Most people don't need a 30 page business plan to start. They need to be clear on the few things that decide whether a business works: who it's for, what it costs to run and how they'll find customers.
A one page plan gives you that without weeks of writing. It's quick to update when you learn something new, and it's a useful thing to show a mentor or an accountant. Below is what to put in each part, followed by a template you can copy.
Who a one page business plan is for
It's a working document for you. Its job is to make your thinking specific, so you can spot weak points before they cost you money. If you can't fill in a section, that's useful too. It tells you what to find out next.
It isn't a loan application. If you apply for a Start Up Loan, the government-funded scheme that's part of the British Business Bank and lends individuals between £500 and £25,000, you'll be asked for a fuller business plan covering your market, competitors, marketing and operations, a cash flow forecast for at least 12 months and a personal survival budget. Banks and investors will want similar detail. Your one page plan is the outline that grows into that.
Your customer and the problem you solve
Start with a specific person, not 'everyone'. 'Parents in Leeds with a dog and a full-time job' is far easier to sell to than 'pet owners'. Write down what they struggle with, what they do about it now and what that costs them in money, time or stress.
If you haven't spoken to anyone like this yet, do that before you write the rest. A few honest conversations will improve this page more than a day of reading online. Our guide to market research on a budget shows a simple way to run them.
Your offer and your price
Describe what you sell in one or two sentences a customer would understand. Then set a price. Work out what it costs you to deliver, what similar businesses charge and what your time is worth. If you sell your time, the day rate calculator helps.
Add one sentence on why someone would choose you over the alternatives, including doing nothing. 'Cheaper' is rarely a good answer on its own. Faster, more convenient, more specialised or more local usually are.
How you'll reach customers
List the two or three channels you'll actually use, not every possible one. For most new businesses that's some mix of people you already know, one social platform where your customers spend time, local groups or directories, and referrals.
Next to each, write one action you'll repeat every week, such as 'post three times', 'message five past contacts' or 'ask every customer for a referral'. A channel without a weekly action is a wish. There are more ideas in how to get your first customers.
The numbers: costs, target and break-even
You only need three figures to start: your monthly costs, your monthly target and the number of sales you need to break even. Monthly costs are what you pay to keep the business running whether you sell anything or not, such as insurance, software, phone and website. Your target is what you want the business to earn. If you're aiming to replace a salary one day, the quit your job calculator works out the monthly number you'd need.
Here's an example. Say you run a dog walking business with fixed costs of £150 a month. Each walk earns £15 and costs you about £1 in bags and treats, so each walk contributes £14. Divide £150 by £14 and you need just under 11 walks a month to break even. If you also want £1,000 a month on top of your costs, you'd need about 82 walks a month, or roughly 19 a week.
These figures are before tax, so leave room for that. Seeing the number of sales in black and white is often the moment a plan becomes real, or the moment you realise the price needs to change.
Your first 90 days
Break the next three months into a few milestones, then a small number of actions for each month. Good milestones are things you can see: your first five customer conversations, first paid sale, first ten customers, first repeat customer.
Plan for the time you really have. If you've got five hours a week, plan for five hours a week. Hitting a small plan builds more momentum than missing a big one, and you can always add more. If you'd like help turning the plan into weekly steps, Exitnine Coach can work from it with you.
Risks and what you'll do about them
List the three things most likely to stop this working. Common ones are not finding enough customers, pricing too low to cover costs, running out of time or money, and relying on one platform or one client. Next to each, write one thing you'll do to reduce it, or how you'll spot it early.
Note any rules you need to check too, such as insurance, licences or registering with HMRC. Our guide on how to start a business in the UK has a checklist.
One page business plan template
Copy this into a document or notebook and fill in each line. Aim for a sentence or two per line. If it spills onto a second page, cut it back. Put a date on it and look at it again in three months.
- Business name and one line description: what you do and who it's for.
- Customer: exactly who you're selling to.
- Problem: what they struggle with and what it costs them now.
- Offer: what you sell, in words a customer would use.
- Why you: why they'd choose you over the alternatives.
- Price: what you charge and how you worked it out.
- Channels: two or three ways you'll reach customers, with one weekly action for each.
- Monthly costs: each cost and the total.
- Monthly target: what you want the business to earn.
- Break-even: how many sales a month cover your costs.
- First 90 days: three milestones and the actions for each month.
- Risks: the top three, and what you'll do about each.
- Review date: when you'll look at this page again.
Questions people ask
Do I need a business plan to start a business?
Not legally, and plenty of people start without one. A short plan helps you check your price, costs and customer before you spend money, which is why it's worth an afternoon.
What should a one page business plan include?
Your customer, the problem you solve, your offer and price, how you'll reach customers, your costs, target and break-even, your first 90 days and the main risks.
Is a one page plan enough for a Start Up Loan or a bank?
Usually not. Start Up Loans asks for a full business plan, a cash flow forecast for at least 12 months and a personal survival budget, and banks want similar detail. Your one page plan is a good starting point for writing them.
How often should I update my business plan?
Look at it at least every three months, or whenever something big changes, like your price or your main way of finding customers. It should reflect what you've learned, not what you guessed at the start.