Financial Planning Template

    1. Identify financial goals. Assess current financial situation of the business. Estimate future income and expenses. Create a detailed budget. Develop a debt repayment plan. Strategy for revenue growth. Plan for contingencies and emergencies. Design a savings and investment plan.

  17. Financial plan template

    Free Excel Financial Plan Template (for small business and startup) Updated 09/26/2019 4.54/5 (41) How does one create a financial plan or business plan? WikiCrea offers you the best solution with this Excel financial plan template to download for free. This business template is ideal for your business project.

  18. Sample business plans

    10 steps to start your business; Plan your business. Market research and competitive analysis; Write your business plan; Calculate your startup costs; Establish business credit; Fund your business; Buy an existing business or franchise; Launch your business. Pick your business location; Choose a business structure; Choose your business name ...

  19. Excel design templates for financial management

    Customize an Excel template to suit your financial management needs, from small-business books to household budgets.

  20. How To Create A Winning Financial Plan Template For Small Business

    In summary, creating a winning financial plan template for your small business is essential for long-term success and prosperity. By setting clear goals, creating a budget, analyzing financial statements , and regularly forecasting, you can make informed decisions and steer your business in the right direction.

  21. Finance Strategy Template

    The Finance Strategy Template is highly relevant to your organization as it provides a structured framework for financial management, including forecasting, to effectively navigate your financial situation. By utilizing this template, your organization can develop robust financial forecasts that aid in budgeting, resource allocation, and ...

  22. Tips From a Financial Planner for Opening a Business Bank Account

    Jovan Johnson, MBA, CFP®, CPA/PFS is the founder of Piece of Wealth Planning LLC, a virtual fee-only financial planning firm based in Atlanta, Georgia, and serving clients nationwide. His firm is ...

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    smallbusinesschain on June 25, 2023: "EOFY SALE NOW LIVE! We have our biggest ever sale on our 365 Day Program: Small Business Digita..."