How to use this tool

Answer the questions

To create your plan, we’ll ask you some questions about your business. If you’re not sure how to answer a question, select Next to skip it.

Review your answers

You can check your answers before you download your plan. Select Edit to change your answers.

Remember, you can always edit your downloaded plan.

Save your work

Select Download plan to download your plan as a DOCX file. Or select Email plan to email the file to yourself.

When you have your plan, select Close tool to end your session. Or select Create new plan if you want to start over.

If you can't complete it in one session

Select Get your plan to download your plan as a DOCX file so you don’t lose your work. You can complete your downloaded plan later.

For your privacy, the tool only stores your information during your session. We delete all your information if you’re inactive for 3 hours. If you end your session without downloading your plan, you need to start over.

Learn more about privacy.

Business name

If you haven't settled on a name yet, you can make one up for now.

Learn how to choose a business name.

Key people

Who helps you run your business?

Include yourself and other people who demonstrate the capability of your business, such as a director, specialist or business adviser.
Person 1
Example: After 8 years managing a large organic food chain, Lauren established Intrinsic Coffee. She combines her extensive business experience with a passion for great coffee and sustainable production.
Person 2
Example: After 8 years managing a large organic food chain, Lauren established Intrinsic Coffee. She combines her extensive business experience with a passion for great coffee and sustainable production.
Person 3
Example: After 8 years managing a large organic food chain, Lauren established Intrinsic Coffee. She combines her extensive business experience with a passion for great coffee and sustainable production.
Person 4
Example: After 8 years managing a large organic food chain, Lauren established Intrinsic Coffee. She combines her extensive business experience with a passion for great coffee and sustainable production.
Person 5
Example: After 8 years managing a large organic food chain, Lauren established Intrinsic Coffee. She combines her extensive business experience with a passion for great coffee and sustainable production.
Person 6
Example: After 8 years managing a large organic food chain, Lauren established Intrinsic Coffee. She combines her extensive business experience with a passion for great coffee and sustainable production.
Person 7
Example: After 8 years managing a large organic food chain, Lauren established Intrinsic Coffee. She combines her extensive business experience with a passion for great coffee and sustainable production.
Person 8
Example: After 8 years managing a large organic food chain, Lauren established Intrinsic Coffee. She combines her extensive business experience with a passion for great coffee and sustainable production.
Person 9
Example: After 8 years managing a large organic food chain, Lauren established Intrinsic Coffee. She combines her extensive business experience with a passion for great coffee and sustainable production.
Person 10
Example: After 8 years managing a large organic food chain, Lauren established Intrinsic Coffee. She combines her extensive business experience with a passion for great coffee and sustainable production.
You reached the limit of 10 fields. You can add more information to your plan after you download it.

Market opportunity

What problems do you solve for customers?

Think from a customer’s perspective. For example, a problem could be that busy cafés sometimes take too long to prepare orders, making customers late for work. Your business could solve this with a mobile app to place orders and track waiting times.

Focus on 3 main problems rather than trying to solve all of them.

Problem 1
Example: There’s an overwhelming choice of coffee blends. It’s hard to know what you’re really buying.
Example: We sell a small range of high-quality coffee. We don’t use fancy names for our blends, so people know what they’re buying.
Problem 2
Example: There’s an overwhelming choice of coffee blends. It’s hard to know what you’re really buying.
Example: We sell a small range of high-quality coffee. We don’t use fancy names for our blends, so people know what they’re buying.
Problem 3
Example: There’s an overwhelming choice of coffee blends. It’s hard to know what you’re really buying.
Example: We sell a small range of high-quality coffee. We don’t use fancy names for our blends, so people know what they’re buying.
Problem 4
Example: There’s an overwhelming choice of coffee blends. It’s hard to know what you’re really buying.
Example: We sell a small range of high-quality coffee. We don’t use fancy names for our blends, so people know what they’re buying.
Problem 5
Example: There’s an overwhelming choice of coffee blends. It’s hard to know what you’re really buying.
Example: We sell a small range of high-quality coffee. We don’t use fancy names for our blends, so people know what they’re buying.
Problem 6
Example: There’s an overwhelming choice of coffee blends. It’s hard to know what you’re really buying.
Example: We sell a small range of high-quality coffee. We don’t use fancy names for our blends, so people know what they’re buying.
Problem 7
Example: There’s an overwhelming choice of coffee blends. It’s hard to know what you’re really buying.
Example: We sell a small range of high-quality coffee. We don’t use fancy names for our blends, so people know what they’re buying.
Problem 8
Example: There’s an overwhelming choice of coffee blends. It’s hard to know what you’re really buying.
Example: We sell a small range of high-quality coffee. We don’t use fancy names for our blends, so people know what they’re buying.
Problem 9
Example: There’s an overwhelming choice of coffee blends. It’s hard to know what you’re really buying.
Example: We sell a small range of high-quality coffee. We don’t use fancy names for our blends, so people know what they’re buying.
Problem 10
Example: There’s an overwhelming choice of coffee blends. It’s hard to know what you’re really buying.
Example: We sell a small range of high-quality coffee. We don’t use fancy names for our blends, so people know what they’re buying.
You reached the limit of 10 fields. You can add more information to your plan after you download it.

Customers

Make sure you have a clear picture of who you need to target. This helps you focus your marketing efforts and improve your chances of success.

Learn how to identify your target market.

Example: Busy adults with a medium to high disposable income who are regular coffee drinkers.

Competitors

Who do you compete against?

Identify businesses that offer the same or similar goods and services to your customers. Focus on 3 main competitors rather than trying to list them all.

Learn how to research your competitors.

Competitor 1
Example: Sludge International Coffee.
Example: They sell their products at low prices.
Example: We source from local suppliers.
Competitor 2
Example: Sludge International Coffee.
Example: They sell their products at low prices.
Example: We source from local suppliers.
Competitor 3
Example: Sludge International Coffee.
Example: They sell their products at low prices.
Example: We source from local suppliers.
Competitor 4
Example: Sludge International Coffee.
Example: They sell their products at low prices.
Example: We source from local suppliers.
Competitor 5
Example: Sludge International Coffee.
Example: They sell their products at low prices.
Example: We source from local suppliers.
Competitor 6
Example: Sludge International Coffee.
Example: They sell their products at low prices.
Example: We source from local suppliers.
Competitor 7
Example: Sludge International Coffee.
Example: They sell their products at low prices.
Example: We source from local suppliers.
Competitor 8
Example: Sludge International Coffee.
Example: They sell their products at low prices.
Example: We source from local suppliers.
Competitor 9
Example: Sludge International Coffee.
Example: They sell their products at low prices.
Example: We source from local suppliers.
Competitor 10
Example: Sludge International Coffee.
Example: They sell their products at low prices.
Example: We source from local suppliers.
You reached the limit of 10 fields. You can add more information to your plan after you download it.

Sales pitch

Example: Intrinsic Coffee makes simply good coffee. We source from local producers and use simple, high-quality blends – no hipster extras.

Channels

Make sure the channels you use are appropriate for your customers. For example, social media use can vary across age groups.

Don’t worry if a channel you use isn’t listed. You can add it to your downloaded plan later.

How do you reach your customers?

Learn how to advertise your business.

Select the channels you use:

How do your customers contact you?

Learn how to communicate with customers.

Select the channels your customers use:

Finances for the year ahead

If you don’t have your financial information yet, skip ahead for now and add it to your downloaded plan later.

We don’t look at your financial information or keep it after your session ends.

Example: Shopfront sales, online sales and wholesale distribution.

Example: Production costs, employee wages and rent for a shopfront.

How much profit will you make?

Add your likely revenue and expenses. To help you work out the numbers, use our profit and loss statement template.

Use numbers only. No letters or special characters.

Profit margin calculator

Quarter 1 (July, August and September)
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Quarter 2 (October, November and December)
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Quarter 3 (January, February and March)
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Quarter 4 (April, May and June)
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Yearly total
Yearly total
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Goals

What do you want to achieve over the next year?

A goal is a SMART goal if you can break it down into steps that are:

  • specific (source 2 coffee bean suppliers)
  • measurable (evaluate 12 potential suppliers in the first 3 months)
  • achievable (prepare 6 proposals for potential suppliers over one month)
  • relevant (prioritise local suppliers to align with our sustainability values)
  • time-bound (finalise agreements with 2 preferred suppliers in 6 months).

Learn how to set goals for your business.

Goal 1
Example: Grow the business by partnering with 2 local coffee bean suppliers in the next 6 months.
Example: Evaluate 12 suppliers in the first 3 months. Write proposals for 6 shortlisted suppliers. Choose the 2 best proposals.
Enter the date in the format dd/mm/yyyy.

Please enter a valid date. Date format must be dd/mm/yyyy.

The date selected must be today's date or later

Goal 2
Example: Grow the business by partnering with 2 local coffee bean suppliers in the next 6 months.
Example: Evaluate 12 suppliers in the first 3 months. Write proposals for 6 shortlisted suppliers. Choose the 2 best proposals.
Enter the date in the format dd/mm/yyyy.

Please enter a valid date. Date format must be dd/mm/yyyy.

The date selected must be today's date or later

Goal 3
Example: Grow the business by partnering with 2 local coffee bean suppliers in the next 6 months.
Example: Evaluate 12 suppliers in the first 3 months. Write proposals for 6 shortlisted suppliers. Choose the 2 best proposals.
Enter the date in the format dd/mm/yyyy.

Please enter a valid date. Date format must be dd/mm/yyyy.

The date selected must be today's date or later

You reached the limit of 3 fields. You can add more information to your plan after you download it.

Review your plan

You’re nearly done! It’s time to check what you entered and edit your answers if you want to.

Remember, you can always edit your downloaded plan.

Success. Changes you have made have been updated.
Empty field
Your business plan has empty fields. Select Edit to update it now or download your plan to update it later.

Business name

Key people

Market opportunity

Customers

Competitors

Sales pitch

Channels

Finances for the year ahead

Goals

Get your business plan

Download or email your plan as a DOCX file.

Next steps

Protect your plan

If you have innovative practices, products or services, ask people to sign a confidentiality agreement before they read your plan.

Consider including some words in your plan that tell the reader not to share your information.

Review your plan regularly

As your business changes, your plan also needs to change to keep you heading in the right direction.

It’s a good idea to:

  • review your plan at least once a year
  • keep each version of your plan.

Want more tips to start your business?

Follow these steps to get you started.

Guide to starting a business

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