The standard business plan outline has 10 sections. See the full structure, format variations (lean, SBA, pitch deck), and strong vs. weak examples for 2026.

Based on over four decades of experience starting, advising, and running startups, here are the steps I would take to start a brand new business today.

If you've recently started a business, you might be wondering, "Can I afford to hire more employees?" Running the numbers can help you figure this out.

A bank needs a lot upfront before deciding to lend you money. And while there may be exceptions, these are the most common things you’ll need to share with your potential lender.

There’s nothing worse than preparing to pitch to an investor and being asked a question that you don’t have a good answer to. To help you avoid that issue, here are some common questions angel investors will ask.

Palo Alto Software founder Tim Berry pioneered business plan software and literally wrote the book on Lean Planning. Learn how to get what you want from your business with Tim's approach to business planning.

What makes a good business plan? Results. Goals met, milestones achieved, objectives accomplished. Forget the old-fashioned thinking of evaluating plans like a college term paper. You don’t get points for writing style, formatting, or completeness. A…

For the sake of occasional business analysis — such as calculating return on investment (ROI) on a project, hiring a new employee, or allocating costs — here’s a simple formula for calculating the hourly cost of an employee: Cost per hour = annual…

Somebody asked me what the key components of a good business plan were, and I’m glad they did—it’s one of my favorite topics. It gives me a chance to review and revise another of the lists that I’ve done off and on for years (such as the one from…

A good argument for teams in business is not having to know finance if you love sales, marketing, or product development. But you’re a business owner. You’ll run your business better if you understand the standard business plan financials. These…

Every spring, I read and review dozens of business plans as a member of an angel investment group and a judge at several business plan contests. I love it. The plans I’ve seen are better than ever this year. But, for some reason, their financial…

They teach decision sciences in business schools. Those of us who do business, whether as entrepreneurs, business owners, or careerists, talk a lot and think a lot about business decisions. We all want better business decisions. I’ve taken some of…

I started my own service business and survived that way for 12 years before Palo Alto Software finally established itself as a product company. So, I do have some tips I can share. 1. Set your goals right and define success well Service businesses…

Last week at an angel investment meeting one of our group members asked whether anybody had a list of red flag problems that would immediately eliminate a startup from consideration by angel investors. That seemed like a good idea to me then. And…

I was glad to be asked about common mistakes with financial projections. I read about 100 business plans a year for angel investment and business plan competitions. Here are the most common mistakes I see in business forecasts. 1. Unrealistic…

I just answered this question on Quora. I think it’s an interesting question, one that comes up often enough, and one whose answer is worth considering. How can I write a very accurate business plan. I’m hoping to win a grant in a business plan…

Here are the key assumptions I believe deter potential entrepreneurs. 1. That being profitable means having cash in the bank Seems obvious, but spending on inventory, waiting on accounts receivable, buying assets and some other spending suck up cash…

Stories are the oldest and probably the best way to communicate ideas, truth, and beliefs. Stories as business strategy can be extremely powerful. Think of the key stories that are foundational in the great religions. Or think about the stories…

Before you buy into the myths about startup investors, first consider whether you actually want startup investors for your new business at all. No, I’m not bitter … I had VC money in Palo Alto Software for a few years and they were helpful,…

I’ve been doing business planning professionally since the 1980s. It’s changed a lot. These days, I very much advocate the one-page business plan for managing all businesses and all business owners, regardless of whether or not you need the full…