BUSINESS PLAN

TEMPLATE

Work your way through the plan section by section, filling If you’d like to add a section and make it look the same as
in the empty boxes. Don’t feel you need to do it all in one everything else – highlight a line that has the formatting
go. It’s much better to take your time and get it right. you’d like to copy, click on the paintbrush on the top left
Square brackets like these [……] also show places where of the home page and then click on your new text. Hey
you need to write something, so ideally there shouldn’t be presto – it’ll have the right numbers and everything.
any left by the time you’re finished.
Once you’re done with this introductory page, feel free

This template is just a helpful guide – some of the sections to delete it. The same goes for the guidance notes and

may not apply to your type of business so add or remove prompts we’ve included in italics throughout the template.

sections to suit you. Likewise, with all of the tables delete or You can keep them, delete them or save them in another

add as many rows as you like. This is your plan so go ahead document for referring to another time – it’s entirely up

and tweak it until it fits you and your business perfectly. to you.|

We’ve designed this template to be as stress-free as Happy planning and good luck with your business!

possible to tinker with, even if you haven’t used Microsoft

Word much before. So, for instance, if you delete a section, Remember this is just a guide to help you plan and we

the numbering of all the remaining sections will update on recommend that you share it with your business advisors

its own. Also the boxes you fill in will automatically expand or accountant, especially if you are planning to use it to

as you’re typing if you need the extra space, without apply for business lending.

messing up the rest of the table.

If you’d like to discuss your business banking needs, speak
to your ANZ Small Business Specialist. They’ll be more than
happy to help.

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BUSINESS PL AN

Business Name:

Year:

Prepared by:

Date:

Version:
1. BUSINESS OVERVIEW

1.1 INTRODUCTORY INFORMATION

1.1.1 FOUNDATION DETAILS

Structure Sole Trader/Partnership/Company

Established

Date registered

Registration number

1.1.2 CONTACT DETAILS

Contact name

Phone

Mobile

Email

Address

Website

1.1.3 SOCIAL MEDIA DETAILS

Social media site Address

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1.2 BUSINESS SUMMARY

Summarise the history of your business and how the idea developed. What are your business’s core values and what are you broadly looking
to achieve? Outline your previous experience in this sector and in management.

1.3 BUSINESS GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

What business goals and objectives have you set for the coming year? What are your longer-term goals? Are they SMART
– specific, measureable, attainable, realistic and time-bound?

Short-term goals: Year 1 Actions required Deadline Responsibility

Long-term goals: Years 1-3 Actions required Deadline Responsibility

1.4 CURRENT BUSINESS POSITION

Which stage of the business life-cycle are your business and industry sector currently in – emerging, growing, maturing or declining?
Are you expanding, consolidating or preparing to sell?

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2. STRUCTURES AND RESOURCES

2.1 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

Include the number of employees, the management team and founders. If there are multiple business entities describe how they integrate
together. You could also include a chart if this would help.

2.2 KEY STAFF, ADVISORS AND MENTORS

Who are the people in your business that you can’t survive without? What skills, attributes, qualifications and knowledge do they have
to help you with your industry, product or service?

Key staff and advisors Role Skills, attributes, experience

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3. BUSINESS OPERATIONS

3.1 PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Contact name Details

Products/services
Give an overview of exactly what you’ll be selling.

Distribution
Do you sell direct, or through a wholesaler? Do you sell by
retail store, phone or website? Do you use salespeople,
agents or distributors?

Pricing
How do you price your products and services? What is your
profit margin and how have you set it? Are your customers
price-sensitive?

Future growth
How do you plan to increase your business’s capabilities and
capacity? Why are you confident this growth will be sustainable?

Payment
What are your payment terms? How do customers pay you?
What strategies, processes, systems and people do you have
in place to facilitate this? What does it cost you?

Production
How will you produce these products or services?

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3.2 KEY SUPPLIERS AND CUSTOMERS

Which suppliers and customers are critical to your business? What impact would a supply interruption have? Do you have customers or
distributors that generate a significant amount of your sales?

Customer/Supplier Terms offered Why critical How risk of loss is managed

3.3 BUSINESS ASSETS

3.3.1 PREMISES

What premises does your business own or lease? Do you anticipate having to move or expand at some stage?
Why, when and how will you do this?

Premises Purchase or lease date Price Lease/finance rates, conditions, options

3.3.2 ASSETS AND EQUIPMENT

List your key plant and business equipment including computers, software, vehicles and machinery.

Assets Purchase or Price Lease/finance rates, Current Expected

lease date conditions, options usage level replacement date

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3.3.3 STOCK AND INVENTORY

What is your production capacity and how much do you currently produce? What is your stock turnover? How do you store inventory and
what does this cost? What are your future volume predictions?

3.3.4 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Intellectual property Type of Protection Geography

Conditions that apply
to be protected protection end date covered

3.4 ORGANISATIONAL RESOURCES

3.4.1 PEOPLE
Do your employees have the right skills to help you? How do you plan to develop and retain them?

Key staff and advisors Role Skills, attributes, experience

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3.4.2 FINANCIAL RESOURCES

Do you have financial resources to meet your objectives or take advantage of opportunities? What facilities do you have in place for this?

Facility Provider Approved limits Current usage Conditions

3.4.3 E-COMMERCE AND TECHNOLOGY

How do you plan to use e-commerce and technology to help your business? How will you use it to lower costs, speed up your business,
access new markets or increase sales? Will you sell products/services online?

3.4.4 DATA AND CUSTOMER INFORMATION

How do you collect, store and use customer and stock information? Do you back this information up? How do you do this and how often?
How long do you store data for and is it secure?

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3.5 RISK MANAGEMENT

3.5.1 RISK ASSESSMENT

What risks does your business face – for example, reduced demand, loss of major supplier/customer contract, interest rate changes, property
damage, public liability, etc.

Risk Impact if it occurs – high, medium or low How it’s managed

3.5.2 SUCCESSION PLANNING

If something happened to you or you didn’t want to run your business anymore, what would happen to it? Who would take over
or buy it? How would you manage this process and how would you ensure your business continued to operate? Have you formally
documented your plans?

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3.5.3 REGULATORY AND LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS

The Government (both Federal and State) and local councils will all have laws and regulations that you’ll have to comply with. List all the
regulatory requirements for your industry and the steps you’ve taken to comply with them.

3.5.4 INSURANCE

All businesses require insurance to mitigate risk to your business. It’s important to get expert advice about the specific needs of your business.
Some insurance policies, such as workers compensation, are required by law but you should ensure you’re covered against any significant risk.

Insurance type Details

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4 MARKET ANALYSIS AND STRATEGY

4.1 MARKET RESEARCH

Describe the current state of the market you are in/entering. How did you come to this finding? What research have you done for this and the
methods you used. Explain your findings in terms of market size and outlook.

4.2 OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MARKET

What is the market opportunity you’ve identified and is anyone else likely to exploit this gap?

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4.3 TARGET MARKET AND PROPOSITION

Provide details about your product or service and how it will appeal to customers.

Value proposition
What do you stand for in the market? What are you offering?
Do you have a unique selling point?

Who is your target market?

Include demographics such as age, gender, geography
and needs/wants.

What is the size and value of your target market?

How did you arrive at these figures?

What factors affect your target market’s spending habits?

Is your sector seasonal or price-sensitive?

What is your competitive advantage?

What are the reasons a customer would choose you over
the competition?

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4.5 COMPETITORS

It’s important to regularly review where competitors are positioned in the market and analyse what they’re doing relative to your business.
Complete this table for key competitors in your industry.

Categories [Business Name #1] [Business Name #2] [Business Name #3]

Products/services

Price

Market share

In business since

Business structure

Target customers

Position in the market

Point of differentiation

Strengths

Weaknesses

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4.6 SWOT ANALYSIS

Identify your business’s internal Strengths, Weaknesses, and external Opportunities and Threats (SWOT).

Strengths within your business that provide advantage Weaknesses within your business that place you at a
over competitors: disadvantage compared to others:

Opportunities outside your business that you could Threats in the external environment that could cause
leverage to your advantage: trouble for the business:

4.7 STRATEGIC DIRECTION

Use your SWOT analysis above to explain your choice of strategic direction. How do you plan to maximise your strengths and
opportunities, and minimise your weaknesses and threats? Include definite action points that show you’ve turned your analysis
into a practical plan of action.

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4.8 MARKETING, ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION

Once you’ve completed your target market and competitor reviews sometimes it can provide clarity about how you’ll promote your own business. Ask yourself, how are customers going to buy from you and find
out about your product or service? Use this table to map out any recent or planned marketing activities.

Marketing Objectives Key message When Where Cost Return

method

Advertising

Letters, flyers,
brochures

Calling, visitation
programmes

Sponsorship, events

Trade shows

Media coverage (PR)

Loyalty programmes

Website

Internet

[Other]

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5 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

5.1 FUNDING SOURCES

List all of the funding your business has received with details of amounts received and any debts still outstanding.

5.2 CURRENT FINANCIAL POSITION AND PAST PERFORMANCE

How has your business performed against key financial measures such as sales, revenue, cash flow and profit growth recently?

5.3 FINANCIAL FORECAST

What are your projected results over the next 1, 2, 3 and 5 years? Remember to define any assumptions you make.

Include a copy of these financial documents:

• Start-up cost breakdown

• Break-even analysis
• Cash flow forecast
• Profit and loss forecast
• Balance sheet forecast

This document is intended to provide general information only and should not be relied upon in substitution for professional legal or financial advice. Whilst due care has been taken in preparing
the document, no warranty is given as to the accuracy of the information contained in the document. The accuracy of the output from the document is subject to the accuracy of the information
you provided. ANZ will not store the information provided in the document. To the extent permitted by law, no member of the ANZ group of companies shall be liable to any person for any error or
omission contained in the document or for any loss or damage suffered by any person relying on the information contained in the document

anz.com
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) ABN 11 005 357 522.