Single page business plans can be the most compelling document you'll ever see. Done properly, one page business plans—called "one-pagers" in the industry—can convey basically everything a prospective investor would need to know about a venture in order to have a feel for whether it fits their portfolio. A great one-pager is almost like a marketing piece. It explains what your concept is, quickly shows the market potential, throws out a few ideas for how it could be marketed, and, ideally, offers a use of funds breakdown for any investment or loan you're seeking. There's no space in a single-sheet document like this to really analyze the industry or your competitors, and the most advanced financial table you'll see would be a snapshot of unit costs and possible sales, provided your concept is that far along its path of execution. What does a great one page business plan show, and what does it avoid? A few of the bigger points for each:
• DO include a concise description of your service or product, similar to an executive summary
• Do NOT dedicate a lot of space to pictures or schematics
• DO give the "top 3" helpful stats about your market
• Do NOT delve into a Census table or give abstract industry metrics
• DO mention the leading competitors by name
• Do NOT give a strengths and weaknesses assessment for these businesses
• DO explain how much funding you think you might need
• Do NOT show an IRR or loan payback table
In brief, you need to make a decision on each major point as to whether this is something you can cover in a one-page document or something that ought to hold off for a full plan. (This is similar to the dilemma you will face in preparing a 30-page plan when you wonder, "should this be in the appendix?") Remember that most private investors will insist on a complete business plan before speaking with you seriously about funding, and in order to issue an SBA-backed loan, your bank will also require a complete plan. But for getting the word out or gauging interest, you can't lose with a good one page business plan. MasterPlans specializes in full business plans, but has prepared these concise one-pagers for clients in industries ranging from green power to temp staffing to dental surgery. Our group of expert writers has worked with more than 8,000 clients so far and they can help your business get going too. Call 877-453-2011 to talk to a consultant about our condensed and full business plan products.
