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Shopify business plan: a comprehensive guide 2024.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” It’s so true for an enterprise. 

Whether you start your ecommerce journey or look to take your existing Shopify store to new heights, a well-crafted business plan is your roadmap to success. 

In this blog, “ Shopify Business Plan: A Comprehensive Guide, ” we will help you understand the business plan’s importance and provide a detailed, step-by-step approach to creating one explicitly tailored for Shopify stores.

So first, let’s dive into why a business plan is indispensable for a Shopify business. 

Understanding the Importance of a Shopify Business Plan

To quickly define, a business plan is known as a strategic document that outlines what a company's goals are in its growth path.

Let’s face it: diving into the ecommerce world without a plan is like setting sail without a map. A business plan helps you establish objectives, secure funding, and guide business growth. It’s your business’s North Star, ensuring you stay on course.

Why is a business plan crucial for Shopify stores? It’s all about tailoring strategies for ecommerce success. From inventory management to online marketing, a Shopify business plan addresses the unique challenges and opportunities of running an online store.

Key Components of a Shopify Business Plan

Generally, a business plan covers all aspects of financial planning, organization structure, and market analysis. Mainly, it includes:

1- Executive Summary

2- Company description

3- Market analysis

4- Products and services 

5- Marketing Plan

6- Competitive analysis

7- Organizational structure

8- Product and services

9- Operation plan

10- Financial plan

11- Funding source

12- Appendix

Meanwhile, a lean business plan just consists of fewer sessions, which are:

1- Executive summary (optional)

4- Products and services

5- Customers segmentation

6- Marketing Plan

7- Logistic and operations plan

Now, we will break down each Shopify business plan’s format.

Executive Summary

1- what is an executive summary.

A compelling executive summary is one of the most critical components of your business plan; paradoxically, it’s the last section you should write. It showcases your plan's detailed elements and provides a high-level business overview. This section persuades time-crunched reviewers like potential investors and lenders to delve deeper into your business proposal.

Tim’s Trees Executive Summary

Think of the executive summary as your business's elevator pitch—brief yet powerful. Despite the space constraint, which should not exceed one page, your business plan’s executive summary needs to cover several key points succinctly:

• Business Concept : Clearly articulate your business's mission, including the nature of your products or services and the problems they solve.
• Business Goals and Vision : Outline your business’s short-term and long-term objectives. To have a clear vision and goals for your Shopify business, you must answer the question: What do you aim to achieve?
• Product Description and Differentiation : Highlight what you sell and what makes your offerings unique in the market.
• Target Market : I must say that understanding the target market is crucial for strategic planning. Define your ideal customers who can bring sales to your business in the future. 
• Marketing Strategy : Summarize how you plan to reach your customers. This could include digital marketing tactics, social media, SEO, and other promotional strategies your team will do to grow your business.
• Current Financial State : Provide a snapshot of your revenue and financial health.
• Projected Financial State : Forecast your future earnings and financial goals.
• The Ask : Specify how much funding you need and for what purpose.
• The Team : If you want to go further, let's go with your team. Therefore, fighting a strong, balanced squad can instill your confidence in potential investors. In your Shopify business plan, remember to introduce the key members of your business and their roles clearly. 

So, how to write an executive summary

Cotopaxi uses a standardized executive summary to describe the brand, applicable across various reports and documents.

2- How to write a compelling executive summary

Crafting a compelling executive summary is crucial, as it's often the first impression you give your audience. Whether you're drafting it for potential investors, your management team, or other stakeholders, following these tips can help ensure your summary is compelling and informative.

• Answer the Right Questions Focus on these key points:
• Who are you? : Briefly describe your company and what makes it unique.
• What will your audience learn? Summarize what follows in the main document.
• Why should your audience care? : Explain the purpose of the document and the benefits to the reader.
• What highlights should readers be excited about? Tease critical information or insights.
• Use AI to Help AI tools can help immensely, especially if you're facing writer's block. They can sift through data and generate concise summaries, saving you time. However, always review and personalize AI-generated content to ensure it aligns with your message and adds a human touch.
• Keep It Concise An executive summary should be brief and to the point. Aim for it to be a maximum of a few pages or about 5% of the overall length of the entire document. Focus on critical points and avoid unnecessary details. Using bullet points or graphics can help convey information quickly.
• Ask Someone to Edit Your Summary Editing is crucial. Have a trusted team member or consultants outside your organization review your summary. They can give you valuable feedback and ensure your summary is clear and convincing.
• Write a Boilerplate Version Prepare a template for your executive summaries to save time on future documents. Customize this template as needed for specific purposes, ensuring consistency and efficiency.

A rule of thumb for drafting your executive summary is highlighting the main objectives you aim to achieve. These should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Company Description

The company description section is pivotal in the business plan because it provides a snapshot of your business. 

Typically, a company description includes six sections, which are: 

• Business structure
• Nature of the business
• Background information
• Business objectives

Following the above format, let’s investigate how Paw Print Post wrote its Company Overview.

1- Business structure:  

You need to answer two fundamental questions: who are you , and what do you plan to do? ​

About the question, “ Who Are You?” Your company description should start by outlining your business structure, whether you’re a sole proprietorship, general partnership, limited partnership, or an incorporated company . Your legal structure sets the foundation for your business operations and regulatory compliance.

For example, in the business plan, Paw Print Post presented its business model as a sole proprietorship run by Jane Matthews." This clarity helps stakeholders understand the business's legal standing and governance.

The next question: What Do You Plan to Do? You need to describe the nature of your business. What kind of products or services do you offer? Remember to highlight what makes your offerings unique and how they cater to your target market's needs. Regarding Paw Print Post’s company review, it sells unique, one-of-a-kind digitally printed cards customized with a pet’s unique paw prints.

2- Industry and Market Position 

Identify the industry you operate in and the market segment you serve. You should explain how your business fits this industry and any relevant trends impacting your operations. Looking at the Paw Print Post Business Plan’s Company Overview, we see that this company sells goods and organizes primarily in the pet industry .

3- Background Information 

Provide some background on your business, including the history of your company , the inspiration behind its inception, and any significant milestones achieved. Jane Matthews, founder of Paw Print Post, specializes in unique greeting cards customized with pet paw prints, eliminating the need for traditional messy methods.

4- Business objectives

Jane is gearing up to launch Paw Print Post at the Big Important Pet Expo in Toronto to showcase to industry players and consumers. After two years in business, she aims to generate $150,000 in annual revenue by selling Paw Print Post’s signature greeting cards and expanding into two new product categories.

And the fifth section in the company overview - Team

Jane Matthews is the sole full-time employee at Paw Print Post. The company has a standing contract with Virtual Assistants Pro for five hours of virtual assistant support per week.

Market Analysis

Example of a market analysis of a sample tea brand’s business plan

A thorough market analysis is essential to validate your business idea and ensure there's a sizable audience ready to engage with your product or service. This section will cover target market identification, an industry overview with trends, and a competitive analysis.

Target Market Identification

First step: Understanding your ideal customers to craft a successful business plan. Creating detailed buyer personas helps you understand their needs, preferences, and behaviors.

For instance, about an online pet accessory store, your target market might include pet owners aged 25-45 who live in urban areas, have a mid-to-high income, and value premium, eco-friendly products. These personas should include demographic details (age, gender, location), psychographic information (interests, values, lifestyle), and behavioral traits (buying habits, preferred communication channels).

To gather that information, you can conduct surveys or interviews and analyze existing customer data. Tools like Google Analytics, social media insights, and customer feedback can provide valuable data to shape buyer personas.

Industry Overview and Trends

Discussing the current state of your industry and emerging trends is crucial. Use data to back up your insights and demonstrate your market knowledge.

Source: Grand View research

Continuing with the pet industry example, you can search for numerous statistics for your Market report, such as The global pet care industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.9% from 2020 to 2030. The growth is fueled by rising pet ownership, the humanization of pets, and an increase in premium pet products. Trends like sustainable and eco-friendly products, personalized pet care, and technology integration in pet care (e.g., intelligent pet collars) are gaining traction.

Use reliable sources such as industry reports from Statista, IBISWorld, and market research firms to support your analysis. Highlight how these trends align with your business offerings and how you plan to leverage them.

Competitive Analysis

Understanding competitors' strengths and weaknesses helps differentiate your business.

Let’s conduct a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) to evaluate your competitive position. Let’s see the example of Vinamilk’s SWOT analysis as your reference:

Source: Vinamik’s SWOT analytics

In your business plan's market analysis section, be sure to emphasize your unique value proposition (UVP).. Emphasize exclusive, eco-friendly pet products and top-notch service. Compare pricing, shipping, and marketing with competitors for opportunities.

To sum up, there are three action steps you can implement for your business plan’s market analysis section:

• Gather Research Data : Use tools like Google Trends, industry reports, and customer surveys.
• Perform a SWOT Analysis : Assess your business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
• Identify key competitors by analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, which will help you find your competitive edge.

Products and services

Paw Print Post business plan’s Products and Services Section

In this section, you need to determine what you will offer customers and exchange money. Here's how to craft a compelling Products & Services section for your lean business plan:

• Listing Your Offerings:   Start by outlining your company's products or services. Be clear and concise.
• Mapping customer journey from start to finish.  Imagine your ideal customer interacting with your business. Describe each touchpoint,  from initial awareness to purchase and beyond (including after-sales support if applicable).
• Focusing on Clarity: Keep descriptions brief and understandable. Focus on the customer benefits and avoid technical jargon.

Marketing Strategy

An effective marketing plan is essential to attract and retain customers and ensure your business stands out in a competitive market. This section will outline your pricing strategy, promotional channels, and sales venues , covering the marketing mix’s essential aspects, such as product, price, place, and promotion .

Pricing Strategy

Your pricing model should be based on a thorough market analysis. It’s essential to justify your pricing based on your competitors and the value you offer.

For an online fashion retail store, you may adopt a competitive pricing strategy where your prices are lower than those of high-end competitors but higher than those of budget brands, emphasizing the quality and exclusivity of your products.

Action Step : Detail your pricing model. Explain how it aligns with market demand and competitor pricing and why it offers value to your customers.

Promotional Channels

Outline your primary marketing and promotional strategies. This includes digital marketing tactics like SEO, PPC, social media, email, and content marketing.

List your promotional channels and describe how you will apply those to reach your target audience and effectively promote your products or services.

Sales Venues

Define where and how customers can purchase your products or services. This includes online sales channels, physical stores, or a combination.

For example, The fashion retail store might focus on online sales through its website and marketplaces like Amazon and Etsy , ensuring a broad reach. It may also consider pop-up shops or partnering with local boutiques to increase its physical presence.

Comprehensive Marketing Mix

A well-rounded marketing plan covers the four Ps: product, price, place, and promotion. This ensures you have a balanced approach to reaching and engaging your customers.

• Product : Highlight your products’ unique features and benefits.
• Price : Explain your pricing strategy and how it compares to competitors.
• Place : Identify the channels where your products will be sold.
• Promotion : Describe your promotional strategies and how they will drive sales.

For instance, a fashion retail store could detail its marketing mix as follows:

• Product : High-quality, trendy apparel with a focus on sustainability.
• Price : Competitive pricing to appeal to middle-income customers seeking quality.
• Place : Online sales through the website and significant marketplaces, supplemented by pop-up shops.
• Promotion : Aggressive social media campaigns, influencer partnerships, and targeted email marketing.

A competitive analysis is your secret weapon. It reveals the landscape in which you operate and allows you to position your business for success strategically.

There are five main categories of competitors to consider:

• Direct Competitors: These are the companies offering nearly identical products or services. Think Coke vs. Pepsi or Nike vs. Adidas. They're vying for the same customer base, so understanding their strengths and weaknesses is crucial.
• Indirect Competitors: These businesses might offer different solutions, but they ultimately satisfy the exact customer needs.  For example, a ride-sharing service like Uber is an indirect competitor to taxis. While the offerings differ, they both fulfill the need for transportation.

Organizational structure

The organizational structure section of your business plan establishes the legal foundation, introduces critical personnel, and clarifies the business model and functional collaborations to achieve goals.

Operational Plan

Your operating plan details your business's daily operations, covering production, service delivery, and resource management.

• Production and Service Delivery: Explain how products or services are created and delivered. For an artisanal crafts startup, describe sourcing artisans, cataloging products in a warehouse, using Shopify for sales, and coordinating with logistics partners for worldwide shipping.
• Human and Resource Management: Outline staffing and resource allocation. The team includes a sourcing manager, an inventory manager, customer service reps, and a logistics coordinator to ensure efficient operations.

These aspects illustrate a well-defined strategy for efficiently running your business and providing high-quality products or services.

Financial Plan

The financial plan is undoubtedly one of the most critical parts of your business plan. It helps you secure funding and demonstrate your business's economic health. A well-being financial plan includes capital expenditure budgets, projected income statements, and cash flow statements outlining your path to profitability.

• Capital Expenditure Budgets: Detail funds needed for major purchases and investments, showing resource allocation for growth.
• Forecasted Income Statements: Predict revenue, expenses, and profits over time
• Cash Flow Statements: Track cash inflow and outflow to manage liquidity and ensure financial stability.
• Value Proposition: Estimate your business’s value, combining financial forecasts with market analysis, then highlight future growth potential.

Funding source

With some businesses planning to expand or preparing for a venture capital application, the “Funding sources” section is needed. This section showcases various funding options, such as venture capital, angel investors, bank loans, and grants, and explains how you plan to use these funds to achieve your business objectives. This emphasizes a solid financial base and a clear growth strategy. 

This is the final section of a comprehensive business plan, which may include extra documents referenced in other sections or requested by readers. These can be:

• Financial statements
• Product Catalog
• Patent approvals
• And legal records

How to Create Your Shopify Business Plan

Crafting a comprehensive and actionable business plan is crucial for your Shopify store’s success . To create an effective business plan, just follow these steps:

Step 1: Research and Preparation

Gathering Data on Your Market and Competition: Collect valuable insights about your market and competitors. Use tools like:

• Google Trends : To identify market trends and consumer interests.
• Shopify Analytics : To analyze your store's performance and customer behavior.
• Competitor Analysis Platforms : Tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs can support you in understanding your competitors’ strategies and identifying opportunities.

As a result, you can understand customer demand for your products and the competitive landscape.

Identifying Your Target Audience: Dive deep into your audience’s demographics, psychographics, and buying behavior. Consider the following methods:

• Surveys : Online surveys can gather quantitative data on customer preferences and needs.
• Focus Groups : Engage with small groups of potential customers to gain qualitative insights.
• Customer Feedback : Analyze feedback and reviews from your existing customers to understand their experiences and expectations.

Step 2: Writing the Plan

Structuring Each Section Effectively: Organize your business plan with clear headings and subheadings.

Write your plan in clear, simple language, avoiding technical jargon, so it's accessible and understandable to everyone involved.

Using Visual Aids (Charts, Graphs) to Enhance Understanding Visual aids can make complex data more digestible. Incorporate:

• Charts and Graphs : To illustrate financial data, market trends, and other vital points.
• Infographics : To summarize processes and strategies visually.
• Tables : To organize detailed information in an accessible format.

Visual aids enhance comprehension and make your business plan more engaging.

Step 3: Review and Refinement

Seeking Feedback from Mentors or Business Advisors: Get input from experienced individuals who can provide valuable insights. Consider:

• Mentors : Seek advice from successful entrepreneurs or business mentors with industry experience.
• Business Advisors : Professional advisors can offer expert feedback on your business plan and help identify potential weaknesses.

Revising the Plan to Address Potential Weaknesses: Be open to feedback and ready to make changes. Revising your plan based on constructive criticism ensures you address gaps or weaknesses. Remember, your first draft is just the beginning.

Ensuring the Plan is Comprehensive and Realistic: Double-check that all aspects of your business are covered. Ensure your goals are achievable by:

• Setting SMART Goals : Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals provide a clear path to success.
• Realistic Financial Projections : Ensure that your financial projections are based on realistic assumptions and backed by data.

Top 3 most common business plan types

Business plans come in various formats, each tailored to different needs and audiences. Here are the most common types:

Traditional business plans

These are the most comprehensive and detailed, often spanning dozens of pages. They include all major sections, such as 

• Executive summary, 
• Market analysis, 
• Company description, 
• Products and services, 
• Marketing plan, 
• Logistics and operations plan,
• and in-depth financials. 

Venture capitalists and lenders typically require traditional business plans.

Lean business plans

Lean business plans are concise versions of traditional plans, focusing only on critical information. They follow the same format but are much shorter, making them ideal for internal use or when an entire plan isn’t necessary. They help onboard new hires or target specific markets.

Nonprofit business plans

Nonprofit business plans are similar to traditional plans but include additional sections on the organization's social impact and mission. They detail the methods the nonprofit will use to accomplish its objectives and the impact it seeks to create within the community or society. Donors often request these plans. You can check out the Aspire Business plan to understand more.

Shopify Business plan templates

1-  Nature Candy - Ecommerce Retail Business plan  

2-  The Toddler Warehouse - Children care business plan

3-  Chic & Unique Boutique - Online Boutique Clothing Store Business Plan

4-  Pamperzhou Day Spa - Spa & Beauty Business plan

5-  Jolly's Java and Bakery - F&B business plan

Shopify Business Plan’s Tools and Resources

To make your planning process smoother, here are some recommended tools and templates:

Templates and Software: Use business plan software like LivePlan , Bizplan , or Go Small Biz . These tools offer templates, financial forecasting, and collaboration features. 

Further Reading: Dive deeper with guides and industry —websites like Statista, eMarketer, and Shopify’s blog offer valuable insights. 

Support Networks: Join online communities and forums for Shopify entrepreneurs. The Shopify Community and Reddit’s r/shopify are great places to start.

Start creating your Shopify business plan today!

Creating a robust business plan for your Shopify store is not just a step but a leap toward your business success. With our guide, you're well-equipped to craft a plan that charts your path and lights the way to ecommerce triumph. Start planning your Shopify success story today!

Shopify Business Plan FAQs

1- What is a Shopify business plan?  

A Shopify business plan outlines your business strategy, goals, and operations for running a successful Shopify store. It includes market analysis, financial projections, and marketing strategies.

2- What are some tips for creating a small business plan?

• Know your audience : Tailor the language and details based on who will read your plan.
• Have a clear goal : Ensure your plan aligns with your objectives, whether for securing funding or internal planning.
• Invest time in research : Use independent sources to understand your market and competition.
• Keep it concise : Aim for a 15-to-20-page plan, with appendices for additional documents.
• Maintain consistency : Have one person write or thoroughly edit the plan to ensure a consistent tone, style, and voice.
• Use a template : Utilize free templates to cover all necessary sections.
• Try business plan software : Tools like LivePlan, Bizplan, and Go Small Biz can streamline the process.

3- What common mistakes should I avoid when writing a business plan?

• Bad business idea : Ensure your idea is viable and has a market.
• No exit strategy : Include a clear exit strategy for investors.
• Unbalanced teams : Highlight a balanced and competent team, not just the product.
• Missing financial projections : Include detailed financial statements and forecasts.
• Spelling and grammar errors : Proofread your plan to avoid typos and mistakes, as they can undermine credibility.

4- How detailed should my financial projections be?  

Financial projections should include revenue forecasts, expense estimates, and cash flow statements. Detail your assumptions and provide realistic estimates to show potential profitability.

5- How can a business plan help in securing funding?  

A well-structured business plan demonstrates to investors and lenders that you have a clear strategy, understand your market, and have realistic financial projections, making them more likely to invest in your business.

6- Do I need a traditional or lean business plan for my Shopify store?  

It depends on your needs. A traditional business plan is more detailed and suitable for seeking significant funding, while a lean business plan is concise and ideal for internal use or more minor funding requirements.

7- How do I differentiate my Shopify store from competitors in my business plan?

Point up your unique selling proposition (USP), such as exclusive products, superior customer service, or innovative marketing strategies, to show how you stand out in the market.

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How to Create a Business Plan for Your Shopify Startup

• Elliott Pearce
• on March 22, 2023

Launching a Shopify store is exciting, but it’s easy to feel unprepared without a good plan.

You may have a brilliant idea—and the Shopify platform makes everything from marketing to finances easier to manage—but working out how to bring your vision to fruition is still a tremendous challenge.

Creating a business plan may be something a few entrepreneurs can do without, but for many others, it’s a vital tool for clarifying their startup’s objectives and their strategy for achieving them. A formal business plan is also a necessity for those seeking funding.

This article will help you decide if a traditional business plan is something that will assist you in launching your Shopify startup, and if so, show you the 8 key elements it should contain.

Are formal business plans essential?

Before we launch into the ins and outs of creating a successful business plan, it’s important to note that creating a full business plan may not be necessary or desirable for all entrepreneurs.

While almost everyone will benefit from doing some kind of planning before setting up a business, this doesn’t necessarily have to be a formal business plan.

For example, successful entrepreneur Cat LeBlanc uses what she calls a ‘concept to test’ . This involves laying out an idea and a value proposition, and then doing some marketing to see if the concept actually appeals to the target audience.

For those with the ability to be flexible and adapt rapidly in the face of market realities, this more minimal type of planning can certainly work. By contrast, sticking too rigidly to a business plan—no matter how well thought-through—in the face of changing or unexpected market conditions is a recipe for failure.

It’s also worth noting that for ecommerce entrepreneurs using Shopify specifically, various aspects of marketing, operations, and finances will be handled for them by the platform. This may reduce the level of detail required in a business plan.

But with all that being said, your personality type may be suited to engaging in meticulous planning and forethought before taking the leap. Creating a full business plan will force you to do several potentially valuable things:

• Think through every aspect of how the business would operate
• Clarify your business objectives and strategy
• Work out what is required in the way of resources
• Identity potential risks and roadblocks

So for many, working through all of these details may allow them to reach a more informed and confident decision about the viability of their business idea, provided that they’re willing to adapt their business plan once it meets with reality.

It should also be noted that for those looking to raise capital or take out a business loan, having a fully fleshed-out business plan to show to investors or your bank is pretty much essential.

Now that we’ve established that a formal business plan can be a useful tool for many (if not all), let’s discuss what it needs to contain to be effective.

What are the elements of a traditional business plan?

1. Executive summary

The purpose of the executive summary is to provide readers with an accessible, clear overview of your business, providing brief insights into key details like:

• Your business concept, vision, and goals
• What your product will be, and what sets it apart
• Your target market and customer demographics
• A summary of your marketing strategy
• An overview of your financial projections

If you’re writing the business plan only for your own planning purposes, the executive summary is optional. However, distilling everything in this way can be a useful exercise nonetheless.

2. Company description

This section involves describing your business in greater detail than in the executive summary. It should include setting out your company’s vision and mission, any important background information or history, and the ownership structure you’ll adopt (e.g. S corporation vs. sole proprietorship). Another important factor to plan for is where to base your startup .

As with the executive summary, this section is optional if you don’t intend to present your business plan to anyone. However, laying out in writing what the core values of your company will be, and what impact you want to have on the world is, can still be a very useful way to gain clarity on these big-picture issues.

3. Product breakdown

Here you’ll want to go into detail about the product (or range of products) that your Shopify store will be offering. You should flesh out:

• Product features and benefits
• Your pricing strategy
• Where products will be sourced from, e.g. will they be handcrafted locally or manufactured abroad?
• Information about any patents or trademarks required or already owned.

4. Market and competitor analysis

This section is where you’ll provide an analysis of the particular ecommerce market your Shopify store will operate in, as well as of your competitors.

This means firstly breaking down industry trends such as the size of the market, its growth rate, and projected future growth. These are crucial stats to consider, as you probably don’t want to be chasing a slice of a shrinking or stagnant pie.

You'll also want to break down data on your competitors, such as how they price their products, the marketing strategies they’re using, and how their products differ from yours.

Even if your product is first to market, it’s still worth considering any indirect competitors, i.e. where your customers are likely to be switching from spending their money.

5. Customer segmentation

Identifying your ideal customer (or target market) is crucial in creating an effective marketing strategy, as preferences can vary so widely between different groups—particularly in many ecommerce industries like fashion.

In order to work out which customer segment you should target, you’ll want to look at characteristics like:

• Physical location
• Education and income level
• Personal values, beliefs, and viewpoints

6. Marketing and sales plan

Once you’ve set out who your ideal customer is, you’ll need to explain what your strategy will be to actually get them to buy from you.

You’ll therefore need to figure out some key elements, such as your pricing strategy, how you’ll use the power of branding and design to set your product apart, and the marketing channels you’ll pursue to promote it.

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Who your ideal customer is will inform these parts of your marketing strategy. For example, if you’re targeting a younger demographic, you may opt for TikTok as an advertising channel—but probably not if it’s an older demographic.

7. Financial plan

Making a bulletproof projection of your business’s finances when you haven’t started it yet is likely to be tricky.

Producing realistic projections of profits and losses is an excellent exercise in determining how much financial headroom your business has.

If margins look tight, even in an optimistic projection that assumes you’d be making good levels of sales, you may need to think hard about how viable your business idea is.

The depth of information in your financial plan will vary based on who (you’re presenting the business plan to (if anyone)), but it generally includes an income statement, a balance sheet, and a cash-flow statement. You may also want to include your startup costs and funding needs.

8. Operations and logistics plan

The logistics and operations section outlines how you’ll ensure that your customers are being served by a finely tuned machine.

Key aspects to cover include:

• Sources of raw materials and your production location
• Manufacturing method and production time, and details of how you’d handle high demand
• The technology and equipment you’ll need
• Whether shipping and fulfillment will be handled in-house or through a third-party
• How you’ll manage your inventory

Your operations plan should also address how you’ll staff your business, e.g. how many employees will you need and in which roles?

Comprehensively planning operations and supply chain issues will also help to determine things like your pricing and break-even point, thus helping to inform your marketing and financial plans.

Even though Shopify businesses have functions like shipping handled for them, it’s still a good idea to have a solid plan for those elements of operations that don’t fall under the platform’s umbrella.

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Hopefully, you now understand how a business plan can be an excellent tool to help you successfully launch your Shopify startup (even if it’s not mandatory).

Provided you adapt any plan once it meets the realities of the market, it can really help you clarify your ecommerce startup’s objectives and strategies.

Once you’ve launched your business, you’re likely to want to leverage the power of automation to save you time and money while reducing the potential for costly errors.

Sufio is a professional invoicing app for Shopify that allows you to generate invoices that are fully compliant, display the right currency, and are translated into the customer’s language. All automatically.

So, when you’re ready, try Sufio’s powerful automated features with this 14-day free trial.

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How to Write a Shopify Store Business Plan [Sample Template]

Are you about starting a Shopify company? If YES, here is a complete sample Shopify store business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE . If you want to set up an e-commerce company that is like Shopify, then it is important that you take concrete steps in making that plan a reality. Even though eCommerce might look like an easy business to start up, but the competition out there is stiff especially as you would need to compete with well-known brand names where people prefer to sell from or shop from.

Though there are a lot of great tools you can use in gathering information on how to set up your shopify-like company; but it is best you consult a business expert who has knowledge about the industry you are in to help advice you on the possibility of your business making it.

Another important thing you will need to do is formulate a business plan for your e-commerce platform by thinking up features that will sway sellers and buyers to your site. Your market research must be competitive so that you can become successful. If you do not know how to write a business plan, it is best to seek the services of a business plan writer or check online for sample business plan templates.

A Sample Shopify Store Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

The fact that consumers have been finding it difficult to visit brick and mortar stores due to hectic schedules has allowed for the growth of the e-commerce industry where customers can sit at home or in their office to shop. Also, transportation trouble is eradicated with the home or destination delivery offered by these platforms.

According to trends, products available online are usually cheaper than those sold in retail stores. Also, online stores usually give customers discounts, cash-on-delivery offers and other features that make it more attractive to shop online.

One good feature about shopping online is that buyers are able to see the specifications of the products and then compare them with similar products or alternatives. The speed of the internet and the increase in the ownership of smartphones and tablets has allowed for the growth of this sector.

The industry has experienced a lot of mergers and acquisitions as major brands keep acquiring other companies with niches in other areas in order to continue with their hold on the industry.

The industry has also experienced a lot of collaborations as major players have collaborated with third part vendors especially in providing logistic services. These collaborations are done in order to ensure that the processes flow smoothly.

North America has dominated the market on a global level in areas like consumer awareness, purchase pattern, and secured internet transactions; and this trend is expected to continue for a long time. Following closely behind is the Europe market.

It is expected that Asia-pacific will witness a rapid growth in the future on account of increase in the use of internet and technological devices.

The industry has had its share of difficulties as there has been counterfeit goods delivery from certain merchants or customers. Also, the monetary transactions being conducted online have given hackers opportunity to try and break into websites in order to get the information of customers.

2. Executive Summary

Juvia.com is an e-commerce company that has positioned itself to become a market leader by offering online retailers and buying customers a secure and simple way they can conduct their transactions online. Our company will offer a business-to-business solution to our online merchants regardless of what products or services they will be offering.

Our vision is to make eCommerce better for everyone by providing a hassle-free platform that will allow our customers build and focus on their retail businesses without distractions. We want online merchants from all over the world to use our platform in managing every aspect of their business and also change how purchasing works at the fundamental level for buying customers.

The eCommerce industry is filled with intense competition as there are huge brands such as Amazon, Shopify, eBay and the rest that have a huge share of the market, which is why our unique policy on handling returned merchandise will ensure that we secure a space for ourselves in the industry.

Part of our services include taking care of the needs of online merchants so that they are able to concentrate on their core competencies and not get distracted. Our other services include online 24/7 customer service, transportation and logistics as well as advertisements.

Because of how much we value our customers, we have developed a software application that will cater to the satisfaction of our customers by managing all their business activities seamlessly. We will also ensure that we form a strategic relationship with our online merchants as this will enable us to grow our customer base.

We have built a solid business structure that will allow us hire only the best to work for us. Our employees are not only competent but they also align with our core values as a company and are willing to work in ensuring that we attain our goals and objectives.

We have created an environment that is conducive enough to all our workforce and their welfare packages are one of the best in the industry especially amongst similar startups such as ours.

The company is founded by Jeff Ways, Diane Schultz and Michael Owen. Jeff has more than 15 years’ experience in this industry as he was top management for Amazon and Shopify. Diane has worked in UPS and will handle carrier alliances. Michael has close to 10 years’ experience in the information technology industry and has worked at big brands such as Microsoft and IBM.

3. Our Products and Services

At Juvia.com, we intend to offer services that will help retailers streamline their return process. We intend to allow the retailers on our platform to outsource a large part of their business so that they can focus fully on their core competencies and avoid distractions that will add little or no benefit to their business.

However, this will not be our only service as we intend to create multiple sources of income that will be in line with our objectives. It should be noted that while we might be looking to create a unique eCommerce platform for our clients (retailers and buying customers), we are established just like any business to generate profit and we will ensure that our revenue generation is within reasonable ambition for a company and under the permissible laws of the united states of America.

Some of the services that we intend to offer our various customers include;

• Domain name purchasing
• Secure Ecommerce hosting
• Online store
• Shopping cart system
• Integration of various payment gateway
• Marketing & SEO
• Escrow Service

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to make eCommerce better for everyone by providing a hassle-free platform that will allow our customers build and focus on their retail businesses without any sort of distractions. We want online merchants from all over the world to use our platform in managing their business and also change how purchasing works at the fundamental level for buying customers.
• Our mission is to ensure that we enhance customer service for our various merchants so that we not only help them increase their sales but we also help them retain a high number of their customers. We intend to improve the image of our eCommerce platform both for the merchants as well as buying customers by enhancing the interaction process and problem resolution time.

Our Business Structure

Our intention of starting Juvia.com is to build a brand that offers merchants a hassle-free platform in selling their products and or services and also ensure that their buying customers have the best experience possible when using our platform. It is to this effect that we have laid down plans to ensure that we get it right from the beginning by ensuring that we hire only competent and professional hands to all the available positions in our company.

We are building a management team that is not only filled with core professionals in their various fields but a team that has identified with our objectives and value and are therefore committed to ensuring that we are able to attain them.

We intend to ensure that our employees work in an environment that is not only conducive but also well structure. Due to the fact that we intend to offer a wide range of services to help us compete with already established brands, we will be hiring enough employees to fill in available positions in our company.

Below therefore is the business structure that we are looking to build at Juvia.com;

Board of Directors

Chief Executive Officer

Director of Finance

Logistics and Operations Manager

Information Technology Manager

Sales and Marketing Executive

Human Resources and Administrative Manager

Customer Service Executive

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

• In charge of overseeing the strategic direction and growth of the company in specific areas such as financial stability, operations and well-being of the company
• Acts on behalf of shareholders in ensuring that the day-to-day affairs of the company are in order
• Provide report to shareholders regarding the performance of the company
• Engages in opportunities that will allow for the expansion of the company
• Creates room for strategic alliance and management of relationships with internal and external customers
• Engages in strategic guidance of the company
• Oversees the day-to-day running of the company
• Drafts the policies and structures that will be used by the company
• Ensures that policies are implanted and reviewed regularly in order to modify or remove ineffective ones
• Handles financial oversight on behalf of the company
• Ensures that the assets of the company are safeguarded
• Ensures that the overall budget is duly implemented
• Handles transportation and other logistics on behalf of the company
• Creates a strategic relationship between carriers for the benefit of the company
• Works hand-in-hand with the online merchants
• In charge of the overall technological efficiency of the platform at all times
• Develops software when needed and upgrades existing software on behalf of the company
• Controls the dissemination of information on the platform
• Develops marketing strategies and engages in marketing activities on behalf of the company
• Generates revenue for the company
• Handles and enhances public relations on behalf of the company
• Sources for and recruits competent employees and conducts orientation on behalf of the company
• Engages in employee appraisals and ensures that employees undergo regular trainings
• Oversees the administrative affairs of the company
• Handles customers on behalf of online merchants as well as on behalf of the company
• Ensures speedy resolve of customer complaints
• Remains updated as regards organizational policies so as to disseminate accurate information to clients at all times

6. SWOT Analysis

The fact that we intend to run a standard platform means that we must do all we can to ensure that we have the right information regarding the business which we intend to run. We have therefore engaged the services of a business consultant who has a thorough understanding of the industry to look through our business concept and determine our likelihood of survival.

The consultant intends to use an analysis that is objective to determine how ready we are internally and externally to handle the different scenarios that we would encounter running our business. The analysis will be done based on similar startups such as ours in the country.

The business consultant will be making use of internal attributes such as strengths and weaknesses and external factors such as opportunities and threats to determine if our business will be a success. Below is the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Juvia.com by our business consultant;

We have several strengths that will be of huge advantage to our business and they are the fact that we offer an operation that runs all hours and days of the week. This means that no matter where our customers might be located, they will experience no stoppage in their services.

Our business is one that is global and we have several retailers that have signed up from other countries other than the United States. Our services are fast and effective and we offer our customers comparison shopping where they can compare prices in our stores to that of our competitors. Also, our financial transactions are very secure and fast.

There are several weaknesses that plague our platform such as the fact that we are still a new brand and as such have not gained as much prominence as we would like in the industry, this we would solve through aggressive advertisement and publicity.

We have also found that transportation costs are a bit high and are therefore inadvertently increasing the price of products for our various merchants. We hope to tackle these by looking to partner with more transportation and logistics firms in order that we might have the upper hand when negotiating rates till we are able to handle transportation and logistics ourselves.

• Opportunities

Internet users are increasing daily which means more people are going to grab the opportunity to sell online or become buyers from online retail stores, thereby increasing revenue for platforms such as ours. Also, more opportunities exist in the fact that more people feel comfortable buying from the internet.

There are several threats that we expect to face when looking to start our business and while we expect to be able to handle some threats, some we understand will be beyond our control. Some of the threats that we expect to face include; dishonest merchants who will damage the confidence of customers in ecommerce platforms, dishonest customers who will damage the faith of merchants in the system, adverse government policies, arrival of a new competitor and economic downturn.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

The online retail sector is one of the largest segments in e-commerce as this is the sector that accounts for the sale of consumer goods and accessories. Online retail stores in the United States according to the U.S Commerce Department generated revenue of close to $262 billion in 2013.

The revenue boom experienced by online retail stores is not only due to the fact that consumers have become more sophisticated when it comes to shopping but the advantage of speed and dynamics has continued to see online retail stores having an advantage over brick and mortar stores.

According to a research report by Forrester, it is expected that in the next several years, online retail sales will outgrow sales from brick and mortar stores. The growth experienced in online retail sale has received great boost due to smartphones and tablets as well as penetration of internet service on a global level.

The business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumers (B2C) market is very huge in the United States, as during 2013, the B2B aspect alone generated nearly $560 billion. The players in the B2B sector are however huge brands that include networking and infrastructure companies. Other sectors in the B2B industry are growing as well from cloud computing to social networks and advertising.

8. Our Target Market

Our target market is wide enough as our platform is open to online retailers of various categories. We have however decided to conduct a thorough market survey of our target market based on information obtained regarding similar businesses like ours in the country.

Our intention of conducting a market survey is so that we have a better idea of what it is our target market wants in order that we might then offer the right services that will meet these wants. The fact that there are already huge ecommerce platforms in the industry doesn’t mean that there isn’t still a need that hasn’t been met.

From the result of our market survey, we are therefore in business to offer our services to the following;

• Online retailers
• Buying customers
• Carrier companies
• Corporate bodies
• Advertising companies
• Payment Processing Companies
• Other ecommerce platforms

Our Competitive Advantage

Even though there are huge brands in existence like Amazon, eBay, Shopify and the rest, we foresee that there will be three types of competition from three avenues such as Direct, Internal and Channel. Regardless of the avenue, we have laid down policies and plans that will ensure that we offer top notch services to our various customers not only here in the United States of America but also on a global level as well. In order for us to be able to achieve this, we intend to have several laid down strategies that will allow us have the needed edge we need over our competitors.

One of the first competitive advantages that we intend to have over our competitors is ensuring that we are able to offer unique services to our internal competitors by striking a partnership and strategic agreement with the merchants that will enable Juvia.com cater to agreements when it comes to handling returned merchandise, a service that other platforms haven’t perfected for their various customers.

We intend to also have strategic partnerships with various carriers so that we will have the upper hand when it comes to negotiating rates and preferential service terms for our online retailers as well as buying customers. We will ensure that we create a higher degree of flexibility in our services so that we will be able to adjust to the needs of our customers.

We intend to have top notch customer service in order to be able to support our online retailers and the buying customers. Our customer service will be online all hours every day to speedily handle requests, complaints and feedback. We will ensure that our customers are satisfied most of the time as this is likely going to help increase our retention rate.

We intend to have the best welfare packages for our employees especially when compared to similar start-ups such as ours. We will also ensure that our employees work in an environment that is conducive enough and that they undergo regular training that will enhance their skills and boost their productivity for our company.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Juvia.com has been established with the intention of not only generating revenue but also making profit in the eCommerce industry here in the United States of America. In order for us to achieve our aim of attaining profitability, we intend to offer various services to all our customers.

The services we are looking to offer in order to be able to generate revenue for Juvia.com include;

10. Sales Forecast

Juvia.com is an eCommerce platform that intends to offer merchants and buying customers an experience like never before when it comes to selling or buying via the platform.

The fact that we have chosen an easy enough name for merchants and customers to remember and easy enough to rank high in search engines means that we have strategically positioned ourselves to take on the available market and generate the revenue that will be needed to grow, sustain and expand our business. Through our estimation, we are confident of meeting our target and recouping our investment within our first three years of starting the business.

Our optimistic evaluation is borne out of the fact that we have conducted a critical evaluation of the eCommerce industry and our chances of making it in the industry. We engaged the services of a reputable business consultant who understands the business thoroughly to help evaluate our chances, and using data and information from similar startups such as ours in the industry, our projections were predicted.

Therefore, the findings of the business consultant for Juvia.com and based on certain assumptions are;

• First Fiscal Year: $1,000,320
• Second Fiscal Year: $2,200,000
• Third Fiscal Year: $5,000,000

N.B : It should be noted that the above sales projection was conducted based on what is obtainable in the industry during the period of the projection. Several factors were taken into consideration such as the arrival of a major competitor, change in government policies and downturn of the economy. Should the factors change from what it is now either positively or negatively, the sales projections for Juvia.com will either increase or decrease as well.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Marketing is crucial to a business’s survival and no business either established for profit or nonprofit can bypass this aspect. Through marketing, a business cannot only generate awareness but also generate the revenue that will allow the business to become profitable.

The right marketing strategies will not only enable us to penetrate our intended target market but we will also enable us gain a huge share of the market for ourselves and compete favorably against our competitors in the United States and even globally.

Before any marketing strategies can however be crafted and deemed effective, it is necessary that there be an overall marketing plan as this is what will act as a guide for any strategies that will be created. Our marketing plan was formulated based on the market survey that we conducted in our bid to know and understand or target market and know what is expected from us as well as what we should expect from them.

We intend to engage the services of a reputable brand consultant who has a thorough understanding of the market to help us create the right strategies that will be of huge benefit to our business and therefore enable us win a large percentage of the market not only here in the United States of America but also globally as well.

We will also engage a sales and marketing team to engage in marketing strategies on behalf of the company. Below are some of the sales and marketing strategies that Juvia.com will adopt in order to deliver quality services to our various clients;

• Ensure that we create a quality and secure website for the various online stores on our platform making sure that the website loads easily and ranks high on search engines
• Engage in push strategy by engaging in direct sales force promoted to only the merchants
• Place advertisements about our platform on several media outlets such as newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations
• Place advertising banners on popular forums and blogs as well as on websites of participating merchants
• Use social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to massively engage in sales and marketing activities

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

Deploying the right publicity and advertising strategies is very important if we intend to survive and gain awareness for our business in an industry that is quite competitive. We intend to use our publicity and advertising strategies to not only penetrate the market but also gain a huge share of the market that we can convert into revenue generation and profit maximization for our business.

Because we intend to hit the ground running when we start our business, we are going to hire the services of a brand consultant to help us create and deploy the right publicity and advertising strategies that will help boost our brand and communicate our image positively to the public.

Some of the publicity and advertising strategies that we intend to use in creating awareness for our business include;

• Promotion of our story and values to leading online blogs and forums
• Install our billboards in strategic locations all around Virginia as well as in certain cities in the United States of America
• Place adverts about our platform in newspapers and various magazines as well as on radio and television stations
• Sponsor and participate in relevant programs in various communities across the country
• Use our social media platform such as Facebook and Twitter to effectively promote our platform

12. Our Pricing Strategy

We have used a whole lot of factors to determine how our rates will be set. We intend to conduct a market research that will enable us know the right rates to set that will be affordable to our merchants, while not allowing us to run at a loss. We will also ensure that the prices we offer for our various packages are within the range of what our competitors are offering.

In order for us to attract more customers and increase awareness for our business, we intend to reduce our rates for at least three months across all packages and also offer a free two weeks trial for certain category of products that will be offered on our platform.

We have conducted a thorough analysis on whether our promo offer will hurt our bottom line and have found that even though we may not be making much during the three months period, but what we stand to gain will be for a long term.

• Payment Options

As an ecommerce platform, we are concerned about the convenience for our various merchants and their customers when it comes to providing payment options that will suit their different tastes and preferences. Therefore the different payment options that we intend to offer all our customers include;

• Payment via Juvia Pay
• Payment via Paypal
• Payment via Cyrptocurrency such as Bitcoin
• Payment via credit card
• Payment via Google pay
• Payment via Apple pay

It should be noted that the above payment options were carefully chosen because we had the interest of our several clients in mind. The payment options we know will work for all parties involved without hitches of any sort.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

Even though starting an eCommerce platform might look easy since it is a service based business, it requires a substantial amount of capital in order to be able to stand out and compete with other existing eCommerce platforms. Capital will be needed to pay the salaries of employees, lease a facility, handle secure hosting and take care of other running costs till the business is able to generate revenue to take care of itself.

The areas where the generated capital will be spent on include;

• Fees for registering and incorporating Juvia.com – $2,000
• Obtaining of zonal and regulatory licenses and permits, as well as accounting, database and CRM software – $100,000
• Insurance coverage (General liability, errors and omission insurance and Workers Compensation) – $20,000
• Marketing expenses for general e-commerce activities as well as promotional activities to promote grand launching of Juvia.com – $100,000
• Cost of hiring reputable business and publicity consultants – $50,000
• Operational costs for the first 1 year of operation (employee salaries, hosting fees, utility bills) – $500,000
• Leasing of office facility for a period of three years including renovations – $150,000
• Cost of purchasing furniture, computers, printers, fax machines, phones – $50,000
• Cost of launching and designing a website – $20,000
• Cost of our opening party – $10,000
• Miscellaneous – $50,000

From the above breakdown, we would need the sum of $1,052,000 in order to not only be able to startup but to also successfully run Juvia.com here in Virginia. It should be noted that the bulk of the capital will go into paying the salaries of employees for at least one year as well as providing secure hosting on our platform.

Generating Funding/Startup Capital for Juvia.com Business

Juvia.com is an ecommerce platform that is owned by three friends, Jeff Ways, Diane Schultz and Michael Owen, who have enough experience in the ecommerce business. They have plans of allowing external investors inject capital into their business both at the start-up phase as well as the expansion phase.

The areas where they are therefore looking to generate their startup capital from are;

• Generate part of the start-up capital from sale of stock and properties
• Apply for loan from the commercial bank
• Get startup capital from external investor

N.B : We have been able to generate the sum of $352,000 from our sale of stock and properties. We have sought for capital from an external investor to the tune of $400,000 in return for a 5% equity. We consider this to be a fair deal and have signed the necessary documents.

We sought the sum of $300,000 from our bank and after due negotiation, we have agreed to pay back the loan in 5 years at a return interest rate of 3%. All the documents with the bank will be signed within the week and we will have the money credited to our account after then.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

Even though our intention is to offer a hassle free platform for merchants and visitors, we are established to generate revenue and maximize profit that will allow us to sustain and expand our business. Our sustainability and expansion strategies include reinvesting back into the business to boost our bottom line; ensuring that we provide our customers’ quality service in order to enable us retain and attract more customers to our business.

We are starting off our business with a substantial amount of capital from our pockets and also borrowed from the commercial bank and an external investor and it is therefore important that we have laid down plans and strategies that will enable us recoup this investment in order that we not remain indebted further than we should be, while also striving for profitability. We have a competent director of finance who will conduct periodic financial analysis and statement and ensure that we remain on the right path when it comes to our finances.

The eCommerce industry is filled with intense competition especially as there are already huge brands that have taken a huge share of the market; however in order to be able to gain awareness in the market, we intend to offer all our customers – merchants, buying customers and visitors quality service.

Our merchants will have no problems focusing on their business as we intend to handle all the other aspects of the business – customer care, shipping, advertising and so on – that might cause them any distraction.

Our customer service is top notch because we know how valuable our customers are to us. We have a customer support service that will ensure that all our customers get adequate attention on whatever issues they might need resolved or whatever inquiries they might need attended to.

We have a dedicated staff that will ensure that we are able to satisfy about 95 percent of our customers. We know that deploying the above strategies will enable us to achieve our sustainability and expansion strategies.

Check List/Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check: Completed
• Business Registration: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
• Opening Mobile Money Accounts: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Conducting feasibility studies: Completed
• Generating capital from family members: Completed
• Applications for Loan from the bank: In Progress
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress
• Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
• Graphics Design and Printing of Promotional Materials: In Progress
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business both online and around the community: In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement (License): Secured
• Opening party planning: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with vendors – wholesale suppliers/merchants: In Progress
• Purchase of trucks: Completed

More on Wholesale & Retail

How to Build a Detailed Business Plan That Stands Out [Free Template]

Updated: March 29, 2022

Published: March 11, 2022

While starting a company may seem easier now than ever before, entrepreneurs have an uphill battle from the moment they start a business. And without a clear, actionable business plan for selling, marketing, finances, and operations, you're almost destined to face significant challenges.

This is why crafting a business plan is an essential step in the entrepreneurial process.

In this post, we'll walk you through the process of filling out your business plan template, like this free, editable version :

Download a free, editable one-page business plan template.

We know that when looking at a blank page on a laptop screen, the idea of writing your business plan can seem impossible. However, it's a mandatory step to take if you want to turn your business dreams into a reality.

That's why we've crafted a business plan template for you to download and use to build your new company. You can download it here for free . It contains prompts for all of the essential parts of a business plan, all of which are elaborated on, below.

This way, you'll be able to show them how organized and well-thought-out your business idea is, and provide them with answers to whatever questions they may have.

Free Business Plan Template

The essential document for starting a business -- custom built for your needs.

• Outline your idea.
• Pitch to investors.
• Secure funding.
• Get to work!

Download Free

All fields are required.

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Building a Successful Business Plan

In the next section, we'll cover the components of a business plan , such as an executive summary and company description. But before we get to that, let's talk about key elements that should serve as building blocks for your plan.

For some entrepreneurs, the thought of writing a business plan sounds like a chore — a necessary means to an end. But that's a bad take.

A solid business plan is a blueprint for success . It's key to securing financing, presenting your business, outlining your financial projections, and turning that nugget of a business idea into a reality.

At the core, your business plan should answer two questions: why your business and why now?

Investors want to know why your business is entering the market, i.e. what problem it's solving and how it's different from what's currently out there. They also want to know why now is the right time for your type of product or service.

At a minimum, your plan should:

• Be more realistic than idealistic: Too often, business plans focus too much on how things could be instead of how they are. While having a vision is important, your plan needs to be rooted in research and data.
• Legitimize your business idea : If an idea fails on paper, it's a signal to go back to the drawing board. In doing so, you avoid losing precious time or money chasing an unrealistic idea.
• Position your business for funding: To get your business off the ground, chances are you'll need financial backing. Even with a solid business idea, investors, lenders, and banks still need convincing. An effective business plan will outline how much money you need, where it's going, what targets you will hit, and how you plan to repay any debts.
• Lay the foundation: Investors focus on risk – if anything looks shaky, it could be a dealbreaker. Ideally, your business plan will lay down the foundation for how you'll operate your business — from operational needs to financial projections and goals.
• Communicate your needs: It's nearly impossible to communicate your needs if you don't know what they are first. Of course, a business’ needs are always changing — but your plan should give you a well-rounded view of how your business will work in the short and long term.

So back to the question of why and why now – consider three things:

• Your industry – How does your product or service fit within your industry? Are you targeting a specific niche? Where do you see the industry going in the next five to 10 years?
• Your target audience – Who are you targeting? What challenges are they facing? How will your product or service help them in their daily lives?
• Your unique selling proposition (USP) – What sets you apart from your competitors? Is it your product/service features? Your company values? Price?

Once you know the answers to these questions, you'll be equipped to answer the question: why your business and why now.

How to Build a Business Plan

• Executive Summary
• Company and Business Description
• Product and Services Line
• Market Analysis
• Marketing Plan
• Legal Notes
• Financial Considerations

Featured Resource: Free Business Plan Template

1. cover page.

Your business plan should be prefaced with an eye-catching cover page. This means including a high-resolution image of your company logo, followed by your company's name, address, and phone number.

Since this business plan will likely change hands and be seen by multiple investors, you should also provide your own name, role in the business, and email address on the cover page.

At the bottom of this page, you can also add a confidentiality statement to protect against the disclosure of your business details.

The statement can read as follows: " This document contains confidential and proprietary information created by [your company name]. When receiving this document, you agree to keep its content confidential and may only reproduce and/or share it with express written permission of [your company name] ."

Remember to keep your cover page simple and concise — and save the important details for other sections.

Why it matters: First impressions are everything, and a clean cover page is the first step in the right direction.

Example of a Cover Page

2. Executive Summary

The executive summary of your business plan provides a one- to two-page overview of your business and highlights the most crucial pieces of your plan, such as your short-term and long-term goals.

The executive summary is essentially a boiled-down version of your entire business plan, so remember to keep this section to the point and filled only with essential information.

Typically, this brief section includes:

• A mission statement.
• The company's history and leadership model.
• An overview of competitive advantage(s).
• Financial projections.
• Company goals.
• An ask from potential investors.

Why it matters: The executive summary is known as the make-or-break section of a business plan. It influences whether investors turn the page or not — so effectively summarizing your business and the problem it hopes to solve is a must.

Think of the Summary as a written elevator pitch (with more detail). While your business plan provides the nitty-gritty details, your Summary describes — in a compelling but matter-of-fact language — the highlights of your plan. If it's too vague, complicated, or fuzzy, you may need to scrap it and start again.

Example of an Executive Summary Introduction

"The future looks bright for North Side Chicago, particularly the Rock Hill Neighborhood. A number of high-end commercial and residential developments are well on their way, along with two new condo developments in nearby neighborhoods.

While the completion of these developments will increase the population within the neighborhood and stimulate the economy, the area lacks an upscale restaurant where residents and visitors can enjoy fine food and drink. Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant will provide such a place."

3. Company & Business Description

In this section, provide a more thorough description of what your company is and why it exists.

The bulk of the writing in this section should be about your company's purpose – covering what the business will be selling, identifying the target market, and laying out a path to success.

In this portion of your business plan, you can also elaborate on your company's:

• Mission statement
• Core values
• Team and organizational structure

Why it matters: Investors look for great structures and teams in addition to great ideas. This section gives an overview of your businesses' ethos. It's the perfect opportunity to set your business apart from the competition — such as your team's expertise, your unique work culture, and your competitive advantage.

Example of a Values/Mission Statement

"Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant will be the go-to place for people to get a drink or bite in an elegant, upscale atmosphere. The mission is to be North Side's leading restaurant, with the best tasting food and the highest quality service."

3. Product & Services Line

Here's where you'll cover the makeup of your business's product and/or services line. You should provide each product or service's name, its purpose, and a description of how it works (if appropriate). If you own any patents, copyrights, or trademarks, it's essential to include this info too.

Next, add some color to your sales strategy by outlining your pricing model and mark-up amounts.

If you're selling tangible products, you should also explain production and costs, and how you expect these factors to change as you scale.

Why it matters: This section contains the real meat of your business plan. It sets the stage for the problem you hope to solve, your solution, and how your said solution fits in the market.

There's no one-size-fits-all formula for this section. For instance, one plan may delve into its ability to market in a more cost-effective way than the competition, whereas another plan focuses on its key products and their unique features and benefits.

Regardless of your angle, it's critical to convey how your offerings will differ from the competition.

Example of a Product/Service Offering

"The menu at Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant will focus on Moroccan cuisine. The stars of the menu (our specialties) are the Moroccan dishes, such as eggplant zaalouk, seafood bastilla, tagine, and chickpea stew. For those who enjoy American dishes, there will also be a variety of options, from burger sliders and flatbread pizza to grilled steak and salads.

The food at Jay Street will have premium pricing to match its upscale atmosphere. During the summer months, the restaurant will have extra seating on the patio where clients can enjoy a special summer menu. We will be open on all days of the week."

4. Market Analysis

It helps to reference your market research documentation in this section, like a Porter's Five Forces Analysis or a SWOT Analysis ( templates for those are available here ). You can also include them in your appendix.

If your company already has buyer personas, you should include them here as well. If not, you can create them right now using the Make My Persona Tool .

Why it matters: Having an awesome product is, well, awesome — but it isn't enough. Just as important, there must be a market for it.

This section allows you to dig deeper into your market, which segments you want to target, and why. The "why" here is important, since targeting the right segment is critical for the success and growth of your business.

It's easy to get lost (or overwhelmed) in a sea of endless data. For your business plan, narrow your focus by answering the following questions:

• What is my market? In other words, who are my customers?
• What segments of the market do I want to target?
• What's the size of my target market?
• Is my market likely to grow?
• How can I increase my market share over time?

Example of a Market Analysis

"Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant will target locals who live and work within the Rock Hill Neighborhood and the greater North Side Chicago area. We will also target the tourists who flock to the many tourist attractions and colleges on the North Side.

We will specifically focus on young to middle-aged adults with an income of $40,000 to $80,000 who are looking for an upscale experience. The general demographics of our target market are women between 20 to 50 years old.

A unique and varied Moroccan-American menu, along with our unique upscale atmosphere, differentiates us from competitors in the area. Jay Street will also set itself apart through its commitment to high-quality food, service, design, and atmosphere."

5. Marketing Plan

Unlike the market analysis section, your marketing plan section should be an explanation of the tactical approach to reaching your aforementioned target audience. List your advertising channels, organic marketing methods, messaging, budget, and any relevant promotional tactics.

If your company has a fully fleshed-out marketing plan, you can attach it in the appendix of your business plan. If not, download this free marketing plan template to outline your strategy.

Free Marketing Plan Template

Outline your company's marketing strategy in one simple, coherent plan.

• Pre-Sectioned Template
• Completely Customizable
• Example Prompts
• Professionally Designed

Why it matters: Marketing is what puts your product in front of your customers. It's not just advertising — it's an investment in your business.

Throwing money into random marketing channels is a haphazard approach, which is why it's essential to do the legwork to create a solid marketing plan.

Here's some good news — by this point, you should have a solid understanding of your target market. Now, it's time to determine how you'll reach them.

Example of a Marketing Plan Overview

"Our marketing strategy will focus on three main initiatives:

• Social media marketing. We will grow and expand our Facebook and Instagram following through targeted social media ads.
• Website initiatives. Our website will attract potential visitors by offering updated menus and a calendar of events.
• Promotional events. Jay Street will have one special theme night per week to attract new clients."

6. Sales Plan

It doesn't matter if your sales department is an office full of business development representatives (BDR) or a dozen stores with your products on their shelves.

The point is: All sales plans are different, so you should clearly outline yours here. Common talking points include your:

• Sales team structure, and why this structure was chosen.
• Sales channels.
• Sales tools, software, and resources.
• Prospecting strategy.
• Sales goals and budget.

Like with your marketing plan, it might make sense to attach your completed sales plan to the appendix of your business plan. You can download a template for building your sales plan here .

Why it matters: Among other things, investors are interested in the scalability of your business — which is why growth strategies are a critical part of your business plan.

Your sales plan should describe your plan to attract customers, retain them (if applicable), and, ultimately, grow your business. Be sure to outline what you plan to do given your existing resources and what results you expect from your work.

Example of a Sales Plan Overview

"The most important goal is to ensure financial success for Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant. We believe we can achieve this by offering excellent food, entertainment, and service to our clients.

We are not a low-cost dining option in the area. Instead, the food will have premium pricing to match its upscale feel. The strategy is to give Jay Street a perception of elegance through its food, entertainment, and excellent service."

7. Legal Notes

Your investors may want to know the legal structure of your business, as that could directly impact the risk of their investments. For example, if you're looking for business partners to engage in a non-corporation or LLC partnership, this means they could be on the line for more than their actual investment.

Because this clarification is often needed, explain if you are and/or plan to become a sole proprietor, partnership, corporation, LLC, or other.

You should also outline the steps you have taken (or will need to take) to operate legally. This includes licenses, permits, registrations, and insurance.

The last thing your investor wants to hear after they've sent you a big chunk of change is that you're operating without proper approval from the local, state, or federal government.

Why it matters: The last thing your investor wants to hear after they've sent you a big chunk of change is that you're operating without proper approval from the local, state, or federal government.

Example of Legal Notes

"Jay Street Lounge and Restaurant is up-to-date on all restaurant licenses and health permits. Our business name and logo are registered trademarks, presenting the possibility of expanding locally."

8. Financial Considerations

Ultimately, investors want to know two things:

• When they will earn their money back.
• When they will start seeing returns on their initial investment.

That said, be clear, calculated, and convincing in this section. It should cover:

• Startup costs.
• Sales forecasts for the next several months/quarters.
• Break-even analysis for time and dollars.
• Projected profit and loss (P&L) statement.

Facts and figures are key here, so be as specific as possible with each line item and projection. In addition, explain the "why" behind each of these sections.

However, keep in mind that information overload is a risk, especially when it comes to data. So, if you have pages upon pages of charts and spreadsheets for this section, distill them into a page or two and include the rest of the sheets in the appendix. This section should only focus on key data points.

Why it matters: One of the most important aspects of becoming "investor ready" is knowing your numbers. More importantly, you need to understand how those numbers will enhance your business.

While it's easy to write a number down on paper, it's more important to understand (and communicate) why you need capital, where it's going, and that your evaluation makes sense.

Example of Financial Projections

"Based on our knowledge and experience in the restaurant industry, we have come up with projections for the business.

Starting with an expenditure of $400,000 in year 1, we forecast sales of $1,500,000 and $2,800,000 for years two and three. We expect to achieve a net profit of 15% by year three."

9. Appendix

A detailed and well-developed business plan can range anywhere from 20 to 50 pages, with some even reaching upward of 80.

In many cases, the appendix is the longest section. Why? Because it includes the supportive materials mentioned in previous sections. To avoid disrupting the flow of the business plan with visuals, charts, and spreadsheets, business owners usually add them in the last section, i.e. the appendix.

Aside from what we've already mentioned – marketing plan, sales plan, department budgets, financial documents – you may also want to attach the following in the appendix:

• Marketing materials
• Market research data
• Licensing documentation
• Branding assets
• Floor plans for your location
• Mockups of your product
• Renderings of your office space or location design

Adding these pieces to the appendix enriches the reader's understanding of your business and proves you've put the work into your business plan without distracting from the main points throughout the plan.

Why it matters: An appendix helps the reader do their due diligence. It contains everything they need to support your business plan.

Keep in mind, however, that an appendix is typically necessary only if you're seeking financing or looking to attract business partners.

Use a Business Plan Template to Get Started

Writing a business plan shouldn't be an insurmountable roadblock to starting a business. Unfortunately, for all too many, it is.

That's why we recommend using our free business plan template. Pre-filled with detailed section prompts for all of the topics in this blog post, we're confident this template will get your business plan started in the right direction.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in June 2017 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

Don't forget to share this post!

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How to Make an Ecommerce Business Plan for Your Startup

Darren DeMatas

August 21, 2024

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In addition to receiving commissions generated through affiliate marketing, we are able to fund our independent research and reviews at no extra cost to our readers. Learn more.

So you’ve decided that you want to quit your day job and start your very own ecommerce empire. That’s great!

But before you become the next Jeff Bezos  (and definitely before you quit your job!), it’s worth spending some time thinking about a business plan. In this article, we’ll dive into the key elements of an ecommerce business plan, which is very different than writing traditional business plans.

Why You Should Create a Business Plan

We know that starting an ecommerce business is exciting, and it can be tempting to jump right in without constructing a business plan. READ: PLEASE DON’T DO THIS.

If you haven’t put your ideas, questions and concerns on paper, then you haven’t given your business model enough thought .

Taking the time to write a business plan might seem like a lot of work, but it can save you a lot of time and money in the long run by better preparing you for potential challenges and opportunities that you’ll face as a first-time entrepreneur. Think of it as a roadmap for your new business venture.

It’s exciting to start your own ecommerce business. However, you want to be well prepared and not jump into anything without having a solid, foolproof ecommerce business plan in place.

After all, you wouldn’t jump out of a plane without a parachute, so why start a business without a safety device in place? That safety device is your business plan.

The business plan is the brainstorming process that ensures your concept and goals are realistic.

This is more than just mental notes. True business plans take your ideas , questions, and concerns and put those in writing.

As you start creating your business plan, you’ll soon understand that it’s more than a single piece of paper with handwritten details on it. It’s a clearly constructed format of how your business will be created, how it will operate, and what you hope the future holds in terms of a successful ecommerce business.

When you write your business plan, be sure to have a target audience in mind. Are you going to look for investors or put a Kickstarter campaign into motion and use this as your descriptive platform? If so, make sure that your business plan contains everything the audience would want to know about your business (and more!). Many traditional funding solutions require a business plan in order to give you capital. However, there are alternative solutions, such as  Payability  that specialize in ecommerce and don’t require credit checks, a business plan, or any complicated paperwork. They can also get you approved in as little as 24 hours.

When your business plan is completed, you should have achieved the following goals:

• Knowledge:  A greater sense of knowledge of the business aspects.
• Resources:  The resources you’re going to need to make your business successful, such as partners, money, employees, etc.
• Road Map: Have clear set goals to take you from the very beginning of your business and onward.
• Viability: In other words, is your business possible? Will you have enough profit margins to keep the doors open long-term?

Now that you know why you should create a business plan, it’s time to move on to how you can create your business plan and get started putting your ecommerce business into motion.

How to Start an Ecommerce Business Plan

At the very beginning of the planning stages, it’s a good idea to develop a framework for your business model. This business model will continue to evolve as you create each section of your ecommerce business plan, so don’t strive for a perfect completed plan on the first try. You will be making tweaks to the plan of certain steps along the way.

There are many ways to sell products online and different business models  to pursue. Research and learn from successful ecommerce business examples in the market. The exact business model you follow will be one that makes the most sense with your resources, skills, and interests.

In order to create the best online business plan with your product in mind, you need to figure out the following things:

What are you selling?

The first step to creating an online business is to learn the absolute basics of what you can sell.

• Physical products: Clothing , shoes, home goods
• Digital products: Software as a Service products, ecourses, ebooks
• Services: Consulting services, home cleaning

Who are you selling to?

• Business-to-Business (B2B): You are selling to organizations, corporations, and non-profits rather than individual customers
• Business to Consumer (B2C): This means you are selling to individual consumers rather than businesses
• Marketplace: You are acting as a middleman by bringing businesses and (B2B or B2C) customers to one website.

How are you sourcing your product?

• Manufacture in-house: You make your product or service in-house
• Third-party manufacturer: You outsource the manufacturing of your product or service to a third-party manufacturer
• Dropship: You partner with a dropship manufacturer. Basically, this means that they make your product, package it and ship it directly to your customer while your company handles the entire customer relationship.
• Wholesale : You buy goods or services from other companies in bulk and re-sell those products on your online store

Additional References

• Entrepreneurship: Business & Marketing Plans
• Small Business and Entrepreneurship
• Entrepreneurship Resources
• Business Plan Resources

Executive Summary

The executive summary will be written according to your goals, and it’s recommended that this is done at the very end of your business plan completion. This will ensure that you include all of the important factors about your business and present your ideas in a concise and complete way.

Some of the features you’ll include in the executive summary include information showing that you’ve done your research, you have concrete sales forecasts, and the main details about your brand.

Business Model

When you’re figuring out your business model, you have to consider four different areas:

• Monetization strategy
• Product/industry
• Target market
• Sales channel

Monetization Strategy

The monetization strategy delves into the methods you are going to use to sell your products.

This strategy will look at different product monetization methods, including white label, private label , affiliate marketing, wholesale, dropshipping, and even selling ads.

Product/Industry

The product industry section is where you summarize your main niche.

For example, “Vegan Skincare Products.”

Target Market

In the target market section, you will write a sentence or so on who your target market, or ideal customer, is in the community.

If you’re selling vegan skincare products, your target customers might be women who embrace the vegan lifestyle and use natural skincare products in their daily beauty regimen.

Sales Channel

The sales channel refers to where you’re going to sell your products.

For example, you might be selling your products on your own website, and this should be entered in this section.

Business Overview

This next section covers your company overview.

This section of your business plan will cover various features of your company, including the following:

• Company type
• Domain name
• Value proposition
• Brand traits

The brand name section lists your business name or brand name.

This is an extremely important aspect of your business plan as it’s what will set the tone for everything that follows.

Pick a brand name that’s simple yet unique and is something that can be used in a wordplay manner, if desired, but not pun-worthy.

Company Type

The company is how your business operates. For example, you might label your business as an LLC , S-corporation, sole proprietor, or some other type of business organization.

The best way to determine how you should categorize your company is to speak to your accountant. There are various tax and legal aspects to forming your business in a certain way.

Speak with the professionals in the company and corporation formation field to determine how to label your company and which company type best benefits your business in a variety of ways.

Domain Name

This section is where you list your domain name.

Choose a domain name that is memorable and embraces the overall traits and features of your business.

And, when choosing a domain name, be sure to think of SEO aspects when doing so. You’ll find out just how much all of these things tie together and ensure a frequently-visited website is the end result.

Keep in mind that with ecommerce, the domain name is just as important as the brand name. Maybe even more so!

Value Proposition

A value proposition is a short, crisp statement that will gauge how clear your idea is. Write this section as if you had one minute to explain your business to a potential investor or customer and then practice it over and over again.

The value proposition can be used on your ecommerce store as your company description.

Here’s a good example: Say you’re looking to start a hiking company called Atlas Hiking Co. which sells premium performance hiking shirts. A possible company description could be the following:

Atlas Hiking Co. is a lifestyle hiking company that produces high-performance hiking shirts for outdoor lovers. Our proprietary SPF40 fabric is one of the lightest fabrics on the market, providing mountain lovers with maximum comfort, both from a breathability and sun-protection standpoint. Our product is made in the U.S.A. and a portion of our profits are donated to preserve national parks around the country.

Pay special attention to all the sensory words !

The mission statement in your business plan is the “why” of it all.

For example, why you started the business, why you are selling the products you are selling, etc., can all be added to this section of your business plan.

You can make this portion as simple or detailed as you like. Just make sure to properly and clearly explain your business mission.

The vision part of the business plan is your “how” in the grand scheme of things. It is the dream you have for your company and the path you’re going to take to realize that dream.

When you write the vision portion of the business plan, think long-term. What are you hoping to achieve, not just in the near future but for the long haul of the life of your business?

Look into the future and plan out where you see your business in 5, 10, even 20 years from now.

This will help you construct the rest of your business plan if you know where you want your business to head, now and in the future.

Brand Traits

The brand traits section is a short section in your company overview.

Basically, in the brand traits section you’re going to want to list three to five words that describe your brand.

Think of your brand personality and describe it using a few separate powerful words.

The personnel section lists all individuals, including yourself, who will be involved in the daily operations of your business. You can create a separate section for a full operations plan or add that later.

Some business owners choose to handle all duties on their own or with a partner, while others will hire individuals to fill the following roles:

• CEO (usually the business owner)
• Management team
• Customer service/logistics
• PR/Social media specialist
• SEO manager
• Advertising manager

Competitive Market Analysis

Here’s a fact you can bank on: there has never been a successful e-commerce entrepreneur that didn’t understand his/her target market cold.

That’s why this section is one of the most important in the entire business plan. It will force you to understand the industry in which you operate, the overall industry analysis and outlook, the existing competition, and your target customer demographic.

Market Segment

The market segment portion of the business plan will help you to put your ideas down on paper, make them more focused, and get your team together.

This area will include your niche selection, target market, and competitive analysis.

Niche Selection

The niche section  provides an overview of your niche, why you selected it, whether there’s a micro niche included, and the type of niche you’ve chosen.

The purpose of this section is to crystalize the ideas that you have and make sure they are understandable and viable.

The target market section covers an overview of your target market plus describes your market segments.

Ask yourself who your  target customer  is (population size, age, geography, education, ethnicity, income level) and consider whether consumers are comfortable with buying your product category online.

When listing the target market information, make sure to mention your target audience size as this is important for ensuring that your audience will be adequately covered.

Competitive Analysis

With the competitive analysis portion of your market analysis, you want to list your market leader and direct and indirect competitors.

After you mention who these entities are, you need to list the characteristics of each one, such as domain name, business model, monthly traffic, and pricing range.

However, before you even get started in writing this section, you need to spend several hours researching your target market.

Here are some of the most efficient ways to research a particular market:

Industry reports

Google is your best friend. Look for any recent industry reports on your market of choice. This will give you a good sense of how much growth the industry is experiencing, why this growth is happening, and what are the largest customer segments. In our example of Atlas Hiking Co., we should research the outdoor apparel market.

Let’s say that through our research of the outdoor apparel industry, we discovered that there was a huge boom in youth hiking apparel. Perhaps parents were increasingly concerned about their kids’ exposure to UV rays while hiking, so they began to spend more money on their kids. We could use this valuable information to guide our business strategy.

There’s only so much you can read online. Go to a nearby store that sells similar products to yours and interview the store representative. The store rep has interacted with hundreds of interested customers, which can lead to thousands of valuable insights! It’s amazing how these insights can translate into a meaningful business opportunity.

Here’s an example:

If I were going into Billy’s Outdoor Store to research the outdoor apparel market, I would probably ask Billy the following:

• What are your best-selling products?
• What are your worst-selling products?
• Find products similar to yours and ask the representative his/her favorite features on products similar to yours.
• How much are customers generally willing to spend on these types of products?
• Do customers make repeat orders of any of these products?
• Do you get a lot of customers that are looking to buy last-minute hiking gear before they go on a hike?

Competition

Create an Excel spreadsheet of all of your competitors. In your spreadsheet, you should have the following columns:

• Competitor Name
• Price point
• Product Description
• Key Features (e.g., fabric, waterproof, slim fit, etc.)

What is the competition missing? Is there a gap in the offering? Where you can add some additional value?

After conducting the competitor analysis, Atlas Hiking Co. might find that the competition’s hiking shirts offer very few features at a low price point, but no one offers a luxury hiking shirt with additional features at a higher price point.

This is just an example of the types of insights one can gain from market research which can drastically alter your business model.

Keyword Research

By using Google’s keyword planner  and trends pages, you can get a good sense of how in demand your product is and whether it’s trending upward or downward. Google is great for a general idea, just don’t bank on it.

Some other keyword tools you can use for keyword research include Ahrefs, JungleScout, and Viral Launch. Check out this list  for more ideas.

Trade shows

Are there nearby trade shows that you can go to? Again, creating connections with other people in your industry is a surefire shortcut to countless hours of reading on the internet. Trade shows are also a great opportunity to talk to competitors, meet manufacturers, and better understand where things are heading in your industry.

Once you finish researching the relevant industry, you should summarize your findings by answering the following questions:

General Industry

• How big is the overall industry?
• How big is the specific sub-industry in which you intend to operate?
• Where has most of the historic growth in the market come from?
• Why is this the right time to enter this market?
• What are the sub-segments that are poised for future growth (e.g., youth apparel)?
• How crowded is the product category with competition?
• How is your competition distributing its product (online, retail, wholesale, etc.)?
• What’s missing from the competition’s product offering?

Products and Offers

So we know we want to sell hiking shirts, but how do you research specific products?

But for some of us, we’re not quite sure what we should sell. To succeed in online retail, you need a product that is trending upwards in a growing niche.

Different types of products

Some of the different types of products include the following:

• Convenience products: Frequent purchase products, little effort on buying
• Shopping products: Less frequently purchased in between purchases, little more effort and planning, shop around
• Specialty products: Strong brand preference and loyalty, will buy no matter what the price

The various types of niches include the following:

• Hobby niches
• Lifestyle niches
• Problem niches
• Weird/embarrassing niches

Existing products

Come up with detailed specifications for each product or service you intend to sell. If it’s a hiking shirt we’re selling, we would want to have:

• Detailed sketches of the shirt
• Fabric weight, materials, type
• Key features (e.g., pre-shrunk, water-proof, SPF 40)

Future product pipeline

What are other products that you have in the pipeline? Perhaps once you’ve successfully sold hiking shirts, you’re able to leverage your manufacturing relationships to provide hiking socks and shorts. Include that information in this section.

The products and services section will cover the various selling categories of items.

These product offerings will include the following:

• Core product

Each product group will have its own purpose in your sales catalog. For example, tripwire is the product that brings customers to your ecommerce store or online marketplaces  while the core product is your main seller.

Knowing what products you’ll include within each section allows you to have a firm grasp on what your main product will be and how the other types of products will work alongside your main product.

This section will also cover the search volume and Amazon pricing range.

You’ll need to calculate your true costs. You have to make sure you don’t overestimate your margins.

To tabulate your total true costs, you need to write down the costs in the following areas:

• Target price
• Supplier cost of the product
• Total cost per unit
• Net profit per unit
• Profit margin per unit

Once you complete the pricing portion, you’ll have everything on one sheet and readily accessible whenever you need it.

Marketing Plan and Operations

So, now you’ve concluded that you have a great business idea, and it’s in a growing market. That’s fantastic – but how are you going to drive traffic to your ecommerce website and get customers to buy it ? And how much can you afford to spend on your product?

Marketing  is everything. It’s important that your marketing efforts match your business model.

If you have a website and no marketing, your site won’t have any visitors. With no visitors, you will make no sales. Then how do you grow and sell your ecommerce business (if that’s your long-term goal)? Even with the best possible products, nobody will buy them if they aren’t directed to them in some way.

In order to come up with a marketing strategy, you need to first know your customer inside out. You should be able to answer such questions as:

• How old is your customer?
• Where does your customer live?
• What is the population of your customer base?
• What is their education level?
• What is their income level?
• What are your customer’s pain points?

With so many channels to reach your customer, which one is best for you?

Once we know pretty much everything there is to know about our target customer, we can shift focus to our marketing strategy. You want to choose marketing strategies that equal positive conversion rates. What channels should you use to grab the attention of your customer demographic? Some of the key marketing channels include:

Paid Marketing

• Pay-per-click – this online marketing typically involves using Google Shopping campaigns  and managing a product data feed.
• Affiliate sales networks – Allowing other blogs and websites to sell your product for a cut of the revenue. List the different affiliate sale networks that you plan to promote through.
• Facebook ads ⎯ Ads posted on Facebook to draw in buyers through social media means.
• Influencer marketing ⎯ Hiring industry influencers to get the word out about your product through their social media platforms and contacts.

Organic Marketing

• Social media (Facebook, Instagram , Pinterest, etc.): What is your strategy for social media, and where will you dedicate your attention?
• Search Engine Optimization : Create and promote awesome content so people find your product organically through search.
• Content marketing: Figure out how you’ll use content marketing in your business. Consider various article topics that will persuade your target audience to buy your products.
• Blogger networks: could be organic or paid through affiliate sale programs.
• Key bloggers: Develop a list of the key bloggers in your product category. For Atlas Hiking Co., this might be an influencer that blogs about the best hiking trails in America.

Finding the optimal mix of these advertising tools depends 100% on your customer segment as well as your product type. For example, a SaaS product targeting millennials will require an entirely different marketing strategy than an e-commerce physical product targeting baby boomers. Perhaps that should be a post on its own for another day!

How much should you spend to acquire a customer?

In order to understand this, we need first to discuss a concept known as customer lifetime value or LTV. In essence, this is a formula that helps you better understand how much an average customer will spend over time.

Here’s  a good read on how to calculate LTV.

It’s important to remember that for new businesses, you don’t have a lot of data on customer purchase habits so it’s a good idea to be more conservative with your assumptions in calculating LTV.

Let’s say, for Atlas Hiking Co., I determine that the average LTV per customer is $300. This means that over time, the average customer will spend $300. Let’s say, on average, if I receive $300 in revenue, $100 of that will translate to gross profit before I factor in my marketing costs (basically, I’m just subtracting the cost of making the shirts).

Knowing that my gross profit is $100 per shirt is a critical piece of information because it tells me that I can spend up to $100 in marketing to acquire a customer and still be profitable!

Some of the marketing options include social media marketing and content marketing.

Think about your business model and then line up your marketing budget. Your marketing budget may include the following items:

• Sales/branded content
• SEO/blog content
• Facebook/Instagram ads
• Influencer marketing
• Marketing tools
• Niche advertising

Choosing The Right Technology

With so much technology and SaaS products out there, it’s important to understand the various moving parts and diagram how they all integrate with one another.

Some of the different elements include:

• Shopping Cart Platforms  – e.g., Shopify , BigCommerce , WooCommerce , or any open-source platform
• Hosting – Nexcess , Kinsta , WPX
• Payment Processo r – e.g., Stripe, Paypal
• Fulfillment Center – e.g., Amazon, ShipBob
• Apps – e.g., Zipify, BuildWooFunnels, Gelato
• Accounting & Taxes  – e.g., Quicken, Xero
• Marketing Automation – e.g., Klaviyo , Mailchimp
• Marketing Tools – e.g.  Buzzstream, Ahrefs
• Customer Loyalty Programs  – e.g., Antavo, Smile

Come up with a detailed list of the different products and services you need to run your business as well as the monthly and per-transaction cost of each of them. This will be important in understanding the impact of these services on your margins.

Matching your business model to your technology is essential, too. Certain website platforms are better suited for specific sales models.

Email marketing is another type of technology that should be carefully considered and matched up correctly with your business model.

Keep in mind that it takes, on average, 6-7 interactions with a brand before someone makes a purchase, so you need to keep using technology to get them back to your website.

As you explore the technology options and find out ways to draw potential customers in and keep them happy while they’re there, here are some key points to keep in mind:

• What you say about yourself and your products with your website content
• How you respond to questions on live chat and email support
• How to make use of chatbots
• How you connect on social media
• The information you send through email marketing
• What bloggers and influencers say about your brand
• How existing customers review your company
• How you advertise
• How you establish loyalty beyond sales

After you figure out your technology methods, you have to come up with a technology budget.

The business plan must also include the operations side of things. Determine who will be your manufacturer, secondary manufacturer, and shipping and fulfillment  provider.

When looking at supply chain costs and options, ShipBob  is an ecommerce fulfillment provider you can consider.

Financial Plan

When figuring out your financial plan, evaluating and pinpointing your startup costs  is essential.

The focus of the financial plan is how long it will take for you to make your money back. You also need to figure out if you need a business loan .

Traffic and conversion rates will help you determine how long it will be until you start making money back.

You’ll also want to use an income statement to detail financial information.

This section is used for financial projections, such as forecasting sales, expenses, and net income of the business. Ideally, you’ll want to create a monthly Excel balance sheet showing the following:

• Projected revenue:  First, come up with your projected number of units sold and then come up with your projected revenue (Projected Revenue = # of Units Sold * Average Sales Price).
• Fixed expenses:   these are expenses that are fixed no matter how much you sell. Typically, these relate to monthly SaaS subscriptions, employee salaries, or rent.
• Variable expenses  – these expenses change in direct proportion to how much you sell. Common examples include the cost of goods sold and credit card payment processing fees.

This helps business owners better understand what they need to achieve to hit their profit goals. In reality, projections are usually always off the mark, but it’s good to give yourself some measurable goals to strive for.

This section should aim to answer the following questions about your product offering:

• How much product do you need to sell per year to meet your income goals for the business?
• What are the margins on your product? If you sell one hiking shirt for $50, how much do you make after paying your supplier, employees, and marketing costs?
• What is the lifetime value of a customer?
• How much can you spend to acquire customers? If you conservatively project that the average customer will spend $300 over time on your shirts, then you can afford to spend an amount less than $300 to acquire that customer using the paid marketing channels described previously.
• Do you have any big capital expenditures early on that would require you to need to bring in investors?
• Can you improve gross margins by making bigger orders from your suppliers?

There are various acquisition channels that will help your traffic to convert including:

Your revenue plan will contain a 12-month revenue forecast plan to help you map out each month of earnings.

There are different business earning models you can go through to determine how much you can make with your business.

You want to calculate how much traffic costs. This all depends on the methods you use to gain traffic to your site.

As you determine what your profit might be with your ecommerce business  or ecommerce businesses, there are certain math formulas to use:

• The profit equation
• Break-even analysis
• Units needed to achieve the profit target

You should also consider how you will use fintech companies in your ecommerce business.

What are the key elements of an ecommerce business plan?

The main components of an eCommerce business plan include the executive summary, company description, market analysis, organization and management structure, product line or service, marketing and sales strategy, financial projections, and funding request, if applicable.

How do I create a budget for my ecommerce business?

Start by estimating your initial startup costs and ongoing expenses. Consider costs like website development, inventory, marketing, shipping, taxes, and any necessary licenses or permits. It’s also important to factor in a contingency plan for unexpected costs.

How do I find the right product to sell?

Research is fundamental. Look at market trends, customer needs, and competitor products. Use tools like Google Trends or social media platforms to understand what customers are currently interested in. Always consider your passion and knowledge about the product too, as this can drive your business forward.

How can I differentiate my product from competitors?

Differentiation can come from unique product features, superior customer service, better pricing, or a compelling brand story. Understand what your competitors offer and how you can do it differently or better.

Wrapping Up Your Business Plan

Careful planning is crucial to get your e-commerce business from the planning phase to the launch phase and to ensure its successful future.

Going through the exercise of writing a business plan will cement your own understanding of your business and your market. It will also position you to take advantage of lucrative opportunities while mitigating harmful threats to your business down the line.

Your turn! Have you written a business plan for your online store? Do you have anything to add? Tell us about it in the comments below!

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Simple Business Plan Template (2024)

Updated: May 4, 2024, 4:37pm

Table of Contents

Why business plans are vital, get your free simple business plan template, how to write an effective business plan in 6 steps, frequently asked questions.

While taking many forms and serving many purposes, they all have one thing in common: business plans help you establish your goals and define the means for achieving them. Our simple business plan template covers everything you need to consider when launching a side gig, solo operation or small business. By following this step-by-step process, you might even uncover a few alternate routes to success.

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Whether you’re a first-time solopreneur or a seasoned business owner, the planning process challenges you to examine the costs and tasks involved in bringing a product or service to market. The process can also help you spot new income opportunities and hone in on the most profitable business models.

Though vital, business planning doesn’t have to be a chore. Business plans for lean startups and solopreneurs can simply outline the business concept, sales proposition, target customers and sketch out a plan of action to bring the product or service to market. However, if you’re seeking startup funding or partnership opportunities, you’ll need a write a business plan that details market research, operating costs and revenue forecasting. Whichever startup category you fall into, if you’re at square one, our simple business plan template will point you down the right path.

Copy our free simple business plan template so you can fill in the blanks as we explore each element of your business plan. Need help getting your ideas flowing? You’ll also find several startup scenario examples below.

Download free template as .docx

Whether you need a quick-launch overview or an in-depth plan for investors, any business plan should cover the six key elements outlined in our free template and explained below. The main difference in starting a small business versus an investor-funded business is the market research and operational and financial details needed to support the concept.

1. Your Mission or Vision

Start by declaring a “dream statement” for your business. You can call this your executive summary, vision statement or mission. Whatever the name, the first part of your business plan summarizes your idea by answering five questions. Keep it brief, such as an elevator pitch. You’ll expand these answers in the following sections of the simple business plan template.

• What does your business do? Are you selling products, services, information or a combination?
• Where does this happen? Will you conduct business online, in-store, via mobile means or in a specific location or environment?
• Who does your business benefit? Who is your target market and ideal customer for your concept?
• Why would potential customers care? What would make your ideal customers take notice of your business?
• How do your products and/or services outshine the competition? What would make your ideal customers choose you over a competitor?

These answers come easily if you have a solid concept for your business, but don’t worry if you get stuck. Use the rest of your plan template to brainstorm ideas and tactics. You’ll quickly find these answers and possibly new directions as you explore your ideas and options.

2. Offer and Value Proposition

This is where you detail your offer, such as selling products, providing services or both, and why anyone would care. That’s the value proposition. Specifically, you’ll expand on your answers to the first and fourth bullets from your mission/vision.

As you complete this section, you might find that exploring value propositions uncovers marketable business opportunities that you hadn’t yet considered. So spend some time brainstorming the possibilities in this section.

For example, a cottage baker startup specializing in gluten-free or keto-friendly products might be a value proposition that certain audiences care deeply about. Plus, you could expand on that value proposition by offering wedding and other special-occasion cakes that incorporate gluten-free, keto-friendly and traditional cake elements that all guests can enjoy.

3. Audience and Ideal Customer

Here is where you explore bullet point number three, who your business will benefit. Identifying your ideal customer and exploring a broader audience for your goods or services is essential in defining your sales and marketing strategies, plus it helps fine-tune what you offer.

There are many ways to research potential audiences, but a shortcut is to simply identify a problem that people have that your product or service can solve. If you start from the position of being a problem solver, it’s easy to define your audience and describe the wants and needs of your ideal customer for marketing efforts.

Using the cottage baker startup example, a problem people might have is finding fresh-baked gluten-free or keto-friendly sweets. Examining the wants and needs of these people might reveal a target audience that is health-conscious or possibly dealing with health issues and willing to spend more for hard-to-find items.

However, it’s essential to have a customer base that can support your business. You can be too specialized. For example, our baker startup can attract a broader audience and boost revenue by offering a wider selection of traditional baked goods alongside its gluten-free and keto-focused specialties.

4. Revenue Streams, Sales Channels and Marketing

Thanks to our internet-driven economy, startups have many revenue opportunities and can connect with target audiences through various channels. Revenue streams and sales channels also serve as marketing vehicles, so you can cover all three in this section.

Revenue Streams

Revenue streams are the many ways you can make money in your business. In your plan template, list how you’ll make money upon launch, plus include ideas for future expansion. The income possibilities just might surprise you.

For example, our cottage baker startup might consider these revenue streams:

• Product sales : Online, pop-up shops , wholesale and (future) in-store sales
• Affiliate income : Monetize blog and social media posts with affiliate links
• Advertising income : Reserve website space for advertising
• E-book sales : (future) Publish recipe e-books targeting gluten-free and keto-friendly dessert niches
• Video income : (future) Monetize a YouTube channel featuring how-to videos for the gluten-free and keto-friendly dessert niches
• Webinars and online classes : (future) Monetize coaching-style webinars and online classes covering specialty baking tips and techniques
• Members-only content : (future) Monetize a members-only section of the website for specialty content to complement webinars and online classes
• Franchise : (future) Monetize a specialty cottage bakery concept and sell to franchise entrepreneurs

Sales Channels

Sales channels put your revenue streams into action. This section also answers the “where will this happen” question in the second bullet of your vision.

The product sales channels for our cottage bakery example can include:

• Mobile point-of-sale (POS) : A mobile platform such as Shopify or Square POS for managing in-person sales at local farmers’ markets, fairs and festivals
• E-commerce platform : An online store such as Shopify, Square or WooCommerce for online retail sales and wholesale sales orders
• Social media channels : Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest shoppable posts and pins for online sales via social media channels
• Brick-and-mortar location : For in-store sales , once the business has grown to a point that it can support a physical location

Channels that support other income streams might include:

• Affiliate income : Blog section on the e-commerce website and affiliate partner accounts
• Advertising income : Reserved advertising spaces on the e-commerce website
• E-book sales : Amazon e-book sales via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing
• Video income : YouTube channel with ad monetization
• Webinars and online classes : Online class and webinar platforms that support member accounts, recordings and playback
• Members-only content : Password-protected website content using membership apps such as MemberPress

Nowadays, the line between marketing and sales channels is blurred. Social media outlets, e-books, websites, blogs and videos serve as both marketing tools and income opportunities. Since most are free and those with advertising options are extremely economical, these are ideal marketing outlets for lean startups.

However, many businesses still find value in traditional advertising such as local radio, television, direct mail, newspapers and magazines. You can include these advertising costs in your simple business plan template to help build a marketing plan and budget.

5. Structure, Suppliers and Operations

This section of your simple business plan template explores how to structure and operate your business. Details include the type of business organization your startup will take, roles and responsibilities, supplier logistics and day-to-day operations. Also, include any certifications or permits needed to launch your enterprise in this section.

Our cottage baker example might use a structure and startup plan such as this:

• Business structure : Sole proprietorship with a “doing business as” (DBA) .
• Permits and certifications : County-issued food handling permit and state cottage food certification for home-based food production. Option, check into certified commercial kitchen rentals.
• Roles and responsibilities : Solopreneur, all roles and responsibilities with the owner.
• Supply chain : Bulk ingredients and food packaging via Sam’s Club, Costco, Amazon Prime with annual membership costs. Uline for shipping supplies; no membership needed.
• Day-to-day operations : Source ingredients and bake three days per week to fulfill local and online orders. Reserve time for specialty sales, wholesale partner orders and market events as needed. Ship online orders on alternating days. Update website and create marketing and affiliate blog posts on non-shipping days.

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6. Financial Forecasts

Your final task is to list forecasted business startup and ongoing costs and profit projections in your simple business plan template. Thanks to free business tools such as Square and free marketing on social media, lean startups can launch with few upfront costs. In many cases, cost of goods, shipping and packaging, business permits and printing for business cards are your only out-of-pocket expenses.

Cost Forecast

Our cottage baker’s forecasted lean startup costs might include:

Gross Profit Projections

This helps you determine the retail prices and sales volume required to keep your business running and, hopefully, earn income for yourself. Use product research to spot target retail prices for your goods, then subtract your cost of goods, such as hourly rate, raw goods and supplier costs. The total amount is your gross profit per item or service.

Here are some examples of projected gross profits for our cottage baker:

Bottom Line

Putting careful thought and detail in a business plan is always beneficial, but don’t get so bogged down in planning that you never hit the start button to launch your business . Also, remember that business plans aren’t set in stone. Markets, audiences and technologies change, and so will your goals and means of achieving them. Think of your business plan as a living document and regularly revisit, expand and restructure it as market opportunities and business growth demand.

Is there a template for a business plan?

You can copy our free business plan template and fill in the blanks or customize it in Google Docs, Microsoft Word or another word processing app. This free business plan template includes the six key elements that any entrepreneur needs to consider when launching a new business.

What does a simple business plan include?

A simple business plan is a one- to two-page overview covering six key elements that any budding entrepreneur needs to consider when launching a startup. These include your vision or mission, product or service offering, target audience, revenue streams and sales channels, structure and operations, and financial forecasts.

How can I create a free business plan template?

Start with our free business plan template that covers the six essential elements of a startup. Once downloaded, you can edit this document in Google Docs or another word processing app and add new sections or subsections to your plan template to meet your specific business plan needs.

What basic items should be included in a business plan?

When writing out a business plan, you want to make sure that you cover everything related to your concept for the business,  an analysis of the industry―including potential customers and an overview of the market for your goods or services―how you plan to execute your vision for the business, how you plan to grow the business if it becomes successful and all financial data around the business, including current cash on hand, potential investors and budget plans for the next few years.

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Krista Fabregas is a seasoned eCommerce and online content pro sharing more than 20 years of hands-on know-how with those looking to launch and grow tech-forward businesses. Her expertise includes eCommerce startups and growth, SMB operations and logistics, website platforms, payment systems, side-gig and affiliate income, and multichannel marketing. Krista holds a bachelor's degree in English from The University of Texas at Austin and held senior positions at NASA, a Fortune 100 company, and several online startups.

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The 7 Best Business Plan Examples (2024)

As an aspiring entrepreneur gearing up to start your own business , you likely know the importance of drafting a business plan. However, you might not be entirely sure where to begin or what specific details to include. That’s where examining business plan examples can be beneficial. Sample business plans serve as real-world templates to help you craft your own plan with confidence. They also provide insight into the key sections that make up a business plan, as well as demonstrate how to structure and present your ideas effectively.

Example business plan

To understand how to write a business plan, let’s study an example structured using a seven-part template. Here’s a quick overview of those parts:

• Executive summary: A quick overview of your business and the contents of your business plan.
• Company description: More info about your company, its goals and mission, and why you started it in the first place.
• Market analysis: Research about the market and industry your business will operate in, including a competitive analysis about the companies you’ll be up against.
• Products and services: A detailed description of what you’ll be selling to your customers.
• Marketing plan: A strategic outline of how you plan to market and promote your business before, during, and after your company launches into the market.
• Logistics and operations plan: An explanation of the systems, processes, and tools that are needed to run your business in the background.
• Financial plan: A map of your short-term (and even long-term) financial goals and the costs to run the business. If you’re looking for funding, this is the place to discuss your request and needs.

7 business plan examples (section by section)

In this section, you’ll find hypothetical and real-world examples of each aspect of a business plan to show you how the whole thing comes together. 

• Executive summary

Your executive summary offers a high-level overview of the rest of your business plan. You’ll want to include a brief description of your company, market research, competitor analysis, and financial information. 

In this free business plan template, the executive summary is three paragraphs and occupies nearly half the page:

• Company description

You might go more in-depth with your company description and include the following sections:

• Nature of the business. Mention the general category of business you fall under. Are you a manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer of your products?
• Background information. Talk about your past experiences and skills, and how you’ve combined them to fill in the market. 
• Business structure. This section outlines how you registered your company —as a corporation, sole proprietorship, LLC, or other business type.
• Industry. Which business sector do you operate in? The answer might be technology, merchandising, or another industry.
• Team. Whether you’re the sole full-time employee of your business or you have contractors to support your daily workflow, this is your chance to put them under the spotlight.

You can also repurpose your company description elsewhere, like on your About page, Instagram page, or other properties that ask for a boilerplate description of your business. Hair extensions brand Luxy Hair has a blurb on it’s About page that could easily be repurposed as a company description for its business plan. 

• Market analysis

Market analysis comprises research on product supply and demand, your target market, the competitive landscape, and industry trends. You might do a SWOT analysis to learn where you stand and identify market gaps that you could exploit to establish your footing. Here’s an example of a SWOT analysis for a hypothetical ecommerce business: 

You’ll also want to run a competitive analysis as part of the market analysis component of your business plan. This will show you who you’re up against and give you ideas on how to gain an edge over the competition. 

• Products and services

This part of your business plan describes your product or service, how it will be priced, and the ways it will compete against similar offerings in the market. Don’t go into too much detail here—a few lines are enough to introduce your item to the reader.

• Marketing plan

Potential investors will want to know how you’ll get the word out about your business. So it’s essential to build a marketing plan that highlights the promotion and customer acquisition strategies you’re planning to adopt. 

Most marketing plans focus on the four Ps: product, price, place, and promotion. However, it’s easier when you break it down by the different marketing channels . Mention how you intend to promote your business using blogs, email, social media, and word-of-mouth marketing. 

Here’s an example of a hypothetical marketing plan for a real estate website:

Logistics and operations

This section of your business plan provides information about your production, facilities, equipment, shipping and fulfillment, and inventory.

Financial plan

The financial plan (a.k.a. financial statement) offers a breakdown of your sales, revenue, expenses, profit, and other financial metrics. You’ll want to include all the numbers and concrete data to project your current and projected financial state.

In this business plan example, the financial statement for ecommerce brand Nature’s Candy includes forecasted revenue, expenses, and net profit in graphs.

It then goes deeper into the financials, citing:

• Funding needs
• Project cash-flow statement
• Project profit-and-loss statement
• Projected balance sheet

You can use Shopify’s financial plan template to create your own income statement, cash-flow statement, and balance sheet. 

Types of business plans (and what to write for each)

A one-page business plan is a pared down version of a standard business plan that’s easy for potential investors and partners to understand. You’ll want to include all of these sections, but make sure they’re abbreviated and summarized:

• Logistics and operations plan
• Financials 

A startup business plan is meant to secure outside funding for a new business. Typically, there’s a big focus on the financials, as well as other sections that help determine the viability of your business idea—market analysis, for example. Shopify has a great business plan template for startups that include all the below points:

• Market research: in depth
• Financials: in depth

Your internal business plan acts as the enforcer of your company’s vision. It reminds your team of the long-term objective and keeps them strategically aligned toward the same goal. Be sure to include:

• Market research

Feasibility 

A feasibility business plan is essentially a feasibility study that helps you evaluate whether your product or idea is worthy of a full business plan. Include the following sections:

A strategic (or growth) business plan lays out your long-term vision and goals. This means your predictions stretch further into the future, and you aim for greater growth and revenue. While crafting this document, you use all the parts of a usual business plan but add more to each one:

• Products and services: for launch and expansion
• Market analysis: detailed analysis
• Marketing plan: detailed strategy
• Logistics and operations plan: detailed plan
• Financials: detailed projections

Free business plan templates

Now that you’re familiar with what’s included and how to format a business plan, let’s go over a few templates you can fill out or draw inspiration from.

Bplans’ free business plan template

Bplans’ free business plan template focuses a lot on the financial side of running a business. It has many pages just for your financial plan and statements. Once you fill it out, you’ll see exactly where your business stands financially and what you need to do to keep it on track or make it better.

PandaDoc’s free business plan template

PandaDoc’s free business plan template is detailed and guides you through every section, so you don’t have to figure everything out on your own. Filling it out, you’ll grasp the ins and outs of your business and how each part fits together. It’s also handy because it connects to PandaDoc’s e-signature for easy signing, ideal for businesses with partners or a board.

Miro’s Business Model Canvas Template

Miro’s Business Model Canvas Template helps you map out the essentials of your business, like partnerships, core activities, and what makes you different. It’s a collaborative tool for you and your team to learn how everything in your business is linked.

Better business planning equals better business outcomes

Building a business plan is key to establishing a clear direction and strategy for your venture. With a solid plan in hand, you’ll know what steps to take for achieving each of your business goals. Kickstart your business planning and set yourself up for success with a defined roadmap—utilizing the sample business plans above to inform your approach.

Business plan FAQ

What are the 3 main points of a business plan.

• Concept. Explain what your business does and the main idea behind it. This is where you tell people what you plan to achieve with your business.
• Contents. Explain what you’re selling or offering. Point out who you’re selling to and who else is selling something similar. This part concerns your products or services, who will buy them, and who you’re up against.
• Cash flow. Explain how money will move in and out of your business. Discuss the money you need to start and keep the business going, the costs of running your business, and how much money you expect to make.

How do I write a simple business plan?

To create a simple business plan, start with an executive summary that details your business vision and objectives. Follow this with a concise description of your company’s structure, your market analysis, and information about your products or services. Conclude your plan with financial projections that outline your expected revenue, expenses, and profitability.

What is the best format to write a business plan?

The optimal format for a business plan arranges your plan in a clear and structured way, helping potential investors get a quick grasp of what your business is about and what you aim to achieve. Always start with a summary of your plan and finish with the financial details or any extra information at the end.

Want to learn more?

• Question: Are You a Business Owner or an Entrepreneur?
• Bootstrapping a Business: 10 Tips to Help You Succeed
• Entrepreneurial Mindset: 20 Ways to Think Like an Entrepreneur
• 101+ Best Small Business Software Programs 

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Top 25+ shopify blog page templates for every industry.

Table Of Contents

There are many ways to attract visitors to your online business, and paid advertising often tops the list. While the benefits of paid ads are clear, there's another tool that many Shopify store owners overlook: blogging . Despite its potential, some eCommerce entrepreneurs are still struggling figuring out how to best customize a blog page for their Shopify store.

If you're eager to start but aren't sure where to begin, this blog is for you. We'll showcase the top Shopify blog page templates for every industry, giving you the inspiration and guidance you need to kickstart your blogging journey.

What Is a Blog Page?

A blog page is where all your articles related to your products and business are collected in one place . When you visit the blog page, you'll find the most recent article at the top, along with details like the title, date, and author's name.

So why would you need one? Here are some crucial roles of blogging: 

• Improved User Experience: An organized blog listing helps visitors easily find the content they love to read. It enhances navigation and keeps readers engaged.
• Boosted SEO: A well-structured blog listing can positively impact your website's SEO for search engines to easily crawl and index your content.
• Increased Engagement: A blog listing can also encourage readers to explore more of your content, leading to longer website visits and increased engagement.

Overall, a business blog acts as a marketing tool that helps your business grow. All come down to creating a blog page to your website, you're using blogging as a strategy to increase your business's online presence.

Key Elements of an Effective Blog Page Template

The design of your blog is crucial for attracting readers and boosting search engine rankings. A well-thought-out design enhances user experience and supports your blog's goals.

Before designing, consider the purpose of your blog page , your target audience, and your brand style. Choose a visually appealing layout with clear fonts and easy navigation. Use relevant images and maintain consistent branding with fonts and colors.

SEO is also key to a great blog design; including meta tags, keywords, and other optimizations to help your content rank better.

Key elements to focus on in your blog design:

• Hero banner
• Empty space
• Simple navigation
• Article thumbnails
• Related posts
• Social media sharing

Top 25+ Blog Page Templates for your Shopify Store

1. lifestyle blog page template.

This blog page template shines with its perfect mix of style and usability. The template is designed to enhance user experience, it smoothly leads visitors through a visually appealing journey. With sections covering trends, fashion guides, and lifestyle topics, the template's easy-to-use layout makes navigation simple.

The design beautifully combines eye-catching visuals with informative content , it would help turn each post into an engaging fashion story. It's a template that both informs and also brings readers feel like being in a wonderful world of fashion.

2. Inspire Blog Page Template

Engage your audience with the visually stunning Inspire Blog Page Template. It is designed for maximum effect, this template features beautiful layouts that highlight your content effortlessly. The eye-catching design grabs visitors' attention, it helps make their browsing experience unforgettable. The organized interface also increases the readability, creating a love among readers through your stories smoothly.

With customizable features, you can adjust your blog page to match your brand's unique style . This template will help you tell an interesting visual story, not only the boring information. The Inspire Blog Page Template will be one of your best your tool for reaching an online world with a lasting impact.

3. Magazine Blog Page Template

Turn your blog into a visual standout with the Magazine Blog Page Template. This template will give your content a stunning look that would make people just want to share right away. The outstanding designs will also help grab visitors' attention in minutes, make them feel interested and build a loyal love for your brand .

The clear layout would make readers feel easy to find their way around and stay with your content. You can also customize the template to go along well with your brand's unique style. Shine online with a blog page that both informs and captivates. The Magazine Blog Page Template is your path to a visually impressive and well-structured online presence.

4. Fashion Blog Page Template

The Fashion Blog Page Template is designed to make a strong first impression with its stunning hero banner that captures attention right away. It really offers a lot of fashion topics, from the recent trends to style tips, making sure your content attractive to every fashion lover.

The template highlights outstanding blogs and the latest articles, it helps readers to easily find your most important posts. Additionally, a well-placed footer will also invite more readers to follow your social media channels and subscribe to email list, which would you build a loyal community. The template both helps inform and also encourage ongoing interaction with your brand.

5. Kalles Blog Page Template

The Kalles Theme is one of the top-selling themes on Themeforest, and for good reason. Not only does it have such a lot of stunning store demos for any niche, but it also includes a customizable blog page template that lets merchants tailor it to perfectly match their brand.

With this template, you'll find all the essential elements seamlessly integrated —brand logos, announcement bars, menu options, and footer blocks are all thoughtfully designed to enhance your site. The Kalles Theme Blog Page Template provides you the freedom to develop a consistent and visually appealing online presence that stands out. 

6. Ecomus Blog Page Template

The Ecomus Theme is crafted to provide Shopify merchants with the most modern and advanced visuals, along with smooth transitions that elevate the user experience. The blog page templates are really stunning, with categories and elements that are organized to go along well with the latest design trends, making sure they catch your customers' attention.

Each layout is made to grab attention and lead readers through your content, making it great for anyone who wants a beautiful and easy-to-use blog. The Ecomus Theme Blog Page Template gives you everything you need to connect with your audience and grow your brand online.

7. Ocolus Blog Page Template

The Ocolus Theme  is a sleek and versatile Shopify option designed to enhance your business with a modern look, smooth user experience, and cutting-edge features. The blog page template is clean and minimalist, featuring all the essential elements for an effective blog.

A standout feature is the left sidebar, which includes search bars, categories, popular posts, hot topics, and tags. This thoughtful organization helps readers easily find and navigate through your content , making the Ocolus Theme Blog Page Template an excellent choice for a stylish and functional blog.

8. Gecko Blog Page Template

The Gecko Theme   is a popular Shopify choice that excels in showcasing your brand with diverse style. On the blog page template, highlighted blogs are prominently displayed at the top, complete with images, titles, dates, authors, and categories. 

This layout is designed to capture attention and draw customers in, allowing them to start exploring and learning more about your brand niche immediately . The Gecko Theme Blog Page Template ensures that your most important content is front and center, making it easy for visitors to engage with your brand.

9. Ellesi Blog Page Template

The Elessi Theme Blog Page Template offers a straightforward and efficient design focused on easy navigation. The simplicity will ensure that blogs are well categorized, all making it simple for customers to find what they're looking for. The clean design is also fully responsive, so it will look really great on any device, providing a seamless experience for all users.

10. Molla Blog Page Template

The Molla Theme Blog Page Template features an organized two-column layout that enhances usability. On the left side, you'll find a grid listing all the blogs with essential details like titles, thumbnails, short descriptions, authors, dates, and categories, making it easy for visistors to choose their preferred content. 

The right column is narrower and includes a search bar, highlighted articles, and tags to help readers quickly find what they're looking for . This layout ensures a smooth and efficient browsing experience.

11. Basel & Co Blog Page Template

At first glance, the Basel & Co Blog Page Template might seem similar to other themes, but it offers a unique twist. Along with the standard blog listings, the right-side column highlights sale products, catching customers' attention while they browse. 

This subtle feature not only promotes your blog content but also encourages visitors to explore and potentially purchase items from your Shopify store.

12. Gymshark Blog Page Template

Gymshark Central is a lively blog for fitness fans that goes beyond just promoting products. It’s filled with workout tips, recipes, and behind-the-scenes content, making it much more than just a place to showcase athletic wear. This blog reflects Gymshark’s dedication to a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle that aligns perfectly with its products.

The blog's thoughtful design improves the user experience, highlighting the brand’s commitment to a complete fitness journey. Gymshark Central isn’t just a blog; it’s a visual representation of the brand’s lifestyle philosophy.

13. Muse Blog Page Template

Muse Blog is a calm space for anyone who has a love for wellness and mindfulness, with blogs talk about topics of stress relief, mental health, and it will bring peace to readers. It’s more than just helpful information – Muse Blog shines because of its carefully chosen content.

The blog page are made with purpose of sharing helpful articles, expert tips, and simple advice that both teach and improve the reader's experience. The blog page clean design goes along well with the blog's purpose, making it so easy to use and helping readers feel more relaxed and focused.

14. Nutriseed Blog Page Template

Nutriseed's blog page is easy to use, it focuses on target visitors with health and wellness topics. It suits with a lot of helpful content like Healthy Recipes, Nutritional Advice, and Diet Tips, it can turn your the blog page into a great resource for people who is looking for live healthier.

The blog’s simple design and interesting visuals would help you easily keep readers continue interact with your site. Nutriseed’s focus on showing a healthy lifestyle through your blog page, it can be a space that inspires and helps people on their wellness journey.

15. Bruvi Blog Page Template

Bruvi's blog page is a potential place for coffee lovers since it has both style and function. The blog page has so many sections like brewing tips, coffee recipes, and product reviews, coffee lovers will find lots of useful information. The path of exploring coffee knowledge will become really enjoyable and easy because of its sleek, user-friendly design.

Bruvi's dedication to the coffee industry shines through in both its products and the blog's design, enhancing user engagement and deepening appreciation for the art of coffee.

16. Impact Blog Page Template

The Impact Blog Page Template offers a smooth user experience with its tag-based navigation, making it easy for visitors to find content. It features highlighted posts to showcase your top articles, and visible tags on post thumbnails help with quick categorization. 

Additionally, an integrated newsletter form to help you grow your email list. This template ensures an engaging and organized browsing experience for your readers.

17. Broadcast Blog Page Template

The Broadcast Blog Page Template makes exploring content easy with its tag-based navigation. It features a beautifully designed section highlighting top posts, drawing readers in. A sticky bar provides quick access to important options, and a related product feature encourages readers to purchase. 

Plus, visitors will feel engaged and browsing longer because it brings back easy access to recent blog posts. This template really helps to enhance user experience and encourages interaction with your content.

18. Be Yours Blog Page Template

The Be Yours Blog Page Template is designed for ease of use and increased social media engagement. It features sticky share buttons on the left side, making it easy for readers to share your content. 

Tag-based navigation ensures smooth exploration of topics, while the simple and effective design keeps things user-friendly. Your navigation throughout the blog will be enhanced thoroughly since the blog page template would provide clear titles and breadcrumbs. The template is crafted to improve user experience and encourage interaction.

19. Warehouse Blog Page Template

The Warehouse Blog Page Template is perfect for dropshipping with solid filters and search features. It includes a handy sticky bar for easy navigation, highlights popular posts to grab attention, and has a section for featured products. 

Moreover, your email list will be grown strongly since there’s a newsletter subscription form and a particular area for showcasing essential articles. The template is designed to enhance user experience and boost engagement.

20. Prestige Blog Page Template

The Prestige Blog Page Template, created by Maestrooo, is a premium Shopify theme designed to give your brand a high-end look. It will make sure a better user experience because of featured tag-based navigation at the top of posts and the including of tags on thumbnails for easy categorization. 

The template also has a section to highlight and promote important articles because the design improves your blog's functionality and visual appeal.

21. Story Blog Page Template

The Story Blog Page Template is designed to increase your brand's visibility and client trust. It ensures an excellent experience for users on their phones since the template has been optimized for mobile devices. The most recent blog post is prominently featured, making it stand out. 

Tags on thumbnails make navigation simple, and a featured article section helps highlight important content. Additionally, to keep readers engaged, the template allows you to add recommended bars in a sticky sidebar.

22. Publisher Blog Page Template

For independent studios and publishers, The Publisher Blog Page Template is a free theme especially designed for you. It places your brand story front and center. With contextual links to items and categories appearing throughout the blog, it highlights images and supports visual storytelling.

It's really easy to navigate since the design is minimalist, clean, and efficient. The latest post is prominently displayed, ensuring it grabs attention and stands out on your blog page.

23. Beyond Blog Page Template

The Beyond Blog Page Template, created by Troop Themes, uses a story-driven design to highlight your brand’s values and identity. It features tag-based navigation and a unique grid layout for organizing content. A full-size banner image adds visual impact. 

One standout feature is that blog posts are also included in a mega menu, making it easy for readers to quickly navigate and find what they’re looking for.

24. Stockmart Blog Page Template

The Stockmart Blog Page Template is a new and impressive Shopify theme ideal for large catalogs. It offers various features that let you showcase your brand’s personality through unique sections that enhance the blog layout. 

You can display multiple blog posts on a single page, encouraging users to explore more content. Badges are available to highlight special features or topics, and there are three featured blog posts for added promotion and visibility.

25. Avone Blog Page Template

The Boost Blog Page Template is a premium Shopify theme tailored for vendors who want to emphasize editorial content and conversational e-commerce. The clean, customizable design adapts well to all device sizes, ensuring a smooth user experience. 

This colorful and lively theme supports video embedding, offers a multi-column layout, and includes the option to showcase products directly within blog thumbnails, making it a versatile choice for enhancing your blog’s visual appeal and engagement.

How to Design a Unique Shopify Blog Page

Creating a blog page on Shopify is straightforward because the platform offers many apps to help you design and add the needed features.

One such app, EComposer Page Builder , allows users to create professional web storefronts without needing coding skills. It includes a variety of templates and elements that you can seamlessly drag and drop to build your store. For blog pages, EComposer provides a range of specialized templates that can fit any purpose for your Shopify store.

Step 1 : Install EComposer Page Builder for your Shopify store

Log in to the Shopify App Store and install the app EComposer Landing Page Builder .

Step 2: Choose Blog Page Template

• Open the EComposer app, and then start building your page.

• Preview templates and select one by clicking "Insert Now" and then "Next."

Step 3: Set Up Page Information

• Use the navigator slider on the left to quickly navigate sections; you can click any part to edit.
• Then, add components using the "Elements" function. Unique elements are created just for you to customize your Blog page template.

• For additional extensions or integrations, please navigate to the Extension Library on your left column; the icon is in the 6th position.

Step 4: Save and Publish

• Click "Publish" in the top right and choose "Save and Publish."
• Click "View" to preview your Blog Page.

With EComposer, creating a beautiful Blog page has never been easier – it's design made simple, just for you.

If you haven’t had a Shopify account yet, seize the opportunity to benefit from a special offer: only $1 for the first month for all plans to experience Shopify from A-Z.

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Shopify Blog Page Best Practices

1. Writing Tips

While writing tips primarily focus on individual blog posts, clear and concise language can also benefit the blog listing page itself.

• Clear and descriptive titles: Ensure blog post names appropriately represent the content and are easy to skim.
• Concise summaries: Provide brief overviews of each post to entice readers to click through.
• Call to action: Use compelling language, such as "Read More" or "Learn More," to encourage readers to click through to the full post.
• Consistent formatting: Maintain a consistent style for dates, author names, and other elements to improve readability.

2. Design Tips

The design of your blog listing page is crucial for user experience and engagement.

• Prioritize the most essential elements, such as post titles and featured images.
• Use whitespace effectively to enhance readability and create a clean, uncluttered look.
• Ensure your blog listing page looks great and functions well on all devices.
• Optimize images and minimize code to improve page load speed.
• Maintain your brand identity with consistent colors, fonts, and imagery.
• Make it easy for visitors to find what they want with clear categories and filters.
• Highlight your most popular or recent posts with a prominently featured section.

To create a successful blog listing page, remember to also focus on a mobile-friendly design, optimize the page for search engines, and gather customer feedback to identify areas for improvement. 

Final Words

Now that you've explored the templates, it's time to pick one and create your blog page . By using an attractive layout, engaging content, a friendly tone, and clear visuals, you can create a unique user experience. 

If you know why you need a blog listing page and have a clear goal, you're ready to start. Remember to review and update your blog page regularly to make it fresh and relevant.

1. What's the difference between a blog listing and a blog post?

Blog post: This is individual content with a specific topic or focus. It includes a title, body, images, and often a call to action.  

Blog page: This page displays multiple blog posts in a summarized format. It typically includes post titles, dates, images, and short descriptions. Think of it as a directory or index of your blog content.

2. How to add a Blog Listing Page to Your Shopify Store?

There are two main ways to add a blog listing page:

Method 1: Using Shopify's Built-in Blog Feature:

   - Create a new blog or use the default "News" blog.

   - Add a blog link to your store's navigation menu.

   - Customize the blog's appearance using your theme's settings.

Method 2: Customizing Your Theme (Advanced):

   - Create or edit a blog template, which requires coding skills.

   - Use third-party apps for advanced customization options to minimize code.

Note: Customization options depend on your theme's flexibility.

3. What content should I include on a blog listing page?

A blog listing page should include the following:

• Blog post titles: Clear and concise titles that accurately reflect the content.
• Featured images: Eye-catching visuals that represent each post.
• Publication dates: When the blog post was published.
• Author information (optional): The author's name or a byline.
• Brief excerpts: Short summaries of the blog post content.
• Categories and tags: These are used to organize and filter posts.
• Pagination: To divide content into manageable pages for websites with many blog posts.
• Call to action: Encourage visitors to read more with a clear CTA like "Read More."

Optional elements:

• Social sharing buttons: Allow visitors to share posts on social media.
• Author avatars: Small profile pictures for authors.
• Comments count: Show how many comments each post has.

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