{"id":8422,"date":"2018-12-31T22:54:01","date_gmt":"2018-12-31T22:54:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.growthink.com\/?page_id=8422"},"modified":"2025-10-06T12:00:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T12:00:30","slug":"business-plan-layout-how-design-your-plan","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.growthink.com\/businessplan\/help-center\/business-plan-layout-how-design-your-plan","title":{"rendered":"The Perfect Business Plan Outline"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n.btn-right {\n  background-color: #294961;\n  border: none;\n  color: white;\n  padding: 10px 20px;\n  text-align: center;\n  text-decoration: none;\n  display: inline-block;\n  font-size: 17px;\npadding:16px 31px;\n  border-radius: 8px;\n  margin: 14px 2px;\n  cursor: pointer;\n}<\/p>\n<p>.btn-right:hover {\n      background-color: #005900;\n      color: white;\n}\n@media only screen and (max-width: 480px){\n    .btn-right{\n      max-width:600px !important;\n      width:100% !important;\npadding:8px;\nfont-size:11px;\n    }\n<\/style>\n<p>The layout of a business plan is not an area where great imagination and creativity is needed or recommended. It should be a more or less straightforward task to layout or outline your plan, using industry standard practices which funders have become familiar with through thousands of business plans. Use the following steps to implement this standard layout and save creativity for your business venture within the plan.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><button class=\"btn-right\" onclick=\" window.open('https:\/\/businessplantemplate.growthink.com\/plan\/?utm_source=business-plan-layout-how-design-your-plan&#038;utm_medium=growthink&#038;utm_campaign=seo','_blank')\">Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here-><\/button><\/p>\n<p>Start by getting your hands on a business plan template. This will speed your time to completing your plan. Business plans generally start with an executive summary and company overview, move through background research and market analysis, customers, and competition, describe the company&#8217;s intended methods in the marketing plan and operation plan, show who&#8217;s on the management team, and conclude with the financial plan and appendices featuring full financial statements.<\/p>\n<p>Use the business plan template to guide your understanding of each section and to see how they relate to each other. Don&#8217;t assume that any one example should dominate your understanding unless it comes from an extremely trusted source with a reputation for business plan expertise and success.<\/p>\n<h2>Business Page Layout Tips<\/h2>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px;\">Section headings, page headers and footers, the cover sheet and other layout decisions offer some room for you to make aesthetic decisions. The most important directive to remember is to keep the look of the plan formal and professional. This means to have consistent layout and fonts throughout the document and to use no distracting headings, graphics, or typefaces. In terms of formality, the business plan should be considered on the level of a PhD dissertation, rather than a middle school paper or essay where teachers will let you get away with (or encourage) decorative and creative elements which show your personality.<\/div>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<div class=\"relatedpost\" style=\" width:85%; background-color: #e6e6ff ;  padding-bottom:0px\">\n<p id=\u201ccta\u201d><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" fill=\"currentColor\" class=\"bi bi-exclamation-circle-fill\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\">\n  <path d=\"M16 8A8 8 0 1 1 0 8a8 8 0 0 1 16 0zM8 4a.905.905 0 0 0-.9.995l.35 3.507a.552.552 0 0 0 1.1 0l.35-3.507A.905.905 0 0 0 8 4zm.002 6a1 1 0 1 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0-2z\"\/>\n<\/svg>   <b>Finish Your Business Plan Today!<\/b><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019d like to quickly and easily complete your business plan, download <a href=\"https:\/\/businessplantemplate.growthink.com\/plan\/?utm_source=business-plan-layout-how-design-your-plan&#038;utm_medium=growthink&#038;utm_campaign=seo\" target=\"_blank\" re=\"nofollow\">our Ultimate Business Plan Template<\/a> and complete your plan and financial model in hours.<\/div>\n<p><\/center><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-top: 20px;\">Sample Outline For Your Business Plan<\/h2>\n<div style=\"font-size: 18px; line-height: 34px;\">To help you get started, you can download our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.growthink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Business-Plan-Outline-PDF.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">business plan outline PDF<br \/>\n<\/a> follow the business plan outline below: <\/div>\n<h3><b>1. Executive Summary<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Your executive summary is the most important part of your plan. It comes at the beginning and is the first thing potential investors or lenders will read. If they aren\u2019t excited by what they see, they\u2019ll unfortunately stop reading. So make sure your executive summary gives a quick overview of what your company does and explains, in an exciting tone, why your company will be successful.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep it to 1\u20132 pages maximum \u2014 busy investors often decide within minutes whether to continue reading.<\/li>\n<li>Include your funding request amount and what you&#8217;ll use it for upfront.<\/li>\n<li>Write this section last, even though it appears first, so you can distill the key points from your complete plan.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><style=\"padding-top: 30px;\"><b>2. Company Description<\/b><\/style>\n<\/h3>\n<p>In your Company Description, provide background on your company. What is your business structure? What is your mission statement? What have you accomplished to date? Here you will let readers know the history of your business.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Specify your legal structure (LLC, Corporation, Partnership) and state of incorporation \u2014 explain why you chose this structure for tax benefits, liability protection, or investor requirements.<\/li>\n<li>Include your founding story \u2014 what problem inspired you to start this business?<\/li>\n<li>Highlight any early traction, partnerships, or key milestones you&#8217;ve already achieved.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><style=\"padding-top: 30px;\"><b>3. Market Analysis<\/b><\/style>\n<\/h3>\n<p>In the Market Analysis section of your business plan provide background on the industry in which you operate. Conduct market research to make this section concrete and compelling. Answer questions such as: how big is your industry? what trends are affecting it?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use credible sources like IBISWorld, Statista, or government data to support your market size claims.<\/li>\n<li>Identify 3\u20135 key trends shaping your industry (technology changes, regulatory shifts, consumer behavior).<\/li>\n<li>Show whether your market is growing, stable, or declining, and explain why this timing works in your favor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><style=\"padding-top: 30px;\"><b>4. Customer Analysis<\/b><\/style>\n<\/h3>\n<p>Here you will document your target market. How are they? How many are there? What are their likes and dislikes? Ideally you can provide comprehensive demographic and psychographic profiles of your target customers and show how your company&#8217;s product or service are ideally suited to their needs.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Create 2\u20133 detailed buyer personas with specific demographics, pain points, and buying behaviors \u2014 include age, income, location, job title, biggest challenges, and how they typically research and purchase products like yours.<\/li>\n<li>Quantify your addressable market \u2014 how many potential customers exist and what&#8217;s their spending power?<\/li>\n<li>Include quotes or insights from actual customer interviews or surveys if you&#8217;ve conducted them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><style=\"padding-top: 30px;\"><b>5. Competitive Analysis<\/b><\/style>\n<\/h3>\n<p>In this section of your traditional business plan, document your key competitors. Explain their strengths and their weaknesses. Remember that investors and lenders expect you to have direct competitors. They just want to feel confident that despite them, you can still achieve lasting success. You should also explain your competitive advantage for beating these competitors.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Include both direct competitors (same product\/service) and indirect competitors (alternative solutions).<\/li>\n<li>Create a comparison chart showing how you stack up on key factors like price, features, and customer service.<\/li>\n<li>Be honest about competitor strengths \u2014 then explain how you&#8217;ll differentiate or compete despite them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<div class=\"greyBG\" style=\"margin-top: 20px; margin-bottom: 20px;\"><strong>Quickly and easily complete your business plan with <a href=\"https:\/\/businessplantemplate.growthink.com\/plan\/?utm_source=business-plan-layout-how-design-your-plan&#038;utm_medium=growthink&#038;utm_campaign=seo\" target=\"_blank\" re=\"nofollow\">our Ultimate Business Plan Template<\/a> and complete your plan and financial model in just hours.<\/div>\n<p><\/center><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><style=\"padding-top: 30px;\"><b>6. Marketing Plan<\/b><\/style>\n<\/h3>\n<p>Your marketing strategy should primarily focus on the promotional methods you will use to attract new customers. Will you use search engine marketing? Will you employ radio ads? Document each of the promotional methods you will use. What is your pricing strategy?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Break down your customer acquisition cost (CAC) and lifetime value (LTV) for each marketing channel.<\/li>\n<li>Include both online tactics (social media, SEO, paid ads) and offline methods (networking, trade shows, partnerships).<\/li>\n<li>Explain your pricing model and how it compares to competitors \u2014 cost-plus, value-based, or penetration pricing?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><style=\"padding-top: 30px;\"><b>7. Operations Plan<\/b><\/style>\n<\/h3>\n<p>This section of your plan should discuss the key roles that your company must expertly perform and your strategies for operational excellence. You must also outline the long-term milestones your company plans to accomplish and the key dates for each.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Detail your production process, supply chain, and quality control measures.<\/li>\n<li>Identify key operational metrics you&#8217;ll track (inventory turnover, customer satisfaction scores, delivery times).<\/li>\n<li>Create a timeline with specific milestones for the next 12\u201324 months, including product launches or expansion plans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><style=\"padding-top: 30px;\"><b>8. Management Team<\/b><\/style>\n<\/h3>\n<p>In your Management Team section, detail the key members of your team. Document their backgrounds and how their past experiences make them well suited to succeed in your organization.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Include brief bios highlighting relevant experience, education, and notable achievements for each key team member \u2014 focus on 2\u20133 sentences per person covering industry experience, previous roles at notable companies, relevant degrees or certifications, and any awards or recognition.<\/li>\n<li>Identify any skill gaps in your current team and how you plan to fill them (hiring, advisors, contractors).<\/li>\n<li>Consider adding an organizational chart showing reporting relationships and planned future hires.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><style=\"padding-top: 30px;\"><b>9. Financial Plan<\/b><\/style>\n<\/h3>\n<p>Here you will layout the key assumptions used in creating your financial model and then provide topline results from your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement. If you are seeking funding, document the amount of funding you seek and the key uses for it.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Present 3\u20135 year financial projections, including monthly detail for at least the first year.<\/li>\n<li>Clearly state your key assumptions (customer acquisition rate, pricing, major expenses) and how you arrived at them.<\/li>\n<li>Break down exactly how you&#8217;ll use any funding requested \u2014 hiring, inventory, marketing, equipment, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Example Projected Sales, Gross Profit &#038; Net Income<\/strong><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.growthink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Business-Plan-Outline-financial-projections.png\" alt=\"Business Plan Outline financial projections\"  \/><\/p>\n<h3><style=\"padding-top: 30px;\"><b>10. Appendix<\/b><\/style>\n<\/h3>\n<p>In your Appendix, you will provide supporting information such as employee or customer agreements, store layouts, etc. You must also include your full, five-year financial projections.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Include detailed financial spreadsheets, market research data, and legal documents \u2014 provide monthly cash flow projections, competitor analysis reports, contracts, and any regulatory compliance documentation.<\/li>\n<li>Add any relevant patents, trademarks, or intellectual property documentation \u2014 include filing numbers, protection status, and how these assets create competitive advantages or barriers to entry.<\/li>\n<li>Consider including letters of intent from potential customers or strategic partners \u2014 these demonstrate market validation and can significantly strengthen your funding case.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>By following the comprehensive business plan outline, you will ensure your plan is in the format investors and lenders expect.<\/p>\n<h2>Business Page Layout FAQs<\/h2>\n<p>\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"section\" data-elementor-id=\"26303\" class=\"elementor elementor-26303\" data-elementor-post-type=\"elementor_library\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f71efc4 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"7f71efc4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6e1b6b9f elementor-widget elementor-widget-n-accordion\" data-id=\"6e1b6b9f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;default_state&quot;:&quot;all_collapsed&quot;,&quot;max_items_expended&quot;:&quot;one&quot;,&quot;n_accordion_animation_duration&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;ms&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:400,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]}}\" data-widget_type=\"nested-accordion.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-n-accordion\" aria-label=\"Accordion. Open links with Enter or Space, close with Escape, and navigate with Arrow Keys\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-1840\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" >\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"1\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-1840\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><h3 class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> How do I layout a business plan? <\/h3><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-minus\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-plus\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-1840\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ae4b3b e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"5ae4b3b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7314725a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7314725a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Laying out a <span data-color=\"var(--purple-10)\">well-crafted<\/span> business plan is not, and should not, be complicated. You can lay out your business plan using our sample business plan outline discussed above. An organized business plan structure is key to a successful business plan.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<details id=\"e-n-accordion-item-1841\" class=\"e-n-accordion-item\" >\n\t\t\t\t<summary class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title\" data-accordion-index=\"2\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"e-n-accordion-item-1841\" >\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-header'><h3 class=\"e-n-accordion-item-title-text\"> What is a business plan outline? <\/h3><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class='e-n-accordion-item-title-icon'>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-opened' ><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-minus\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class='e-closed'><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-plus\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/summary>\n\t\t\t\t<div role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"e-n-accordion-item-1841\" class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-11020018 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-child\" data-id=\"11020018\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-52e9c434 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"52e9c434\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">A <span data-color=\"var(--purple-10)\">business plan outline<\/span> allows you to organize your plan and present it in the format that\u2019s most compelling to readers. Also, by starting with your outline, it\u2019s easier to add the required information into the <span data-color=\"var(--purple-10)\">key elements<\/span> of <span data-color=\"var(--purple-10)\">a comprehensive<\/span> business plan.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/details>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How do I layout a business plan?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Laying out a well-crafted business plan is not, and should not, be complicated. You can lay out your business plan using our sample business plan outline discussed above. An organized business plan structure is key to a successful business plan.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is a business plan outline?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"A business plan outline allows you to organize your plan and present it in the format that\\u2019s most compelling to readers. Also, by starting with your outline, it\\u2019s easier to add the required information into the key elements of a comprehensive business plan.\"}}]}<\/script>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"bluepost\">\n<p id=\"greencta\"><strong>Finish Your Business Plan in 1 Day!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your business plan?<\/p>\n<p>With our Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/businessplantemplate.growthink.com\/plan\/?utm_source=business-plan-layout-how-design-your-plan&#038;utm_medium=growthink&#038;utm_campaign=seo\" target=\"_blank\" re=\"nofollow\">Click here to finish your business plan today.<\/a><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"padding-top: 20px;\">Other Helpful Business Plan Articles &#038; Templates<\/h2>\n<div class=\"free-business-plan-articles-flex\">\n<div class=\"column\"><a href=\"\/products\/business-plan-template\" title=\"Simple Business Plan Template\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" style=\"height: 135px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.growthink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/business-plan-template-growthink.png\" target=\"_blank\" alt=\"Business Plan Template &#038; Guide for Small Businesses\" width=\"300\"\/>Simple Business Plan Template<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"column\"><a href=\"\/how-to-write-a-business-plan\" title=\"How to Write a Business Plan\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/how-to-write-a-business-plan-to-secure-funding-thumb.png\" target=\"_blank\" alt=\"How to Write a Business Plan\" width=\"300\"\/>How to Write a Business Plan<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"column\"><a href=\"\/businessplan\/help-center\/business-plan-writing-presenting-management-team\" title=\"Writing the Management Team Section of Your Business Plan With Example\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.growthink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/The-Management-Team-Thumbnail.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" alt=\"How to Write the Business Plan Management Team Section\" width=\"300\"\/>How to Write the Business Plan Management Team Section<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"column\"><a href=\"\/businessplan\/help-center\/business-plan-format-how-structure-your-business-plan\" title=\"How to Expertly Format a Business Plan\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Business-Plan-Format-Thumb.png\" target=\"_blank\" alt=\"Use This Business Plan Format to Expertly Write Your Plan\" width=\"300\"\/>Use This Business Plan Format to Expertly Write Your Plan<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"column\"><a href=\"\/businessplan\/help-center\/business-plan-examples\" title=\"Use This Business Plan Example To Write Your Own Plan\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.growthink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/75-Business-Plan-Examples-Thumbnail.png\" target=\"_blank\" alt=\"100 Free Business Plan Examples\" width=\"300\"\/>100 Free Business Plan Examples<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"column\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.growthink.com\/google-docs-business-plan-template\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.growthink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Business-Plan-Workbook.webp\" target=\"_blank\" alt=\"Google Docs Business Plan Template\" width=\"300\"\/> Google Docs Business Plan Template <\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"column\"><a href=\"\/businessplan\/help-center\/business-plan-executive-summary-tips-killer-executive-summary\" title=\"Tips for a Killer Executive Summary\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/business-plan-executive-summary-thumb.png\" target=\"_blank\" alt=\"How to Write a Business Plan Executive Summary\" width=\"300\"\/>How to Write a Business Plan Executive Summary<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"column\"><a href=\"\/businessplan\/help-center\/key-components-business-plan-part-ii\" title=\"10 Crucial Elements of a Business Plan\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Components-of-a-Business-Plan.png\" target=\"_blank\" alt=\"10 Key Components of a Business Plan\" width=\"300\"\/>10 Key Components of a Business Plan<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"column\"><a href=\"\/content\/20-reasons-why-you-need-business-plan\" title=\"20 Reasons Why a Business Plan is Important\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/why-you-need-a-business-plan.png\" target=\"_blank\" alt=\"What is a Business Plan?\" width=\"300\"\/>What is a Business Plan?<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"column\"><a href=\"\/businessplan\/help-center\/business-plan-writer-when-and-when-not-hire-one\" title=\"Growthink's Expert Business Plan Writer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.growthink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Business-Plan-Writers-For-Hire-Thumbnail.png\" target=\"_blank\" alt=\"Growthink's Expert Business Plan Writer\" width=\"300\"\/>Growthink&#8217;s Expert Business Plan Writer<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"column\"><a href=\"\/one-page-business-plan-template\" title=\"Download the One Page Business Plan PDF\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.growthink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/One-Page-Business-Plan-Template-Thumbnail.png\" target=\"_blank\" alt=\"How to Create a One Page Business Plan with Template\" width=\"300\"\/>How to Create a One Page Business Plan with Template<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"column\"><a href=\"\/business-plan-software\" title=\"Review of the Best Business Plan Software\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/business-plan-software-review.png\" target=\"_blank\" alt=\"Business Plan Software Options\" width=\"300\"\/>Business Plan Software Options<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"column\"><a href=\"\/businessplan\/help-center\/business-plan-presentation-mistakes-avoid\" title=\"Business Plan Presentatin Sample &#038; Mistakes to Avoid\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Business-Plan-Presentation-Thumb.png\" target=\"_blank\" alt=\"Business Plan Presentation Mistakes to Avoid\" width=\"300\"\/>Business Plan Presentation Mistakes to Avoid<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"column\"><a href=\"\/businessplan\/help-center\/ideal-length-your-business-plan\" title=\"How Long is a Business Plan?\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.growthink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Business-Plan-Length-Thumbnail.png\" target=\"_blank\" alt=\"How Long Should a Business Plan Be?\" width=\"300\"\/>How Long Should a Business Plan Be?<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"column\"><a href=\"\/reviews\" title=\"Growthink Reviews\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.growthink.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Growthink-Reviews-Thumbnail.png\" target=\"_blank\" alt=\"Growthink Reviews\" width=\"300\"\/>Growthink Reviews<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The layout of a business plan is not an area where great imagination and creativity is needed or recommended. It should be a more or less straightforward task to layout or outline your plan, using industry standard practices which funders have become familiar with through thousands of business plans. Use the following steps to implement [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29277,"featured_media":15424,"parent":8361,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-8422","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.7 (Yoast SEO v26.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Perfect Business Plan Layout &amp; Outline for a Great Plan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn the right way to layout your business plan so it appeals to investors, lenders or anyone else who will review your business plan.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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