how to write a business plan for a school

School Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

School Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their schools.

If you’re unfamiliar with creating a school business plan, you may think creating one will be a time-consuming and frustrating process. For most entrepreneurs it is, but for you, it won’t be since we’re here to help. We have the experience, resources, and knowledge to help you create a great business plan.

In this article, you will learn some background information on why business planning is important. Then, you will learn how to write a school business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is a School Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your school as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategies for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a School

If you’re looking to start a school or grow your existing school, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your school to improve your chances of success. Your school business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Schools

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for schools are donations and gifts, tuition, personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, and angel investors. When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to ensure that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for schools.

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How to write a business plan for a school.

If you want to start a school or expand your current one, you need a business plan. The guide below details the necessary information for how to write each essential component of your school business plan.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your executive summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the kind of school you are running and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a school that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of schools?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan.

• Give a brief overview of the school industry.
• Discuss the type of school you are operating.
• Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers.
• Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy. Identify the key members of your team.
• Offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Overview

In your company overview, you will detail the type of school you are operating.

For example, you might specialize in one of the following types of schools:

• Private K-12 school : this type of school typically charges tuition, and may be affiliated with a religious organization, or specialize in a particular learning method.
• Charter school: this type of school offers primary or secondary education for a tuition, and may receive some public funding, and/or donations. These schools require their students to take state-mandated exams.
• Special subject school: this type of school specializes in teaching a specific subject, such as driving, first-aid, self-defense, fine arts, language, or general tutoring.
• Preschool: this type of school typically serves children who are aged 3 and 4. These schools prepare young children to enter formal education, and are funded by some combination of tuition, donations, and government grants.

In addition to explaining the type of school you will operate, the company overview needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of students served, the number of students accepted into elite formal education institutions, etc.
• Your legal business Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry or market analysis, you need to provide an overview of the school industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the school industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your marketing strategy, particularly if your analysis identifies market trends.

The third reason is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your school business plan:

• How big is the school industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential target market for your school? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your school business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: families with elementary-aged children, families with high-school-aged children, families with preschool children.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of school you operate. Clearly, families with high schoolers would respond to different marketing promotions than families with preschoolers, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, including a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the potential customers you seek to serve.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can recognize and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other schools.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t directly competing with your product or service. This includes public schools, virtual schools, and families who do homeschooling. You need to mention such competition as well.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their business and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as

• What types of students do they serve?
• What type of school are they?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide specialized instruction, either in subject or in method?
• Will you offer courses or services that your competition doesn’t?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.  

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a school business plan, your marketing strategy should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of school that you documented in your company overview. Then, detail the specific products or services you will be offering. For example, will you provide religious-focused K-8 education, college preparatory courses, or single-subject instruction like driving or fine arts?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your plan, you are presenting the courses and/or extracurricular activities you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the site of your school. Document where your company is situated and mention how the site will impact your success. For example, is your school located in a growing neighborhood, in the city center, or will you operate purely online? Discuss how your site might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your school marketing plan is where you will document how you will drive potential customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertise in local papers, radio stations and/or magazines
• Reach out to websites
• Distribute flyers
• Engage in email marketing
• Advertise on social media platforms
• Improve the SEO (search engine optimization) on your website for targeted keywords

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your school, including answering calls, planning and delivering instruction, applying for grants, fundraising, performing administrative tasks, overseeing instructors, handling discipline, scheduling and monitoring extracurricular activities, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to enroll your Xth student, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your school to a new city.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your school’s potential to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing schools. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in running a school or experience with public school administration or who has served on a public school board.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenue and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you enroll 100 or 1,000 students per semester, and/or offer extracurricular activities? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your school, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a lender writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and ensure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

When creating your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a school:

• Cost of equipment and supplies
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Other start-up expenses (if you’re a new business) like legal expenses, permits, computer software, and equipment

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your school location lease or a list of elective courses or extracurricular activities you will offer.  

Writing a business plan for your school is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will understand the school industry, your competition, and your customers. You will develop a marketing strategy and will understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful school.  

School Business Plan FAQs

What is the easiest way to complete my school business plan.

Growthink's Ultimate Business Plan Template allows you to quickly and easily write your school business plan.

How Do You Start a School?

Starting a school is easy with these 14 steps:

• Choose the Name for Your School
• Create Your School Business Plan
• Choose the Legal Structure for Your School
• Secure Startup Funding for Your School (If Needed)
• Secure a Location for Your Business
• Register Your School with the IRS
• Open a Business Bank Account
• Get a Business Credit Card
• Get the Required Business Licenses and Permits
• Get Business Insurance for Your School
• Buy or Lease the Right School Equipment
• Develop Your School Business Marketing Materials
• Purchase and Setup the Software Needed to Run Your School
• Open for Business

Learn more about   how to start your own school .

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How to Write a Private School Business Plan [Sample Template]

Are you about starting a private school (nursery, primary or high school)? If YES, here’s a complete sample private school business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE. Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a private school.

We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample private school marketing plan template backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for private schools. So let’s proceed to the business planning section.

Why Start a Private School?

One of the best things that can happen to anyone is to have a private school. This is one very lucrative business that will continue to rake in money for its owners. As an aspiring entrepreneur who is looking towards starting a business, you should ensure that whatever business you intend to start, you make sure that it is located in an appropriate place.

For example; if you want to start a private school, it will be a wrong business judgment if you decide to site the school close to an industrial area or close to a market. Aspiring entrepreneurs therefore are urged as a matter of necessity to ensure that they carry out a thorough market research and feasibility study of the industry they intend to go into before investing their hard earned money and time.

It is known fact that the demand for private schools is driven by the fact that most public cum government owned schools cannot accommodate every students or potential students in a given geographical location. In some cases, students with special needs cannot cope in public schools hence the need for private schools.

If you think starting a private school business sounds like what you want to do. Then you may want to use the business plan below as a guide.

A Sample Private School Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

Private schools which is also known in the united states as independent schools, non-governmental, or non – state schools are schools that are not administered by either the local, state or the federal governments; hence, they have the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students tuition fees, rather than relying on mandatory taxation through public (government) funding.

Some private schools have structure in place that offer scholarships to some students, which makes the cost cheaper, depending on a talent such as sport scholarship, art scholarship, academic scholarship the student may be brining to the private school, financial need, or tax credit scholarships that might be available.

The Private Schools industry comprises of primary that is kindergarten through sixth grade and secondary that is seventh through 12th grade) educational institutions that are predominantly funded through enrollment and tuition fees from students and of course from other private sources.

Recent reports released by IBISWORLD shows that the revenue for the Private Schools industry is expected to increase, as the economy continues to recover. The indicated that during the five years to 2016, enrollment decreased, which was a trend attributable to rising costs and competition from charter schools.

However, going forward, in the next five years, household income is anticipated to increase, making it easier for families to afford private-school tuition. Additionally, enrollment declines will lesson, resulting in more stable demand for private schools

In the United States of America and of course in most countries of the world, The Private Schools industry is indeed a large and thriving industry. Statistics has it that The Private Schools industry in the United States of America, is worth $52 billion, with an estimated growth rate of 0.1 percent.

There are about 25,742 registered and licensed (accredited) Private schools scattered all around the United States of America and they are responsible for employing about 644,320 people.

Aside from Catholic schools, which is the second largest sector after government schools, with around 21 percent of secondary enrollments, no other private school can boast of dominating the market; every player in the industry can comfortably compete in the industry.

It is important to state that the barriers to entry into the Private Schools industry are high. As a matter of fact, the private school industry is an industry in which it is pretty difficult for new entrants to establish themselves. So also, the reputation of the private school is of utmost importance, as private schools that have a good history of getting students into prestigious colleges often have the best reputations hence good enrollments.

With this, it is obvious that a new entrant in to the private school industry cannot offer this. Reputation indeed is imperative to parents’ decisions when shopping for private school for their wards. This is so because the quality of education cannot be assessed until well after it is complete. As a major marketing tool, schools need to show parents a track record of admission to elite colleges and universities.

Even though this might seem like a saturated industry, the industry is still pretty much open for aspiring school proprietors and proprietress to still come in and compete. As a matter of fact, if you conduct your research and feasibility studies very well before starting your own private school couple with impressive profile of your faculty members, you are likely going to struggle less to make headway in the industry.

2. Executive Summary

Rolland Gyros International Private School is an international private school that will be located in a well – populated residential estate in Ashville – North Carolina, United States of America. We are a standard private school that is composed of primary (kindergarten through sixth grade) and secondary (seventh through 12th grade) educational institution that will be predominantly funded through tuition fees and levies from students and of course from other private sources.

Rolland Gyros International Private School is a client-focused and result driven private school that provides broad-based learning approaches and experience at an affordable fee that won’t in any way put a hole in the pockets of our clients (students and parents alike).

We will offer standard and professional teaching services in a highly secured and conducive learning environment to all our students that is primary (kindergarten through sixth grade) and secondary (seventh through 12th grade). We will ensure that we work hard to meet and surpass all our students’ expectations and educational goals whenever they enroll in our tutorial college.

At Rolland Gyros International Private School, our students’ overall best interest would always come first, and everything we do is guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hire professional educationist cum teachers in various subjects who are well experienced and passionate in imparting knowledge to students at various learning ladder.

Rolland Gyros International Private School will at all time demonstrate her commitment to sustainability, both individually and as an educational organization, by actively participating in our communities and integrating sustainable business practices wherever possible.

We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our students’ needs precisely and completely. We will cultivate a working environment that provides a human, sustainable approach to earning a living, and living in our world, for our partners, employees and for our students.

We have plans to offer learning platforms to people with both learning disability and physical disability (especially the blind, the dumb and the deaf). Our overall business goal is to position our private school to become the leading tutorial brand in the educational industry in the whole of Ashville – North Carolina, and also to be amongst the top 30 private schools in the United States of America within the first 12 years of operations.

This might look too tall a dream but we are optimistic that this will surely come to pass because we have done our research and feasibility studies and we are enthusiastic and confident that Ashville is the right place to launch our private school.

Rolland Gyros International Private School is founded by Dr. (Mrs.) Irene Rolland Gyros and family. She is an educationist per excellence and she has won many awards in the education sector in the United States. Dr. (Mrs.) Irene Rolland Gyros has both the academic qualifications and experience to run a private school that can favorably compete with other leading private schools not only in Ashville – North Carolina, but also throughout the United States and Canada.

3. Our Products and Services

Rolland Gyros International Private School is going to offer varieties of educational services within the scope of the education board in the United States of America. Our intention of starting our private school is to soundly educate people in various subjects and of course to make profits from the education cum private schools industry and we will do all that is permitted by the law in the US to achieve our aim and business goal.

Our service offerings are listed below;

• Teaching basic literacy and numeracy
• Establishing foundations in science, mathematics, geography, history and other social sciences
• Constantly working hard to meet regulatory accreditation standards
• Administering private funding efforts
• Providing access to extracurricular activities
• Retailing of Educational Books and Materials

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to build a highly competitive private school that will become the number one choice for both parents and students in the whole of Ashville – North Carolina.
• Our vision reflects our values: integrity, service, excellence and teamwork.
• Our mission is to provide professional and conducive learning environment to students at different level of learning.
• Our overall business goal is to position Rolland Gyros International Private School to become the leading private school brand in the educational cum private school industry in the whole of Ashville – North Carolina, and also to be amongst the top 30 private schools in the United States of America within the first 12 years of operations.

Our Business Structure

It is a known fact that, the success of any business is to a larger extent dependent on the business structure of the organization and the people who occupy the available roles in the organization. Rolland Gyros International Private School will build a solid business structure that can support the growth of our private school.

We will ensure that we hire competent hands (teaching and non – teaching staff members) to help us build the private school of our dream. The fact that we want to become one of the leading private school brand in the industry in the whole of the United States of America makes it highly necessary for our organization to deliberately build a well – structured business from the onset.

We will work hard to ensure that we only attract people with the right mindset to help us achieve our business goals and objectives in record time. Below is the business structure that we will build Rolland Gyros International Private School;

• Head of The Private School(School Proprietress)

School Administrator

Tutors for Various Subjects – Secondary (seventh through 12th grade)

Tutors for Various Subjects – Primary (kindergarten through sixth grade)

• Accountant / Bursar
• Client Service Executive / Front Desk Officer

Security Officers

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Head of the Tutorial College / School Coordinator:

• Responsible for providing direction for the college
• Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• Responsible for handling high profile clients and deals
• Responsible for fixing fees and signing business deals (partnership)
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the tutorial college
• Coordinates all arms of the tutorial school (tutorial center, adult education, home tutors and special education)
• Evaluates the success of the tutorial college
• Reports to the board of the tutorial college
• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the tutorial school
• Designs job descriptions with KPI to drive performance management for tutors (teachers)
• Regularly hold meetings with key stakeholders (parents and member of the school board) to review the effectiveness of the schools’ Policies, Procedures and Processes
• Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
• Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
• Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carries out staff induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
• Oversees the smooth running of the daily activities of the private school.
• Effectively teach subject / subjects as assigned by the school administrator
• Accesses the progress of students under their care
• Ensures that students abide by the rules and regulations of the private school
• Contributes his / her quota towards growing the private school
• Receives complaints from parents and channel it to the appropriate quarters
• Handle any other duty as assigned by the school administrator.
• Ensure that students abide by the rules and regulations of the school administrator
• Handles any other duty as assigned by the school administrator.

Marketing Executive

• Identifies, prioritizes, and reaches out to new students, and business opportunities et al
• Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of projects; assures the completion of development projects.
• Writes winning proposal documents, negotiate fees and rates in line with organizations’ policy
• Responsible for handling business research, market surveys and feasibility studies for clients
• Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
• Develops, executes and evaluates new plans for expanding increase sales
• Documents all customer contact and information
• Represents the company in strategic meetings
• Helps to increase sales and growth for the school

School Bursar (Accountant)

• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions.
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for Rolland Gyros International Private School
• Serves as internal auditor for Rolland Gyros International Private School

Client Service Executive

• Welcomes / receive parents and students by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
• Ensures that all contacts with parents and students (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the parents and students with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with parents and students on the phone, uses every opportunity to build parent’s interest in the schools’ products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the HR and Admin Manager in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to parents and students when they make enquiries
• Receives parcels / documents for Rolland Gyros International Private School
• Distribute mails in the organization
• Handles any other duties as assigned by the School Administrator.
• Responsible for cleaning the school facility at all times
• Ensures that toiletries and supplies don’t run out of stock
• Cleans both the interior and exterior of the schools facility
• Handles any other duty as assigned by the school administrator
• Ensures that the school facility is secured at all time
• Controls traffic and organize parking
• Gives security tips to staff members from time to time
• Patrols around the building on a 24 hours basis
• Submits security reports weekly
• Any other duty as assigned by the school administrator

6. SWOT Analysis

Rolland Gyros International Private School engaged the services of a core professional in the area of business consulting and structuring with bias in the education sector to assist us in building a well – structured private school that can favorably compete in the highly competitive education cum private schools industry in the United States.

Part of what the team of business consultant did was to work with the management of our organization in conducting a SWOT analysis for Rolland Gyros International Private School. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Rolland Gyros International Private School;

As a private school, our core strength lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team with excellent qualifications and experience in the educational sector. We are well positioned in a community with the right demography and we know we will attract loads of students from the first day we open our doors and welcome students for enrollment.

As a new private school in Ashville – North Carolina, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and gain acceptance via reputation in the already saturated education cum private schools industry; that is perhaps our major weakness.

• Opportunities:

The opportunities in the education cum private schools industry is massive considering the number of parents who would want their wards to perform excellently well in their education and go ahead to be admitted in Ivy league colleges. As a standard and international private school, Rolland Gyros International Private School is ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes her way.

Every business faces a threat or challenge at any part of the life cycle of the business. These threats can be external or internal. This shows the importance of a business plan, because most threats or challenges are to be anticipated and plans put in place to cushion what effect they might bring to the private school.

Some of the threats that we are likely going to face as a private school operating in the United States of America are unfavorable government policies that might affect private schools, the arrival of a competitor within our location of operations and global economic downturn which usually affects spending / purchasing power.

There is hardly anything we can do as regards these threats other than to be optimistic that things will continue to work for our good.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

The trend in the private school line of business is that the key to attracting students is the educational performance and the pass rate of their students in national exams. Any private school that has good records will always thrive. The demand for private schools is driven by the fact that most public cum government owned schools cannot accommodate every students or potential students in a given geographical location.

In some cases, students with special needs cannot cope in public schools hence the need for private schools. The economic downturn hasn’t really affected this industry, especially in countries that believe in the efficacy of education.

The areas you would need to spend heavily on is in ensuring that your school is up to standard, your advertisements, and on insurance policy cover. Lastly, it is trendier to find private schools engaging in extra – curricular activities and as a matter of fact, a private school that thrives in sports can leverage on that to attract students who are sports inclined.

8. Our Target Market

As a standard and international private school, Rolland Gyros International Private School is going to offer varieties of educational services within the scope of the education board in the United States of America. Our intention of starting our private school is to soundly educate people in various subjects and of course to make profits from the education cum private schools industry

Our target market as a private school cuts across people (students) of different class and people from different culture background whether African, White, Caucasian, Latinos, Indians, and Asians. We are coming into the education cum private schools industry with a business concept that will enable us work with the students at different learning stages residing in and around Ashville – North Carolina.

Our competitive advantage

Indeed the private schools industry is highly competitive and the entry barriers are high. As a matter of fact, the private school industry is an industry in which it is pretty difficult for new entrants to establish themselves. So also, the reputation of the private school is of utmost importance, as private schools that have a good history of getting students into prestigious colleges often have the best reputations hence good enrollments.

We are quite aware that to be highly competitive in the education cum private schools industry means that you should be able to deliver consistent quality service, your students should be able to experience remarkable difference and improvement and you should be able to meet the expectations of both students and parents alike.

Rolland Gyros International Private School might be a new entrant into the education cum private schools industry in the United States of America, but the management staffs and owners of the private school are considered gurus. They are people who are core professionals, licensed and highly qualified educationist / teachers at various levels of learning in the United States. These are part of what will count as a competitive advantage for us.

Lastly, our employees (teaching and non – teaching staff members) will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category (startups private school in the United States) in the industry meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our business aims and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Rolland Gyros International Private School is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the education cum private schools industry and we are going to go all the way to ensure that we do all it takes to attract students on a regular basis.

Rolland Gyros International Private School will generate income by offering the following tutorial services;

• Teaching High school students various subjects in our private school

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain, there would always be parents and students who would need the services of private schools to be able to achieve their educational goals and as such the services of private schools will always be needed.

We are well positioned to take on the available market in Ashville – North Carolina and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income / profits from the first six month of operations and grow the private school and our student base.

We have been able to critically examine the private schools cum education market in the United States of America and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast.

The sales projection is based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to similar startups in Ashville – North Carolina. Below is the sales projection for Rolland Gyros International Private School, it is based on the location of our tutorial center and of course the wide range of tutorial services that we will be offering;

• First Fiscal Year-: $250,000
• Second Fiscal Year-: $450,000
• Third Fiscal Year-: $750,000

N.B : This projection is done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and natural disasters within the period stated above. So, there won’t be any major competitor (private school) offering same additional services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

We are mindful of the fact that there is stiffer competition amongst private schools in the United States of America; hence we have been able to hire some of the best marketing experts to handle our sales and marketing concerns. Our sales and marketing team will be recruited base on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall goal of the private school.

We will also ensure that our students’ excellent results from national exams and other exams speaks for us in the market place; we want to build a standard and first – class private school that will leverage on word of mouth advertisement from satisfied clients (both individuals and corporate organizations).

Our goal is to grow our private school to become one of the top 30 private schools in the United States of America which is why we have mapped out strategy that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with not only in Ashville – North Carolina but also in other cities in the United States of America.

Rolland Gyros International Private School is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;

• Introduce our private school by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to schools, parents / household and key stake holders in Ashville – North Carolina.
• Print out fliers and business cards and strategically drop them in schools, libraries and even student organizations.
• Creating a website, allows parents to be able to look you up, and also allows you to post general study tips, giving you an added advantage.
• Use friends and family to spread word about our private school
• Introduce Rolland Gyros International Private School to learning specialists, school coaches, school administrators, teachers, guidance counselors especially as they are with students everyday
• Post information about Rolland Gyros International Private School on bulletin boards in places like schools, libraries, and local coffee shops.
• Placing a small or classified advertisement in the newspaper, or local publication about Rolland Gyros International Private School
• Using tutorial referral networks such as agencies that will help match students with Rolland Gyros International Private School
• Joining relevant association or body that will enable you network and meet others in same industry.
• Advertising online by using an advertising platform such as Google Adwords, that will allow us place text advertisements alongside on websites with related contents, and along results from search engines.
• Advertise our private school in relevant educational magazines, newspapers, TV stations, and radio station.
• Attend relevant educational expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
• Engage direct marketing approach
• Encourage word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

We are aware of the potency of a good publicity strategy hence we have been able to work with our brand and publicity consultants to help us map out publicity and advertising strategies that will help us walk our way into the heart of our target market.

We are set to become the number one choice for both parents and students in the whole of Ashville – North Carolina which is why we have made provisions for effective publicity and advertisement of our private school. Below are the platforms we intend to leverage on to promote and advertise Rolland Gyros International Private School;

• Place adverts on both print (community based newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
• Sponsor relevant community based events / programs
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook , twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our brand
• Install our Bill Boards on strategic locations all around Ashville – North Carolina.
• Engage in road show from time to time in targeted neighborhoods in and around Ashville – North Carolina
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas in and around Ashville – North Carolina
• Passing general information via our school’s social media handles like twitter, Facebook, Google hangouts etc.
• Ensure that all our teaching and non – teaching staff members wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles are well branded with our schools’ logo et al.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Private schools in the United States of America and of course in all the parts of the world charge students per tem / per session and students have the options of either paying their tuitions before resumption or during the school session.

Private schools generally charge students based on loads of factors, locations, services offerings and extra – curricular activities et al At Rolland Gyros International Private School we will keep our fees below the average market rate for all of our students by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance.

In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to all our students at regular intervals. We are aware that there are some students that would need special assistance, we will offer flat rate for such services that will be tailored to take care of such students’ needs.

• Payment Options

At Rolland Gyros International Private School, our payment policy will be all inclusive because we are quite aware that different people prefer different payment options as it suits them. Here are the payment options that we will make available to our clients;

• Payment by via bank transfer
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via check
• Payment via bank draft
• Payment via mobile money
• Payment with cash

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will help us achieve our plans with little or no itches.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

In setting up a private school business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake. If you intend to go big by acquiring a large facility, then you would need a higher amount of capital as you would need to ensure that your employees are taken care of, and that your private school’s environment is conducive enough for the students to learn.

This means that the start-up can either be low or high depending on your goals, vision and aspirations for your business. The materials and equipment that will be used are nearly the same cost everywhere, and any difference in prices would be minimal and can be overlooked.

As for the detailed cost analysis for starting a private school business; it might differ in other countries due to the value of their money. However, this is what it would cost us to start Rolland Gyros International Private School in the United of America;

• Business incorporating fees in the United States of America will cost – $750.
• The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license will cost – $3,500
• Acquiring a large facility that will accommodate the number of block of closes, playing field, staff offices and parking lots et al (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) will cost – $350,000.
• Equipping the classes and office (computers, printers, projectors, markers, pens and pencils, furniture, telephones, filing cabinets, and electronics) will cost – $50,000
• Launching an official Website will cost – $500
• The budget for the payment of salaries for the first three months of operations: $120,000
• Additional Expenditure such as Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions will cost – $15,000

Going by the market survey and feasibility studies conducted, we came to the conclusion that we will need an average of $750,000 to start a small scale but standard private school in the United States of America.

Generating Funding / Startup Capital for Rolland Gyros International Private School

Rolland Gyros International Private School is a family business that will be owned and managed by Dr. (Mrs.) Irene Rolland Gyros and her immediate family. They are the sole financial of the private school which is why they decided to restrict the sourcing of the start – up capital for the private school to just three major sources.

These are the areas we intend generating our start – up capital;

• Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings and sale of his stocks
• Generate part of the start – up capital from friends and other extended family members
• Generate a larger chunk of the startup capital from the bank (loan facility).

N.B: We have been able to generate about $250,000 (Personal savings $200,000 and soft loan from family members $50,000 ) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $500,000 from our bank. All the papers and document has been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

It is a known fact that the future of any business lies in the numbers of loyal customers that they have, the capacity and competence of the employees, their investment strategy and of course the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business (company), then it won’t be too long before the business close shop.

One of our major goals of starting Rolland Gyros International Private School is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without the need for injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.

We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers (students and parents alike) over is to ensure that we offer nothing less than the best, to offer quality education to all our students so much so that they can favorably compete with students all over the United States and gain admission to Ivy League colleges.

Rolland Gyros International Private School will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and re – training of our workforce is at the top burner of our business strategy.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more as determined by the board of the organization. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

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• How to Write a Business Plan for Starting a School – 6 Steps

Every kind of business, regardless of its size, needs thorough planning to ensure success in the long run. According to research stated in BPlans.com, some 11,046 companies had excellent business performance due to extensive planning. Another study also found on the same site shows that businesses that do thorough planning grow 30% faster than others that don’t. As you can see, planning is indeed an essential element in running a business.

Download this Free How to Write a Business Plan for Starting a School - 6 Steps Article in PDF

Start with the executive summary, state your vision and goals, integrate your market analysis, talk about your school’s possible locations, elaborate on your financial strategies, explain your action plan in detail, more in school, business plan layout template, business plan startup template, printable business plan template, simple business plan template, blank business plan template, business plan financial template, restaurant business plan template, marketing business plan template, executive summary template, business plan guidelines template.

• 6 Reasons Why Risk Management Is Important in Schools
• How to Choose the Right Name for Your School [Templates + Examples] 2023
• 6 Brilliant Ways to Increase Your School’s Revenue
• 6 Good Reasons Why Your School Needs a Website
• 7 Useful Steps to Build Your School Brand
• 7 Best Practices for a Better School Improvement Planning
• Improving Your School Admission Strategy – 7 Useful and Simple Ways
• How to Improve Parent-Teacher Communication – 7 Tips
• How to Find and Hire the Best Educators for Your School – 8 Strategies
• 6 School Development Ideas
• 6 Challenges Faced by School Management – How to Overcome Them
• 6 Tips to Get Your School Funded
• Convincing Parents for School Admission – 5 Ways
• How to Manage Staff at School – 8 Tips and Strategies

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School Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

School Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your school business plan.

We have helped over 5,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their schools.

Sample Private School Business Plan

Below is a school business plan template to help you create each section of your own education business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

Southside Academy, located in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a private school that has been providing quality education to the community’s school children since 2017. Southside Academy teaches elementary, middle school, and high school students in a wide range of subjects including mathematics, science, and history. We aim to provide a welcoming and inviting environment where every student can reach their highest potential.

We promote academic, artistic, and athletic excellence in a close-knit learning environment, with a challenging curriculum that cultivates intellectual curiosity. Furthermore, we offer a low teacher-to-child ratio, where teachers can build close connections with their students as they help them excel. We develop confident, continual learners by establishing behavioral supports and the social culture needed for students to achieve social, emotional, and academic success.

Service Offering

Southside Academy offers a premium private education at an affordable tuition fee. We provide a challenging education where students can explore their true potential and a safe space where they can freely discover and express themselves. Our students range from 1st grade to 12th grade and we teach a wide variety of subjects including:

• Basic Mathematics
• Physical Education

Customer Focus

Southside Academy primarily serves families within a 5-mile radius of the school’s location. The area is home to thousands of middle and upper-class families looking for high-quality education for their children. Before the school was built, the area was underserved and many children had to travel far to attend quality private schools.

Management Team

Southside Academy’s founder is Mike Brown who has been working as a teacher for more than 20 years. Mike has taught at several public schools in the region but saw a great demand for private education. He noticed that the current location of the school was underserved and set out to create a school to serve this population. Mike Brown has successfully led Southside Academy as its principal since the school’s inception and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Mike Brown is supported by a team that has experience teaching students, managing finances, and running businesses. Specifically, our team has solid experience in being effective teachers, connecting to different types of students, and achieving key goals.

Success Factors

Southside Academy is able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

• Location: Southside Academy’s location is near the center of town, giving members of our community easy access for parents and their children.
• Passionate and Skillful Teachers: Southside Academy hires teachers with strong academic backgrounds who are skillful in handling all types of children.
• Low teacher-to-student ratio: We provide a low teacher-to-student ratio so that every student gets personal attention from teachers to reach their highest potential.
• Affordable, quality education: Most of the schools in the area offer their services at a very expensive price. Our fees will be moderately low so that good education is accessible to all families.

Financial Highlights

Southside Academy is currently seeking additional donations of $600,000 in order to fulfill our mission. The breakdown of the funding may be seen below:

• Salaries: $200,000
• School Materials (books, toys, desks, chairs, etc): $180,000
• Administrative Expenses: $120,000 to pay for lease costs, ongoing operational expenses, and marketing.
• Working capital: $100,000

The following graph below outlines the pro forma financial projections for Southside Academy.

Company Overview

Who is southside academy, southside academy’s history.

Southside Academy started as an idea from a group of school teachers, including Mike Brown. The teachers were university pals who are passionate about teaching and children. They have seen the gaps in education in St. Paul, Minnesota, and wanted to create a school that elevates the academic environment for the children of this area.

Their plans to build a school started in 2015, but it was only until April 2016 that they finally completed all the paperwork and met the legal requirements. Since then, Southside Academy has achieved the following milestones:

• Found a location and built the school
• Developed the school’s name, logo, and website
• Determined curriculum
• Hired teachers and other key employees

Southside Academy’s Services

Industry analysis.

Education is an essential foundation for a thriving society. It’s more important than ever before that every child has access to affordable, high-quality education. While public schools are an essential option for many low-income families, the education provided by private schools often results in higher test scores and more students moving on to top-tier universities.

The private school industry has experienced steady growth in the past five years. The key industry drivers are economic growth, the rise in numbers of K-12 students, an increase in the number of families with both parents working, and government initiatives to support education.

According to Polaris Market Research, this growth is expected to continue with a forecasted compound annual growth rate of 6.6% from now until 2030. This shows that Southside Academy has great potential to keep growing and expanding. We will have ample opportunities to grow our curriculum and offer services to students that help them reach their highest potential.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

Southside Academy serves the families and children of St. Paul, Minnesota. The area is mostly populated by young couples and new families that have disposable income and can pay a premium for their children’s education.

The precise demographics of the town in which our location resides are as follows:

Customer Segmentation

We primarily target the following three customer segments:

• Young children
• Young couples

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Southside Academy faces competition from other schools with similar profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.  

Waters Independent School

Founded in 1968, Waters Independent School is a non-profit and tax-exempt independent school system. The school is governed by an independent Board of Trustees and offers preschool through eighth-grade programs. WIS is accredited by the state’s Council of Independent Schools (FCIS).

Waters Independent School has small class sizes with low student-to-teacher ratios. Further, WIS’ Programs include a strong academic foundation coupled with programs in the arts, physical education, media/technology, foreign language, and extracurricular areas.  

Hill Preparatory School

Founded in 1923, Hill Preparatory School is a private, non-sectarian, coeducational, college preparatory day school. It offers PK-12 programs in a safe, student-centered environment. HPS supports its students through the challenges of the school year with one-on-one attention from dedicated faculty, robust services like The Learning Center and the College Center, and the most advanced educational technology. The campus spans 28 acres and has a new 60,000+ square foot facility.  

Future Leaders Preparatory School

Founded in 1968, Future Leaders Prep is a private school for PreK3-8th grade. FLPS offers preschool, elementary school, and middle school programs and offers the International Baccalaureate program of study for all students. Teachers are endorsed in gifted education through a master’s level grant with [local University]’s College of Education Gifted Program. In addition to the school, Future Leaders offers community programs such as music, dance, art, and theater lessons through the Community School of the Arts, youth sports in the Community School for Sports, and the 7-week summer camp.

Competitive Advantage

There are many schools in St. Paul, Minnesota but none of them provides the same quality of education that Southside Academy provides, specifically the following:

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

The Southside Academy brand will focus on the school’s unique value proposition:

• Providing premium education at an affordable price
• Providing a supportive and challenging place for children to learn
• Giving parents the assurance that their children will reach their full potential

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Southside Academy is as follows:

Social Media

Southside Academy will invest heavily in a social media advertising campaign. The school will utilize social media accounts and invest in ads on all social media platforms. It will use targeted marketing to appeal to the target demographics.

Publications

The school will place print advertisements in key local publications, including newspapers, area magazines, and business newsletters. Additionally, Southside Academy will print brochures and place them in specific locations frequented by target individuals.

Website/SEO

Southside Academy will invest heavily in developing a professional website that displays all of the features and benefits of Southside Academy. It will also invest heavily in SEO so that the school’s website will appear at the top of search engine results.

Direct Mail

Southside Academy will blanket neighborhoods with direct mail pieces. These pieces will provide general information on Southside Academy and incentives to enroll.

Southside Academy prices its tuition at a moderate price so our students and their families feel they are getting great value when choosing our school.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Southside Academy.

Operation Functions:

• Mike Brown is the school Principal. He manages the teachers, directs the direction of education, and serves as the head of the school.
• Mike is joined by Amanda Johnson who acts as the Administrative Assistant for the school. She helps Mike with the operations of the school as well as the marketing and administrative functions.
• Mike has hired an extensive team of highly qualified educators. Together, they teach dozens of subjects, including biology, chemistry, social studies, and mathematics. Every teacher that works for Southside Academy is passionate about education and pushing their students to reach their highest potential.

Milestones:

Southside Academy expects to achieve the following milestones in the following six months:

• 3/202X Kickoff of promotional campaign to attract new students
• 4/202X Start donation campaign
• 5/202X Hire new teachers for the upcoming year
• 6/202X Achieve donation/funding goal
• 7/202X Finalize list of incoming students for next year
• 8/202X Start next school year

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

Southside Academy’s revenues come from student tuition fees and donations from both individuals and corporations.

The major costs for the company will be staffing, marketing expenses, location maintenance, equipment, and materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Southside Academy is currently seeking additional fundraising and capital of $600,000 in order to fulfill our mission. The breakdown of the funding may be seen below:

Key Assumptions

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and to pay off the startup business loan.

• Year 1: 200
• Year 2: 300
• Year 3: 400
• Year 4: 500
• Year 5: 600
• Tuition rate per year: $10,000

Financial Statements

Income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, school business plan faqs, what is a school business plan.

A school business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your school business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your School business plan using our School Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of School Businesses?

There are a number of different kinds of school businesses, some examples include: private K-12 school, charter school, virtual schools, independent schools, primary school, secondary education, or preschool.

How Do You Get Funding for Your School Business Plan?

School businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.

What are the Steps To Start a School Business?

Starting a school business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop A School Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed school business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.  

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your school business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your school business is in compliance with local laws.

3, Register Your School Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your school business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws.

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your school business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. 

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations. 

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events. 

7. Acquire Necessary School Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your school business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation. 

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your school business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising. 

Learn more about how to start a successful school business:

• How to Start a School

Other Helpful Business Plan Templates

Nonprofit Business Plan Template

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How to write a business plan for your private school project.

Starting a private school is a great way to provide students with an alternative education option that is tailored to their individual needs and interests.

It also allows for greater autonomy and flexibility in curriculum design and implementation, allowing for more personalized learning experiences.

But, before that, you need a business plan.

Creating a business plan before beginning a project is essential for success. It helps to identify potential risks and opportunities, as well as providing a roadmap for the project.

In short, a good business plan will help ensure the profitability of your private school project .

What should be covered when creating a business plan for a private school? How can it be effectively planned? What are the essential financial measures to include? What steps should I take to ensure an efficient process when writing a business plan?

Good news, you can find all the answers to these questions in the forthcoming article!

One last thing: you can avoid starting your business plan from scratch.

Feel free to download our professional business plan for a private school and tailor it to suit your project.

Designing a business plan for a private school

Is a business plan recommended for your private school project.

Yes, you should create a business plan for your private school project.

Crafting a well-structured business plan will help you to:

• gain knowledge of the private school market
• keep up with the industry's changing trends
• discover what makes a private school competitive
• understand parents' educational preferences and expectations
• come up with a winning value proposition for your independent educational institution
• examine competitor market share
• find solid competitive advantages for your private school project
• find a business model that will lead to a positive bottom line
• implement a winning strategy on the short and the long-term
• assess potential risks involved in starting a private school, such as regulatory compliance, student safety, and educational quality

Our team has created a business plan for a private school that is designed to make it easier for you to achieve all the elements listed.

How to outline a business plan for a private school?

If done well, your business plan will be a full package of content, metrics and financial data. It must be presented in a structured format, to make easy to read and digest.

When we built our business plan for a private school , we made sure to structure it propertly.

You'll come across 5 sections (Opportunity, Project, Market Research, Strategy and Finances).

1. Market Opportunity

The section number one is called "Market Opportunity".

Access relevant data and metrics for the private school project, assisting you in analyzing the opportunities and challenges within the education and schooling sector.

The data here is always fresh; we update it twice a year.

2. Project Presentation

The "Project" section is where you outline your private school project. You can describe the educational philosophy, curriculum offerings, extracurricular activities, facilities, teaching staff qualifications, admission process, and the unique value proposition that sets your school apart in providing quality education.

Remember to introduce yourself at the end of this section.

Discuss your passion for education, your vision for the private school, and how you plan to create an enriching and nurturing learning environment for students. Highlight your qualified faculty, your innovative curriculum, and your dedication to providing personalized attention and holistic development opportunities through your private school project.

We wrote some content in our business plan. Change it to fit your concept.

3. Market Research

The next item on the list is the "Market Research" section.

The purpose of this section is to introduce the market segments for your private school project.

It includes a competition study, outlining other private schools in the area. Your school's unique educational programs and competitive advantages are also highlighted. A customized SWOT analysis is included.

4. Strategy

Within the "Strategy" section, a detailed plan spanning three years is presented, highlighting the initiatives and actions necessary to make your private school project highly profitable.

Additionally, you'll find a marketing strategy, a plan to manage risks, and a completed Business Model Canvas, tailored to a private school, in this section.

5. Finances

In the end, the section labeled "Finances" allows you to showcase the financial details and values of your project.

How to elaborate the Executive Summary for a private school?

The Executive Summary serves as a compact introduction to the business plan of your private school project.

Don't go beyond 2 pages; ensure you include only the critical information.

This document is designed to make the reader excited about your business plan.

In the Executive Summary of your private school project, answer these questions: what is your private school project about? who is your target market? are there other private schools in the area? what sets your school apart from them? how much funding do you require?

How to do the market analysis for a private school?

The market study of your private school project helps you understand external factors such as parent preferences for education, competition within the private school sector, and emerging trends in educational practices.

By conducting an extensive market study, a private school can understand parent and student needs, offer quality education and comprehensive programs, optimize pricing strategies, and execute targeted marketing campaigns, ultimately leading to a larger student base, increased enrollment, and a prominent position in the private education sector.

Here is what what we've put in the "Market Research" section of our business plan for a private school :

• key insights and trends in private schools, including private school enrollment rates, education quality, and the impact of specialized private school programs
• a list of potential market segments for a private school
• the competitive review
• the competitive advantages to target for a private school

The key points of the business plan for a private school

What's the business model of a private school, business model of a private school.

a private school's business model revolves around providing education services to students in a private setting. Revenue is generated through tuition fees, potentially offering additional services such as extracurricular activities or specialized programs.

The business model focuses on offering a high-quality and comprehensive curriculum, hiring qualified educators, providing modern facilities and resources, marketing to target parents and students, and building strong relationships with parents and the local community.

Success depends on establishing a positive reputation for academic excellence, attracting and retaining students, meeting regulatory requirements, effective marketing strategies, and delivering a holistic and enriching educational experience.

Business model ≠ Business plan

Avoid confusing "business plan" with "business model."

A business model is a framework that outlines how a company creates value, delivers products or services, and generates revenue.

In a business plan, you employ the Business Model Canvas as a practical tool to outline the key aspects of your business model.

Rest assured, there is a Business Model Canvas (already completed) in our business plan for a private school .

How do you identify the market segments of a private school?

Segmenting the market for your private school project involves dividing your potential students and families into different groups based on their educational needs, preferences, and demographics.

These categories may include factors such as grade levels, curriculum types, extracurricular programs, or families seeking specific educational approaches (e.g., Montessori, STEM, arts-focused).

By segmenting your market, you can offer a private school experience that caters to each segment's specific requirements. For example, you might provide elementary, middle, and high school programs for students of different grade levels, offer a comprehensive curriculum that encompasses a range of subjects and learning areas, specialize in specific educational approaches or philosophies such as Montessori, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), or an arts-focused curriculum, or focus on offering a variety of extracurricular programs and enrichment activities that align with the interests and talents of students.

Market segmentation allows you to effectively target your marketing efforts, communicate the unique benefits of your private school, and provide a nurturing and stimulating educational environment that meets the unique needs and preferences of each student segment and their families.

In the business plan for a private school , you will find a comprehensive market segmentation that will help you identify your potential customers.

How to conduct a competitor analysis for a private school?

Without surprise, you won't be the only private school project in your area. There are other educational initiatives working towards establishing quality private schools.

Develop a solid business plan by conducting an extensive competitor analysis that evaluates their strengths and weaknesses.

Address their weaknesses (such as inadequate curriculum design, lack of extracurricular activities, or poor student support services).

Why is it crucial to notice these aspects? Because these weaknesses can impact the success of private school projects.

By focusing on these areas, you can offer a comprehensive and well-rounded education curriculum, provide qualified and dedicated teaching staff, and create a nurturing and inclusive school environment, positioning your private school project as a preferred choice for parents and students seeking quality education and holistic development.

It's what we call competitive advantages—building them is essential for a standout business.

Here are some examples of competitive advantages for a high school: experienced and dedicated teaching staff, diverse educational programs, supportive learning environment.

How to draft a SWOT analysis for a high school?

A SWOT analysis can help identify potential opportunities and threats that can affect the success of the private school project.

As you can guess, there is indeed a completed and editable SWOT matrix in our business plan for a private school

The strengths for a private school

S stands for Strengths in SWOT, representing the project's valuable strengths or advantages.

For a private school, possible strengths could include a highly qualified teaching staff, a rigorous academic curriculum, a diverse student body, and a strong emphasis on extracurricular activities.

The weaknesses for a private school

The "W" symbolizes Weaknesses, indicating the specific areas or aspects of the project that require attention.

For a private school, potential weaknesses could include inadequate funding, lack of qualified teachers, insufficient resources, and limited parental involvement.

The opportunities for a private school

The "O" in SWOT stands for Opportunities, which are positive external factors that can help the project succeed.

In the case of a private school, potential opportunities include creating an innovative curriculum, increasing student engagement, expanding the school's reach through technology, and developing community partnerships.

The threats for a private school

When we refer to the "T" in SWOT, we're referring to Threats, which are the external risks or detrimental factors that can impact the project's performance.

How to develop a marketing plan for a high school?

A marketing strategy is a necessary component of a business plan as it describes how a business will engage customers and generate sales.

A well-crafted marketing strategy will attract parents seeking quality education for their children to your private school project.

Parents won't enroll their children in your private school project without effective marketing; showcasing the quality of education, extracurricular activities, and nurturing environment is crucial.

Are you implementing effective marketing strategies for your private school project? Consider hosting open houses or informational sessions for parents, showcasing your school's unique educational programs, and utilizing targeted advertising campaigns in local communities.

Don't worry if you have no clue about marketing and communication.

How to build a solid financial plan for a high school?

A successful business plan must include detailed financial information, such as income and expense projections, cash flow statements, and a break-even analysis.

In the process of developing your business plan, you'll need to determine the expected revenue for your private school project.

The revenue forecast should be based on reliable information and reflect current market conditions.

Our financial plan for a private school is straightforward and equipped with automated checks, enabling you to validate and adjust your assumptions easily. This way, we make sure you're building solid financial projections.

It goes without saying that you'll have to develop a provisional budget for your private school project. Don't overlook any expense. By the way, we've listed them all in our financial plan!

The break-even analysis is central in the financial plan as it will tell you whether your private school project will be profitable or not.

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Business Plan & Budget

Documenting your vision.

A business plan is an essential part of the planning process, helping identify goals and metrics and your plan to achieve them.

• Starting with your objectives
• Business plan vs. a budget
• Business plan types
• Creating your business plan
• Creating your budget

Planning for Your New School

Your business plan and budget are important tools for two reasons:

First, before you invest your time, energy and money in opening a school, it is important that you have a plan for yourself that you can believe in. Opening any business is hard work and carries risk - schools are no exception! Having a plan can allow you to move forward with confidence.

Second, your plan can be helpful to help others understand how you expect to turn you vision from dream to reality. From recruiting staff to recruiting financial backing, a solid plan allows you to build confidence in others, too.

In this section we look at the fundamentals for school business plans and budgets, and how these are derived from your vision and objectives.

Software That Simplifies & Empowers Your School

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Parent Communications

Informed parents become engaged parents and engaged parents can supercharge your school.

Websites & Admissions

A high-impact website attracts students while Twine makes admissions easy.

School Management

Twine makes it easy for teachers and administrators to do everything they need to do.

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Twine helps schools simplify their administration, automate scheduling/staffing, and lesson the load placed on teachers and administrative staff. Twine also helps with enrollment, marketing, and more. See what Twine can do:

Websites & Admissions

Starting with your objectives.

As Lewis Carroll so playfully points out: you need to first know where you want to go, and then you can build a plan to get there.

If you’ve not already started with the work outlined in the school identity section of this guide, now is a great time to review the topics on core values and mission. Once your core values and mission are clear, you can begin to set objectives by examining questions such as:

Who are the students and families you want to serve? There are any number of ways you might think about this: are you intending to provide services for an underserved population or a group with particular needs that aren’t being met in your community? Are you wanting to bring together families with a common interest or ideology, whether that is an academic focus, religious conviction, academic philosophy, or opportunity for particular experiences?

What is the ideal size for your program? Even knowing you won’t get there right away, do you ultimately want to remain a small community of 18 or 24, or does your objective require a population of 300 or 500 or 1000 students to support the diversity of programming, staff expertise and varies programs you’d like to offer?

What role do you want to create for yourself? This can be a particularly tricky question, but it is crucial to step back and consider as part of your plan. If your first love is working in the classroom, you should have a plan that allows you classroom time. That may mean splitting time between administrative tasks and a small class workload, or it could mean having a large enough enrollment to bring in a full-time administrator. If you are excited by strategy and operations, and enjoy building a team, recruiting parents, and overseeing the day-to-day running of the school, keep yourself in an administrative role. There are dozens of roles you might choose to play: why not use this opportunity to ensure you put yourself in your dream job?

Once you’ve worked through your objectives (and written them down!) you’re ready to move on and begin planning.

Business Plan vs. Budget

A common misconception is that a well-defined and detailed budget is essentially the same as a business plan. While a solid budget is an important component of a business plan, a true business plan looks beyond just the projected income and expenses to answer questions about both strategy and tactics. 

The Role of a Business Plan

Business plans can seem daunting if you’ve never had to write one before. It is a must-have document, though, as it serves as a road map for your new school. Although there are many things that are going to be a part of the business plan, it is there to explain what you hope to accomplish with your school and how you are going to accomplish it. Additionally, business plans serve as important documentation for financial institutions or investors to see whether your school is worth investing in.

The Role of a Budget

Budgets, on the other hand, are primarily internal documents you’ll use to track your income and expenses and determine where your spending should take place. If you need new textbooks or want to give someone a raise, your budget will guide you through your decisions and help you determine if you have the money to do so, or what you need to accomplish to make it happen.

Business Plan Types

Creating a business plan can take time, but the good thing is that they tend to follow a consistent format – so you can basically work from a template to create yours. There are two common approaches used today:

Traditional "Full" Business Plan

A traditional, full business plan tends to be comprehensive and detailed. Creation of a full business plan can be time consuming but going through the process will help identify areas of planning that you may not have considered, and the resulting plan should provide sufficient details to be used when talking with banks or investors. For full business plans, the US Small Business Administration has a great  step-by-step guide  that walks you through each section of your business plan, along with some examples to look at.

Start-Up "Lean" Business Plan

An alternate approach is the lean start-up plan, which is faster to write and focuses more on high-level plans and a few key elements. Lean plans can be a good place to start, with the assumption you will update and revise the plan frequently.  Particularly if soliciting funding, you may require additional time and detail later. Tim Berry, one of the leading experts on lean business plans, provides a good overview in his  What's a Lean Business Plan  article.

Creating Your Business Plan

There are lots of options for online business plan templates and most share a lot of common characteristics. There’s nothing wrong with picking one based on personal taste. Any of the following are excellent options as a starting point:

growthink (non-profit business plans)

Rocket Lawyer

My Own Business Institute

InvoiceBerry

US Small Business Administration

That there are many internet-based companies that offer business plan writing or editing, specifically. Here are just a few that you might want to check out:

Cayenne Consulting

Go Business Plans

Wise Business Plans

Many of the same companies that provide the business plan templates we highlighted are business consultants, not just business plan writers. Consultants can help you in your overall plans, particularly in areas where you may need guidance.

Professional organizations and associations for private schools, as well as your local chamber of commerce are also great resources for finding business consultants to assist you in creating your business plan and beyond.

Creating Your Budget

Understanding your costs.

The costs you’ll incur as a new school are really dependent on the choices you make in facilities and staffing. You’ll find a lot of useful information in those sections of this guide and they will help you get a clearer picture of the various expenses you’re going to face as you open up your school.

One of the great things about a budget is that, as long as you can easily read and understand it, the format isn’t going to make or break you. That said, staying organized and keeping track of everything takes a good system. One of the most popular methods is using a spreadsheet or system of spreadsheets to plan your income and expenses. Smartsheet has an excellent business budget template that you can modify to meet the needs of your school.

Once you are up and running, insight into actual income and expenses can be generated by your accounting software. Some accounting packages include budgeting tools as well, easing the work of comparing your plan to your actual numbers.

Tools to Assist With Budget Creation

Several excellent resources exist that can help you develop a budget, including:

The American Association of School Administrators has put together a  School Budgets 101  document that outlines common expenses and budgetary considerations for schools

The Guardian published  A beginner's guide to planning and managing school budgets in 2016, which explains several important budgeting principals.

Helping Educators Do the Work That Matters

Guide Quick-Nav

Introduction

We’ve developed these 10 topics to help you along the way. Take them all in at once, or start with the areas most relevant right now.

School Identity

There’s plenty you can do to develop your own brand, starting right from your personal ideals and goals for your school.

Our curriculum pages include ideas on where to go to find materials, and different associations and educational models you may want to consider.

Legal & Operating Requirements

You need to know the requirements at both the federal level and for your state. Here are the basic details for every state.

Funding & Finance

Here we share ideas for possible funding sources, and ways you might be able to start with less than you thought necessary.

Having a plan for how you’ll operate and a budget to predict and allocate funds is critical for all businesses, schools included. We’ve pulled together resources here to help with both.

What facilities are right for your school? We encourage new schools to get creative, and have compiled some considerations to take into account.

How can you find and recruit the right talent for your school? What qualifications or certifications are required?

Policies & Procedures

Thinking about more than just a student handbook and conduct code, we've included recommendations & templates to help you develop your school policies & procedures

Marketing & Online Presence

Associations

34+ SAMPLE School Business Plan in PDF | MS Word | Google Docs | Apple Pages

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Step 1: school overview, step 2: executive summary, step 3: school services.

• Literacy services
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• Meeting accreditation standards
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Step 4: Mission Statement and Vision Statement

Step 5: job description, step 6: swot analysis.

• Strengths – What is the ace of your school against your competitors?
• Weaknesses – On what aspects are your school lacking?
• Opportunities – Where does your school excel in teaching?
• Threats – What can make a student leave your school?

Step 7: Market Research

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Written by Jesse Sumrak | May 14, 2023

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Business plans might seem like an old-school stiff-collared practice, but they deserve a place in the startup realm, too. It’s probably not going to be the frame-worthy document you hang in the office—yet, it may one day be deserving of the privilege.

Whether you’re looking to win the heart of an angel investor or convince a bank to lend you money, you’ll need a business plan. And not just any ol’ notes and scribble on the back of a pizza box or napkin—you’ll need a professional, standardized report.

Bah. Sounds like homework, right?

Yes. Yes, it does.

However, just like bookkeeping, loan applications, and 404 redirects, business plans are an essential step in cementing your business foundation.

Don’t worry. We’ll show you how to write a business plan without boring you to tears. We’ve jam-packed this article with all the business plan examples, templates, and tips you need to take your non-existent proposal from concept to completion.

Table of Contents

What Is a Business Plan?

Tips to Make Your Small Business Plan Ironclad

How to Write a Business Plan in 6 Steps

Startup Business Plan Template

Business Plan Examples

Work on Making Your Business Plan

How to Write a Business Plan FAQs

What is a business plan why do you desperately need one.

A business plan is a roadmap that outlines:

• Who your business is, what it does, and who it serves
• Where your business is now
• Where you want it to go
• How you’re going to make it happen
• What might stop you from taking your business from Point A to Point B
• How you’ll overcome the predicted obstacles

While it’s not required when starting a business, having a business plan is helpful for a few reasons:

• Secure a Bank Loan: Before approving you for a business loan, banks will want to see that your business is legitimate and can repay the loan. They want to know how you’re going to use the loan and how you’ll make monthly payments on your debt. Lenders want to see a sound business strategy that doesn’t end in loan default.
• Win Over Investors: Like lenders, investors want to know they’re going to make a return on their investment. They need to see your business plan to have the confidence to hand you money.
• Stay Focused: It’s easy to get lost chasing the next big thing. Your business plan keeps you on track and focused on the big picture. Your business plan can prevent you from wasting time and resources on something that isn’t aligned with your business goals.

Beyond the reasoning, let’s look at what the data says:

• Simply writing a business plan can boost your average annual growth by 30%
• Entrepreneurs who create a formal business plan are 16% more likely to succeed than those who don’t
• A study looking at 65 fast-growth companies found that 71% had small business plans
• The process and output of creating a business plan have shown to improve business performance

Convinced yet? If those numbers and reasons don’t have you scrambling for pen and paper, who knows what will.

Don’t Skip: Business Startup Costs Checklist

Before we get into the nitty-gritty steps of how to write a business plan, let’s look at some high-level tips to get you started in the right direction:

Be Professional and Legit

You might be tempted to get cutesy or revolutionary with your business plan—resist the urge. While you should let your brand and creativity shine with everything you produce, business plans fall more into the realm of professional documents.

Think of your business plan the same way as your terms and conditions, employee contracts, or financial statements. You want your plan to be as uniform as possible so investors, lenders, partners, and prospective employees can find the information they need to make important decisions.

If you want to create a fun summary business plan for internal consumption, then, by all means, go right ahead. However, for the purpose of writing this external-facing document, keep it legit.

Know Your Audience

Your official business plan document is for lenders, investors, partners, and big-time prospective employees. Keep these names and faces in your mind as you draft your plan.

Think about what they might be interested in seeing, what questions they’ll ask, and what might convince (or scare) them. Cut the jargon and tailor your language so these individuals can understand.

Remember, these are busy people. They’re likely looking at hundreds of applicants and startup investments every month. Keep your business plan succinct and to the point. Include the most pertinent information and omit the sections that won’t impact their decision-making.

Invest Time Researching

You might not have answers to all the sections you should include in your business plan. Don’t skip over these!

Your audience will want:

• Detailed information about your customers
• Numbers and solid math to back up your financial claims and estimates
• Deep insights about your competitors and potential threats
• Data to support market opportunities and strategy

Your answers can’t be hypothetical or opinionated. You need research to back up your claims. If you don’t have that data yet, then invest time and money in collecting it. That information isn’t just critical for your business plan—it’s essential for owning, operating, and growing your company.

Stay Realistic

Your business may be ambitious, but reign in the enthusiasm just a teeny-tiny bit. The last thing you want to do is have an angel investor call BS and say “I’m out” before even giving you a chance.

The folks looking at your business and evaluating your plan have been around the block—they know a thing or two about fact and fiction. Your plan should be a blueprint for success. It should be the step-by-step roadmap for how you’re going from Point A to Point B.

How to Write a Business Plan—6 Essential Elements

Not every business plan looks the same, but most share a few common elements. Here’s what they typically include:

• Executive Summary
• Business Overview
• Products and Services
• Market Analysis
• Competitive Analysis
• Financial Strategy

Below, we’ll break down each of these sections in more detail.

1. Executive Summary

While your executive summary is the first page of your business plan, it’s the section you’ll write last. That’s because it summarizes your entire business plan into a succinct one-pager.

Begin with an executive summary that introduces the reader to your business and gives them an overview of what’s inside the business plan.

Your executive summary highlights key points of your plan. Consider this your elevator pitch. You want to put all your juiciest strengths and opportunities strategically in this section.

2. Business Overview

In this section, you can dive deeper into the elements of your business, including answering:

• What’s your business structure? Sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation, etc.
• Where is it located?
• Who owns the business? Does it have employees?
• What problem does it solve, and how?
• What’s your mission statement? Your mission statement briefly describes why you are in business. To write a proper mission statement, brainstorm your business’s core values and who you serve.

Don’t overlook your mission statement. This powerful sentence or paragraph could be the inspiration that drives an investor to take an interest in your business. Here are a few examples of powerful mission statements that just might give you the goosebumps:

• Patagonia: Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
• Tesla: To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
• InvisionApp : Question Assumptions. Think Deeply. Iterate as a Lifestyle. Details, Details. Design is Everywhere. Integrity.
• TED : Spread ideas.
• Warby Parker : To offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price while leading the way for socially conscious businesses.

3. Products and Services

As the owner, you know your business and the industry inside and out. However, whoever’s reading your document might not. You’re going to need to break down your products and services in minute detail.

For example, if you own a SaaS business, you’re going to need to explain how this business model works and what you’re selling.

You’ll need to include:

• What services you sell: Describe the services you provide and how these will help your target audience.
• What products you sell: Describe your products (and types if applicable) and how they will solve a need for your target and provide value.
• How much you charge: If you’re selling services, will you charge hourly, per project, retainer, or a mixture of all of these? If you’re selling products, what are the price ranges?

4. Market Analysis

Your market analysis essentially explains how your products and services address customer concerns and pain points. This section will include research and data on the state and direction of your industry and target market.

This research should reveal lucrative opportunities and how your business is uniquely positioned to seize the advantage. You’ll also want to touch on your marketing strategy and how it will (or does) work for your audience.

Include a detailed analysis of your target customers. This describes the people you serve and sell your product to. Be careful not to go too broad here—you don’t want to fall into the common entrepreneurial trap of trying to sell to everyone and thereby not differentiating yourself enough to survive the competition.

The market analysis section will include your unique value proposition. Your unique value proposition (UVP) is the thing that makes you stand out from your competitors. This is your key to success.

If you don’t have a UVP, you don’t have a way to take on competitors who are already in this space. Here’s an example of an ecommerce internet business plan outlining their competitive edge:

FireStarters’ competitive advantage is offering product lines that make a statement but won’t leave you broke. The major brands are expensive and not distinctive enough to satisfy the changing taste of our target customers. FireStarters offers products that are just ahead of the curve and so affordable that our customers will return to the website often to check out what’s new.

5. Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis examines the strengths and weaknesses of competing businesses in your market or industry. This will include direct and indirect competitors. It can also include threats and opportunities, like economic concerns or legal restraints.

The best way to sum up this section is with a classic SWOT analysis. This will explain your company’s position in relation to your competitors.

6. Financial Strategy

Your financial strategy will sum up your revenue, expenses, profit (or loss), and financial plan for the future. It’ll explain how you make money, where your cash flow goes, and how you’ll become profitable or stay profitable.

This is one of the most important sections for lenders and investors. Have you ever watched Shark Tank? They always ask about the company’s financial situation. How has it performed in the past? What’s the ongoing outlook moving forward? How does the business plan to make it happen?

Answer all of these questions in your financial strategy so that your audience doesn’t have to ask. Go ahead and include forecasts and graphs in your plan, too:

• Balance sheet: This includes your assets, liabilities, and equity.
• Profit & Loss (P&L) statement: This details your income and expenses over a given period.
• Cash flow statement: Similar to the P&L, this one will show all cash flowing into and out of the business each month.

It takes cash to change the world—lenders and investors get it. If you’re short on funding, explain how much money you’ll need and how you’ll use the capital. Where are you looking for financing? Are you looking to take out a business loan, or would you rather trade equity for capital instead?

Read More: 16 Financial Concepts Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know

Startup Business Plan Template (Copy/Paste Outline)

Ready to write your own business plan? Copy/paste the startup business plan template below and fill in the blanks.

Executive Summary Remember, do this last. Summarize who you are and your business plan in one page.

Business Overview Describe your business. What’s it do? Who owns it? How’s it structured? What’s the mission statement?

Products and Services Detail the products and services you offer. How do they work? What do you charge?

Market Analysis Write about the state of the market and opportunities. Use date. Describe your customers. Include your UVP.

Competitive Analysis Outline the competitors in your market and industry. Include threats and opportunities. Add a SWOT analysis of your business.

Financial Strategy Sum up your revenue, expenses, profit (or loss), and financial plan for the future. If you’re applying for a loan, include how you’ll use the funding to progress the business.

5 Frame-Worthy Business Plan Examples

Want to explore other templates and examples? We got you covered. Check out these 5 business plan examples you can use as inspiration when writing your plan:

• SBA Wooden Grain Toy Company
• SBA We Can Do It Consulting
• OrcaSmart Business Plan Sample
• Plum Business Plan Template
• PandaDoc Free Business Plan Templates

Get to Work on Making Your Business Plan

If you find you’re getting stuck on perfecting your document, opt for a simple one-page business plan —and then get to work. You can always polish up your official plan later as you learn more about your business and the industry.

Remember, business plans are not a requirement for starting a business—they’re only truly essential if a bank or investor is asking for it.

Ask others to review your business plan. Get feedback from other startups and successful business owners. They’ll likely be able to see holes in your planning or undetected opportunities—just make sure these individuals aren’t your competitors (or potential competitors).

Your business plan isn’t a one-and-done report—it’s a living, breathing document. You’ll make changes to it as you grow and evolve. When the market or your customers change, your plan will need to change to adapt.

That means when you’re finished with this exercise, it’s not time to print your plan out and stuff it in a file cabinet somewhere. No, it should sit on your desk as a day-to-day reference. Use it (and update it) as you make decisions about your product, customers, and financial plan.

Review your business plan frequently, update it routinely, and follow the path you’ve developed to the future you’re building.

Keep Learning: New Product Development Process in 8 Easy Steps

What financial information should be included in a business plan?

Be as detailed as you can without assuming too much. For example, include your expected revenue, expenses, profit, and growth for the future.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when writing a business plan?

The most common mistake is turning your business plan into a textbook. A business plan is an internal guide and an external pitching tool. Cut the fat and only include the most relevant information to start and run your business.

Who should review my business plan before I submit it?

Co-founders, investors, or a board of advisors. Otherwise, reach out to a trusted mentor, your local chamber of commerce, or someone you know that runs a business.

Ready to Write Your Business Plan?

Don’t let creating a business plan hold you back from starting your business. Writing documents might not be your thing—that doesn’t mean your business is a bad idea.

Let us help you get started.

Join our free training to learn how to start an online side hustle in 30 days or less. We’ll provide you with a proven roadmap for how to find, validate, and pursue a profitable business idea (even if you have zero entrepreneurial experience).

Stuck on the ideas part? No problem. When you attend the masterclass, we’ll send you a free ebook with 100 of the hottest side hustle trends right now. It’s chock full of brilliant business ideas to get you up and running in the right direction.

About Jesse Sumrak

Jesse Sumrak is a writing zealot focused on creating killer content. He’s spent almost a decade writing about startup, marketing, and entrepreneurship topics, having built and sold his own post-apocalyptic fitness bootstrapped business. A writer by day and a peak bagger by night (and early early morning), you can usually find Jesse preparing for the apocalypse on a precipitous peak somewhere in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

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How To Write a Business Plan: A Step-By-Step Guide

April 23, 2024.

No matter how unique your ideas are, launching a successful business without a well-crafted plan is tough. That’s why learning how to write a business plan is key to seeing success from the start. 

An actionable business plan helps you and potential investors understand exactly where you want to go and how to get there. And if you aren’t trying to secure funding, a lean business plan can summarize the highlights to help you in other areas. Here’s everything you need to write a business plan that clarifies your company’s vision.

Business Plan Basics

A business plan outlines the company’s products or services, how it makes money, and its customers. It should also identify the business’s long-term goals and how it’ll achieve them.

But what does a business plan look like? There’s no singular format, but most contain the following core elements:

• Executive Summary . The executive summary is a high-level summary of your business plan’s key points. Include this early in the document, but write it last so you can accurately describe what’s in it.
• Company Description . This section covers your company’s mission, leadership team, and goals. If your business has operated for several years, include a history.
• Market Analysis . This is where you’ll write out your market research. Gather data on your industry. That includes target customer segments and the current competitive landscape. This info demonstrates the viability of your business idea. 
• Product and Service Offerings . Describe your company’s offerings and what sets them apart from competitors. This is your unique value proposition.
• Marketing Plan . Outline your marketing tactics and overall strategy. Mention your plan for pricing, promoting, selling, and distributing your products. This helps investors know you have a strategy in place to grow your business. 
• Logistics and Operations Plan . After describing your products and how you plan to generate demand, lay out how you intend to drive, accept payment for, and support sales.
• Management Overview . Potential investors want to know who they’re betting on. This section provides crucial information about who’s in charge. Include their track records of success, relevant expertise, and roles and responsibilities.
• Financial Analysis and Projections . If you have them, include any historical financial details and performance metrics. This includes assets, liabilities, expenses , projected financial statements, cash flow statements, and anything else offering insights.
• Appendix . This final section is a catch-all for any miscellaneous but valuable background information. Examples might be licenses or patents.’

RELATED ARTICLE — How to Keep Track of Business Expenses

How To Create a Business Plan

With a clear understanding of these documents, it’s time to learn how to write one. Here’s how to put together a strong business plan for your company:

• Carry out a Market Analysis on target demographics, competitors, industry trends, and market.
• In the Company Description and Products and Service Offerings sections, explain what makes your offerings unique.
• Outline your Marketing Plan and sales strategy. Describe your target market and ideal customer. Include factors like geographic region, age range, and education level.
• Map out your Financial Analysis and Projections. If you’re an established business, include data like profit-and-loss statements, a balance sheet delineating your assets and liabilities, and cash flow statements or projections. If you’re still in the early stages, focus just on financial projections instead. Mention anticipated startup costs and your current cash flow.
• Your Logistics and Operations Plan explains how you’ll execute your ideas. Describe any relationships with suppliers, office space, or equipment. Make sure to mention production logistics and any shipping and fulfillment plans. This demonstrates that you understand the day-to-day operations of producing your product.
• Introduce yourself and/or your Management Team and principal hires. Emphasize past successes in related sectors and any unique expertise your staff has.
• Regardless of what order you prepare your business plan in, write the Executive Summary last. Do this by turning your market research and value proposition into tangible objectives and key milestones. This section is typically the first your readers see, so it should make them want to read more.

Be sure to get feedback from colleagues, industry contacts, and friends and family. The more eyes you get on your business plan, the less likely you are to make mistakes or leave out details.

RELATED ARTICLE — How to Offer Net 30 Terms  

What Are Business Plans For?

Writing and adhering to a business plan allows you to think through every aspect of your business. This helps you clarify your vision and shows where your ideas aren’t as developed.

But business plans don’t just clarify the company’s mission and direction. Entrepreneurs hope to answer this tough question with a business plan: how to attract investors. A well-written document can instill confidence by showing how supported it is. This is the main reason many business owners create a comprehensive overview.

And investors aren’t the only ones you’re trying to impress. An inspiring business plan attracts top talent in your industry. It proves that your team is organized, knows what it wants, and has ideas for the future.

Exploring Different Types of Business Plans

Business plans can be categorized based on type and style. Let’s explore three of the most common types.

A traditional business plan is the most common. This is what lenders and investment funds want to see before making any decisions. Traditional business plans are typically long. That’s because they provide a thorough overview of your company’s abilities, finances, and prospects

If you’re not courting investors, you might prefer a lean business plan. This type of document is shorter, focusing on the highlights instead of completeness. A lean business plan is great for brainstorming or onboarding new team members with reduced time and effort. But, because they’re less comprehensive, lean business plans aren’t ideal for seeking outside investment. Investors might not see how viable your business is without the added details. 

Finally, if your organization is a nonprofit, focus on the impact you hope to make for your chosen cause, not how you’ll grow revenue. But donors may want to see a more detailed business plan before making sizable donations.

RELATED ARTICLE — How to Write an Invoice in 5 Steps

Caveats To Watch Out For

An actionable step-by-step business plan requires a strong understanding of how it will help you reach your company’s goals. Now that you know how to start a business plan, here are some common mistakes to avoid when you start writing:

• Putting on Rose-colored Glasses . When you believe in your company and its mission, it’s easy to be too optimistic about future prospects. You might also overlook potential roadblocks. Be sure to keep one foot on the ground to avoid misrepresenting your company’s potential.
• Focusing Too Much on the Details . If your company is new or not yet established, focus on high-level strategy and vision. Save the details for when you’ve generated some actionable data.
• Setting Fuzzy Goals . Keep milestones concrete and measurable to meaningfully track progress.
• Overcomplicating . There’s nothing wrong with being comprehensive, but creating an overly intricate strategy makes it harder to execute. Keep it simple.
• Setting It in Stone . Your business plan won’t be much of a guide if you’re constantly making changes. But it’s important to move on from ineffective strategies or unachievable goals. Striking the right balance between stable ideas and flexible methods ensures your business plan is a help, not a hindrance.

5 Tips for an Effective Business Plan

Now that you know what to avoid, let’s learn some tips for making your business plan as effective as possible:

• Clearly Articulate Your Value Proposition . What unsolved problem does your company provide the solution for?
• Don’t Skimp on Market Research . A seemingly great idea won’t sell if no one is interested in buying it.
• Set Quantifiable Goals You Can Track . It’s difficult to measure progress toward vague, qualitative milestones.
• Hype up Your Team . Lenders and investors want to see that qualified personnel run your company.
• Manage Expectations . Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Surpassing your targets is impressive; falling short isn’t.

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What is a business plan and why is it important.

• Initiate with Your Business Concept: Lay the Groundwork: Start by introducing your business idea into Plannit AI's Business Plan Generator. This first step is crucial, as it sets the tone for a tailored, insightful business plan that truly resonates with your vision. Capture the Essence: Our platform is designed to grasp the nuances of your concept, ensuring that the generated plan accurately reflects the core and potential of your business.
• Navigate Through the AI-Guided Questionnaire: Tailored Interactive Experience: Plannit AI’s AI-guided questionnaire is your interactive guide through the planning process. It meticulously gathers information about your business's objectives, strategies, and market positioning, ensuring a comprehensive and reflective plan. Intelligent Feedback and Suggestions: As you progress through the questionnaire, benefit from smart prompts and suggestions, ensuring that your plan is not just detailed but also strategically sound and aligned with industry standards.
• Generate Your Plan with Advanced AI: Intuitive Plan Creation: With the questionnaire complete, Plannit AI's advanced algorithms intelligently analyze your responses. They then craft a detailed, customizable, and strategically aligned business plan, providing you with a structured, coherent, and actionable format. Benefit from AI-Powered Insights: Plannit AI offers AI-driven insights and suggestions, ensuring your plan is not just a document but a strategic tool equipped with tailored AI prompts and an in-app plan editor. Get inspired by browsing through our sample business plans, a collection of successful strategies across various industries.
• Finalize Your Plan with Confidence: Dynamic Adaptation and Refinement: Plannit AI recognizes that a business plan is a living document. Our platform allows for continuous adaptation and refinement, ensuring your strategy remains agile, relevant, and aligned with your evolving business goals. Professional Presentation and Sharing: Once your plan meets your standards, utilize Plannit AI's export features to present your plan professionally. Choose between various formats for exporting your business plan, ready to impress stakeholders, attract investors, or guide your team. Review and Adapt: Ensure your business plan is a living document, ready to evolve with your growing business. Plannit AI's dynamic platform allows you to adapt your strategy as new opportunities or challenges arise.

How to Write a Business Plan?

• Roadmap for Success: At its core, a business plan acts as a strategic guide, providing detailed steps on how your business will achieve its objectives. It helps you navigate the startup phase, manage growth effectively, and tackle unforeseen challenges with a well-thought-out strategy.
• Securing Funding: For startups and businesses looking to expand, a business plan is crucial for securing loans or attracting investors. It demonstrates to potential financial backers that your business has a clear vision, a solid strategy for profitability, and a plan for delivering returns on their investment.
• Informed Decision-Making: A well-prepared business plan offers valuable insights into your market, competition, and potential challenges. This information is vital for making informed decisions, from day-to-day operations to long-term strategic shifts.
• Market Analysis and Strategy: It allows you to conduct an in-depth analysis of your target market, understand customer needs, and position your product or service effectively. The marketing strategy outlined in your business plan helps in identifying the best channels and tactics to reach your audience and achieve market penetration.
• Financial Planning: One of the most critical components of a business plan is the financial forecast. It outlines your funding requirements, expected revenue, profit margins, and cash flow projections. This section is essential for budgeting, financial management, and ensuring the financial viability of your business.
• Goal Setting and Performance Measurement: A business plan sets clear, measurable goals and objectives. It provides a framework for monitoring performance, measuring success, and making necessary adjustments to stay on track.

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• Aspiring Entrepreneurs: If you're at the idea stage, looking to transform your vision into a viable business, Plannit AI offers the tools and guidance to bring your concept to life. Our platform helps you articulate your business idea, define your target market, and develop a solid plan to turn your dream into reality.
• Students and Educators: For students delving into the intricacies of business planning and educators teaching the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, Plannit AI serves as an invaluable resource. It provides a practical, hands-on tool for learning and teaching how to create detailed business plans, analyze markets, and understand financials in a real-world context.
• Startup Founders: In the dynamic startup environment, Plannit AI is the ideal partner for founders looking to pivot quickly, secure funding, or understand their competitive landscape. With our AI-driven insights and market analysis tools, startups can make informed decisions and adapt their strategies to thrive in competitive markets.
• Small Business Owners: For small business owners seeking to optimize their operations, expand their customer base, or explore new markets, Plannit AI offers targeted solutions. Our platform simplifies the planning process, enabling owners to focus on growth while managing the day-to-day challenges of running their business.
• Consultants and Freelancers: Consultants and freelancers specializing in business development, strategic planning, or financial advising will find Plannit AI a powerful addition to their toolkit. It allows them to provide clients with comprehensive, data-driven business plans and strategies, enhancing the value of their services.
• Non-Profit Organizations: Leaders of non-profit organizations can leverage Plannit AI to plan initiatives, secure funding, and manage resources more efficiently. Our platform helps non-profits articulate their mission, set achievable goals, and measure their impact, ensuring they can make a difference in their communities.
• Innovators and Inventors: Individuals looking to commercialize innovative products or technologies can use Plannit AI to navigate the complexities of bringing new ideas to market. From patent strategies to go-to-market plans, our platform covers all bases, ensuring innovators can focus on what they do best.
• Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and Government Agencies: Government and SBA backed entities can greatly benefit from integrating Plannit AI into their services, enhancing their ability to support a larger number of clients more efficiently. By facilitating quicker, more in-depth business plan development, these organizations can spend more time assisting with plan execution and less time on creation, ultimately serving their communities more effectively.
• Anyone with a Business Idea: Ultimately, Plannit AI is for anyone with a business idea, regardless of industry, experience, or stage of business development. Our mission is to democratize business planning, making it accessible, understandable, and actionable for everyone.

Why is Plannit AI the best choice for an AI business planning software?

• Interactive Questionnaire and ChatGPT Integration: Plannit AI transforms the business planning process into an engaging conversation. Through our advanced ChatGPT integration, we offer a questionnaire that dynamically adapts to your responses, ensuring your plan is personalized, comprehensive, and aligned with your business goals.
• Dynamic Planning Environment: Unlike static templates provided by many, Plannit AI introduces a living platform that grows with your business. It features real-time updates, strategic insights, and a feedback mechanism that keeps your business plan current and actionable.
• Extensive Educational Resources: Our Education Center is packed with articles, guides, and sample plans to bolster your planning process. It's designed to arm you with the knowledge to navigate the complexities of your industry confidently.
• Enhanced Collaboration and Customization: Recognizing the collaborative essence of business planning, Plannit AI supports team efforts with multi-user editing, annotations, and feedback features, ensuring a comprehensive approach to your strategy.
• Customer Success Stories: Our users' achievements are a testament to Plannit AI's effectiveness. These success stories illustrate how diverse businesses have utilized our platform for strategic planning and growth.
• Tailored Business Plan Creation: Our platform stands out with its tailored approach, featuring customizable templates that directly cater to your business type and industry, making plan creation straightforward and relevant.

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• Content Generation:: ChatGPT helps draft various sections of a business plan, from executive summaries to marketing strategies, by providing structured and coherent text based on the prompts given.
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• Financial Planning: While it can't replace professional financial advice, ChatGPT can guide the structure of financial projections and statements, helping you consider important financial aspects of your plan.

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After-School Program Business Plan

After-school programs are advantageous for both working parents and kids looking for extracurricular activities that match their interests. In fact, they are a fantastic approach for educators to increase their audience and generate more cash with additional activities.

Are you looking to start writing a business plan for your after-school program business? Creating a business plan is essential to starting, growing, and securing funding for your business. We have prepared an after-school program business plan template for you to help in start writing yours.

Free Business Plan Template

Download our free business plan template now and pave the way to success. Let’s turn your vision into an actionable strategy!

• Fill in the blanks – Outline
• Financial Tables

How to Write an After-School Program Business Plan?

Writing an after-school program business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan:

1. Executive Summary

An executive summary is the first section of the business plan intended to provide an overview of the whole business plan. Generally, it is written after the entire business plan is ready. Here are some components to add to your summary:

Start with a brief introduction:

Market opportunity:, mention your services:, management team:, financial highlights:, call to action:.

Ensure you keep your executive summary concise and clear, use simple language, and avoid jargon.

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2. Business Overview

Depending on what details of your business are important, you’ll need different elements in your business overview. Still, there are some foundational elements like business name, legal structure, location, history, and mission statement that every business overview should include:

About the business:

Home-based childcare:, child care center:, preschool child care:, school-age child care:.

• Company structure of your after-school program business whether it is LLC, partnership firm, or others.
• Location of your after-school program and the reason why you selected that place.

Mission statement:

Business history:, future goals:.

This section should provide an in-depth understanding of your after-school program business. Also, the business overview section should be engaging and precise.

3. Market Analysis

Market analysis provides a clear understanding of the market in which your after-school program business will run along with the target market, competitors, and growth opportunities. Your market analysis should contain the following essential components:

Target market:

Market size and growth potential:, competitive analysis:, market trends:, regulatory environment:.

Some additional tips for writing the market analysis section of your business plan:

• Use a variety of sources to gather data, including industry reports, market research studies, and surveys.
• Be specific and provide detailed information wherever possible.
• Include charts and graphs to help illustrate your key points.
• Keep your target audience in mind while writing the business plan.

4. Products And Services

The product and services section of an after-school program business plan should describe the specific services and products that will be offered to customers. To write this section should include the following:

List the services:

Give a thorough explanation of the after-school program services provided in this section. The particular activities that will be offered, such as:

• Help with homework,
• Extracurricular activities,
• Enrichment activities,
• Social & emotional support, and
• Other potential programs

Describe each service: For each service, provide a detailed description of what it entails, the time required, and the qualifications of the professionals who will provide the service.

Provide information on staff and facilities:

Give a succinct description of your staff’s credentials, mentioning both their training and pertinent work experience. Additionally, give details about the program’s facilities, along with any tools or materials that will be required.

Overall, a business plan’s product and services section should be detailed, informative, and customer-focused. By providing a clear and compelling description of your offerings, you can help potential investors and readers understand the value of your business.

5. Sales And Marketing Strategies

Writing the sales and marketing strategies section means a list of strategies you will use to attract and retain your clients. Here are some key elements to include in your sales & marketing plan:

Develop your unique selling proposition (USP):

Determine your pricing strategy:, marketing strategies:, sales strategies:, customer retention:.

Overall, the sales and marketing strategies section of your business plan should outline your plans to attract and retain customers and generate revenue. Be specific, realistic, and data-driven in your approach, and be prepared to adjust your strategies based on feedback and results.

6. Operations Plan

When writing the operations plan section, it’s important to consider the various aspects of your business processes and procedures involved in operating a business. Here are the components to include in an operations plan:

Hiring plan:

Operational process:, curriculum:.

By including these key elements in your operations plan section, you can create a comprehensive plan that outlines how you will run your after-school program business.

7. Management Team

The management team section provides an overview of the individuals responsible for running the after-school program business. This section should provide a detailed description of the experience and qualifications of each manager, as well as their responsibilities and roles.

Key managers:

Organizational structure:, compensation plan:, board of advisors:.

Describe the key personnel of your company and highlight why your business has the fittest team.

8. Financial Plan

When writing the financial plan section of a business plan, it’s important to provide a comprehensive overview of your financial projections for the first few years of your business.

Profit & loss statement:

Cash flow statement:, balance sheet:, break-even point:, financing needs:.

Remember to be realistic with your financial projections, and to provide supporting evidence for all of your estimates.

9. Appendix

When writing the appendix section, you should include any additional information that supports the main content of your plan. This may include financial statements, market research data, legal documents, and other relevant information.

• Include a table of contents for the appendix section to make it easy for readers to find specific information.
• Include financial statements such as income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. These should be up-to-date and show your financial projections for at least the first three years of your business.
• Provide market research data, such as statistics on the size of the industry, consumer demographics, and trends in the industry.
• Include any legal documents such as permits, licenses, and contracts.
• Provide any additional documentation related to your business plans, such as marketing materials, product brochures, and operational procedures.
• Use clear headings and labels for each section of the appendix so that readers can easily find the information they need.

Remember, the appendix section of your business should only include relevant and important information that supports the main content of your plan.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

This after-school program business plan sample will provide an idea for writing a successful plan, including all the essential components of your business.

After this, if you are still confused about how to write an investment-ready business plan to impress your audience, then download our after-school program business plan pdf .

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Frequently asked questions, why do you need an after-school program business plan.

A business plan is an essential tool for anyone looking to start or run a successful after-school program. It helps to get clarity in your business, secures funding, and identifies potential challenges while starting and growing your business.

Overall, a well-written plan can help you make informed decisions, which can contribute to the long-term success of your business.

How to get funding for your after-school program business?

There are several ways to get funding for your after-school program business, but one of the most efficient and speedy funding options is self-funding. Other options for funding are:

Small Business Administration (SBA) loan

Crowdfunding, angel investors.

Apart from all these options, there are small business grants available, check for the same in your location and you can apply for it.

Where to find business plan writers for your after-school program business?

There are many business plan writers available, but no one knows your business and idea better than you, so we recommend you write your after-school program business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind.

What is the easiest way to write your after-school program business plan?

A lot of research is necessary for writing a business plan, but you can write your plan most efficiently with the help of any after-school program business plan example and edit it as per your need. You can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less with the help of our business plan software.

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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7 Business Plan Templates for Kids (Free Printables!)

By: Author Amanda L. Grossman

Posted on Last updated: January 5, 2023

Download one of these (mostly) free business plan templates for kids to help your child focus on a business idea.

What do super soakers, Apple computers, and Nike shoes all have in common?

They all started as a business plan.

A business plan template for kids is great for two reasons:

• Your child can play around with it and get familiar with what's required (even if they never start the business)
• It helps kids focus on just one business idea at time, and to see if they should move forward with it

No matter which category your own child falls into – just playing with business plans, or they have an actual business idea – I’ve got just the free business plan template for you.

Honestly? I wish my own parents would’ve given me one of these when, as a kid, my childhood friend and I had come up with our first kid business idea: selling bean bags. So, good on you for getting your kids involved with business plans so early in life!

Best Business Plan Templates for Kids

Use one of the business plan templates for kids below with one of these 16 kid business ideas .

OR, help them to use one of their original ideas sending sparks in their brain. You can use these 3 kid business plan examples for help with filling it out.

1. Solid Gold Biz Plan

I’ve been in business for 7 years and I’ve made about every mistake in the book.

Probably one of the biggest? Was that I didn't sit down to write a proper business plan (or, ANY business plan) until I was several years into blogging. 

Because of this, I created a free business plan template for kids and teens (on Page 6 of this free printable), so that they practice how to do it right, from the beginning! 

What makes my free Solid Gold Biz Plan different is that it starts your child thinking about the problem that they want to solve – because ultimately, that is the purpose of creating a product or a service. To solve a specific problem for people.

It then goes on to ask them simple questions that will focus them in on what it takes to plan out a business idea.

For example, I raise the question of how much it will cost to not only create the product/service, but to also deliver it and maintain it. These are sometimes costs forgotten costs when creating a business plan.

2. BizKids’ Guide to Writing a Business Plan

This free business plan guide for kids includes sections for your idea, your marketing (and what makes your product unique), your startup costs, and an area for pricing so that you can make sure you’ll make a profit.

At the end is a one-page summary where your child can write up their answers from the previous pages all in the same place. Great for tacking up on the wall!

3. Teen Entrepreneur Toolbox

Anthony ONeal partnered up with Dave Ramsey to create the  Teen Entrepreneur Toolbox , a kid’s entrepreneur kit and small business guide for teens.

In other words, it’s so much more than just a business template for kids!

The entrepreneur kit includes the following:

• Access to Free Entrepreneur Toolbox app
• Teen Portfolio Book
• DVD of Anthony’s Training Video
• Parent’s Guide Book
• Pack of Thank You Cards
• Deck of Conversation Starter Cards about Starting a Business
• Goal Tracker Poster

Here's my full review of the Teen Entrepreneur Toolbox .

4. Home Sweet Road’s My Business Plan

Check out this business plan for kids, which asks kids questions like what makes their idea unique, whether or not their idea is a product or service, and who their customers will be.

5. Proverbial Home Maker’s Family Business Plan Guide

This is such a fun guide that you can fill out with your child, teen, tween, or even the whole family. It includes family business ideas, a sales ledger, inventory worksheet, and much more.

Business Plan Examples

You may be wondering where you can find business plan examples to show your kids or teens.

For starters, you should look right at home. Are you a small business owner?

Then you’ll definitely want my free Take Your Child to Work Day printables – it’s got a section for you to fill in about your own business, which is a perfect business plan example to discuss with your child.

You can also find two business plan examples on the Small Business Administration’s site (scroll down until you see red buttons to Rebecca’s example business plan, and Andrew’s plan).

They’re not entirely kid-friendly, but can give lots of ideas for the kind of information and research to put into a business plan.

Business Plan Activity Worksheets

Check out these free PDF Shark Tank worksheets for students . Students or kids can work through coming up with their own business idea, create an advertisement for it, and a scoring card to judge the business ideas.

You’ll find a free 30-minute Small Business Administration course for young entrepreneurs meant for teens that you can use with your students (or have your child go through).

Hint: In Objective 3, it goes over how to create a business plan.

Are you an educator? Great – you can get free entrepreneur curriculum for Grades 1 – 12, with lots of worksheets, from the Venture Lab .

Further resources include:

• Teen Business Video Lessons
• EverFI’s Entrepreneurial Expedition
• FEE’s Course on the Entrepreneur’s Role in Creating Value
• Business Plan Note Taker (lots of great prompts to create a business plan with)

Grab 23 more entrepreneur lesson plans here.

I hope you've found some business template for kid resources that interest you? Below, you'll find other related kid entrepreneurship articles that will help your kids, teens, and students learn about the entrepreneur career path. 

Related Kid Entrepreneurship Resources

• 27 Youth Entrepreneur Awards and Scholarships
• 5 Kid Entrepreneur Kits
• 14 Kid Entrepreneur Books
• 11 Best Business Simulation Games for Kids
• Latest Posts

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Write a business plan

• Review templates and tools for developing and pitching your business plan.

Public Web sites:

Small business administration.

The "Small Business Planner" section has a specific page of resources to guide you when creating this essential component for getting your business started.

Start-Up Resource Center

An Inc. Magazine Web site offering a useful and thorough how-to guide with advice and ideas on Structuring a Business Plan .

Additional information on Business Plans is available at the Arthur Rock Center for Entrepreneurship. There is also a classic article written by Professor Bill Sahlman on How to Write a Great Business Plan .

How to write a business plan for a music school?

Creating a business plan for a music school is an essential process for any entrepreneur. It serves as a roadmap that outlines the necessary steps to be taken to start or grow the business, the resources required, and the anticipated financial outcomes. It should be crafted with method and confidence.

This guide is designed to provide you with the tools and knowledge necessary for creating a music school business plan, covering why it is so important both when starting up and running an established business, what should be included in your plan, how it should be structured, what tools should be used to save time and avoid errors, and other helpful tips.

We have a lot to cover, so let's get to it!

In this guide:

Why write a business plan for a music school?

• What information is needed to create a business plan for a music school?
• What goes in the financial forecast for a music school?
• What goes in the written part of a music school business plan?
• What tool can I use to write my music school business plan?

Being clear on the scope and goals of the document will make it easier to understand its structure and content. So before diving into the actual content of the plan, let's have a quick look at the main reasons why you would want to write a music school business plan in the first place.

To have a clear roadmap to grow the business

Running a small business is tough! Economic cycles bring growth and recessions, while the business landscape is ever-changing with new technologies, regulations, competitors, and consumer behaviours emerging constantly.

In such a dynamic context, operating a business without a clear roadmap is akin to driving blindfolded: it's risky, to say the least. That's why crafting a business plan for your music school is vital to establish a successful and sustainable venture.

To create an effective business plan, you'll need to assess your current position (if you're already in business) and define where you want the business to be in the next three to five years.

Once you have a clear destination for your music school, you'll have to:

• Identify the necessary resources (human, equipment, and capital) needed to reach your goals,
• Determine the pace at which the business needs to progress to meet its objectives as scheduled,
• Recognize and address the potential risks you may encounter along the way.

Engaging in this process regularly proves advantageous for both startups and established companies. It empowers you to make informed decisions about resource allocation, ensuring the long-term success of your business.

Need a convincing business plan?

The Business Plan Shop makes it easy to create a financial forecast to assess the potential profitability of your projects, and write a business plan that’ll wow investors.

To get visibility on future cash flows

If your small music school runs out of cash: it's game over. That's why we often say "cash is king", and it's crucial to have a clear view of your music school's future cash flows.

So, how can you achieve this? It's simple - you need to have an up-to-date financial forecast.

The good news is that your music school business plan already includes a financial forecast (which we'll discuss further in this guide). Your task is to ensure it stays current.

To accomplish this, it's essential to regularly compare your actual financial performance with what was planned in your financial forecast. Based on your business's current trajectory, you can make adjustments to the forecast.

By diligently monitoring your music school's financial health, you'll be able to spot potential financial issues, like unexpected cash shortfalls, early on and take corrective actions. Moreover, this practice will enable you to recognize and capitalize on growth opportunities, such as excess cash flow enabling you to expand to new locations.

To secure financing

A detailed business plan becomes a crucial tool when seeking financing from banks or investors for your music school.

Investing and lending to small businesses are very risky activities given how fragile they are. Therefore, financiers have to take extra precautions before putting their capital at risk.

At a minimum, financiers will want to ensure that you have a clear roadmap and a solid understanding of your future cash flows (like we just explained above). But they will also want to ensure that your business plan fits the risk/reward profile they seek.

This will off-course vary from bank to bank and investor to investor, but as a rule of thumb. Banks will want to see a conservative financial management style (low risk), and they will use the information in your business plan to assess your borrowing capacity — the level of debt they think your business can comfortably handle — and your ability to repay the loan. This evaluation will determine whether they'll provide credit to your music school and the terms of the agreement.

Whereas investors will carefully analyze your business plan to gauge the potential return on their investment. Their focus lies on evidence indicating your music school's potential for high growth, profitability, and consistent cash flow generation over time.

Now that you recognize the importance of creating a business plan for your music school, let's explore what information is required to create a compelling plan.

Need inspiration for your business plan?

The Business Plan Shop has dozens of business plan templates that you can use to get a clear idea of what a complete business plan looks like.

Information needed to create a business plan for a music school

You need the right data in order to project sales, investments and costs accurately in the financial forecast of your music school business plan.

Below, we'll cover three key pieces of information you should gather before drafting your business plan.

Carrying out market research for a music school

As you consider writing your business plan for a music school, conducting market research becomes a vital step to ensure accurate and realistic financial projections.

Market research provides valuable insights into your target customer base, competitors, pricing strategies, and other key factors that can significantly impact the commercial success of your business.

Through this research, you may uncover trends that could influence your music school.

1. Your music school may experience an increase in demand for online courses, as more people seek to learn remotely. 2. Market research might indicate that potential customers may be looking for more affordable and flexible payment plans for music lessons.

Such market trends play a significant role in forecasting revenue, as they offer valuable data about potential customers' spending habits and preferences.

By incorporating these findings into your financial projections, you can present investors with more accurate information, helping them make informed decisions about investing in your music school.

Developing the sales and marketing plan for a music school

Budgeting sales and marketing expenses is essential before creating a music school business plan.

A comprehensive sales and marketing plan should provide an accurate projection of what actions need to be implemented to acquire and retain customers, how many people are needed to carry out these initiatives, and how much needs to be spent on promotions, advertising, and other aspects.

This helps ensure that the right amount of resources is allocated to these activities in order to hit the sales and growth objectives forecasted in your business plan.

The staffing and capital expenditure requirements of a music school

Whether you are starting or expanding a music school, it is important to have a clear plan for recruitment and capital expenditures (investment in equipment and real estate) in order to ensure the success of the business.

Both the recruitment and investment plans need to be coherent with the timing and level of growth planned in your forecast, and require appropriate funding.

A music school might incur staffing costs such as salaries for teachers, administrative staff, and janitorial staff. The school might also need to purchase or rent instruments, music stands, and other equipment required for classes and performances. Additionally, the school might need to purchase or rent audio and lighting equipment for performances, and computers and software for administrative and music production purposes.

In order to create a realistic financial forecast, you will also need to consider the other operating expenses associated with running the business on a day-to-day basis (insurance, bookkeeping, etc.). 

Once you have all the necessary information to create a business plan for your music school, it is time to start creating your financial forecast.

Need a solid financial forecast?

The Business Plan Shop does the maths for you. Simply enter your revenues, costs and investments. Click save and our online tool builds a three-way forecast for you instantly.

What goes into your music school's financial forecast?

The financial forecast of your music school will enable you to assess the profitability potential of your business in the coming years and how much capital is required to fund the actions planned in the business plan.

The four key outputs of a financial forecast for a music school are:

• The profit and loss (P&L) statement ,
• The projected balance sheet ,
• The cash flow forecast ,
• And the sources and uses table .

Let's take a closer look at each of these.

The projected P&L statement

The projected P&L statement for a music school shows how much revenue and profits your business is expected to generate in the future.

Ideally, your music school's P&L statement should show:

• Healthy growth - above inflation level
• Improving or stable profit margins
• Positive net profit

Expectations will vary based on the stage of your business. A startup will be expected to grow faster than an established music school. And similarly, an established company should showcase a higher level of profitability than a new venture.

The projected balance sheet of your music school

The balance sheet for a music school is a financial document that provides a snapshot of your business’s financial health at a given point in time.

It shows three main components: assets, liabilities and equity:

• Assets: are resources owned by the business, such as cash, equipment, and accounts receivable (money owed by clients).
• Liabilities: are debts owed to creditors and other entities, such as accounts payable (money owed to suppliers) and loans.
• Equity: includes the sums invested by the shareholders or business owners and the cumulative profits and losses of the business to date (called retained earnings). It is a proxy for the value of the owner's stake in the business.

Examining the balance sheet is important for lenders, investors, or other stakeholders who are interested in assessing your music school's liquidity and solvency:

• Liquidity: assesses whether or not your business has sufficient cash and short-term assets to honour its liabilities due over the next 12 months. It is a short-term focus.
• Solvency: assesses whether or not your business has the capacity to repay its debt over the medium-term.

Looking at the balance sheet can also provide insights into your music school's investment and financing policies.

In particular, stakeholders can compare the value of equity to the value of the outstanding financial debt to assess how the business is funded and what level of financial risk has been taken by the owners (financial debt is riskier because it has to be repaid, while equity doesn't need to be repaid).

The cash flow forecast

As we've seen earlier in this guide, monitoring future cash flows is the key to success and the only way of ensuring that your music school has enough cash to operate.

As you can expect showing future cash flows is the main role of the cash flow forecast in your music school business plan.

It is best practice to organise the cash flow statement by nature in order to show the cash impact of the following areas:

• Cash flow generated from operations: the operating cash flow shows how much cash is generated or consumed by the business's commercial activities
• Cash flow from investing activities: the investing cash flow shows how much cash is being invested in capital expenditure (equipment, real estate, etc.) either to maintain the business's equipment or to expand its capabilities
• Cash flow from financing activities: the financing cash flow shows how much cash is raised or distributed to financiers

Looking at the cash flow forecast helps you to make sure that your business has enough cash to keep running, and can help you anticipate potential cash shortfalls.

Your music school business plan will normally include both yearly and monthly cash flow forecasts so that the readers can view the impact of seasonality on your business cash position and generation.

The initial financing plan

The sources and uses table or initial financing plan is a key component of your business plan when starting a music school.

It shows where the capital needed to set up the business will come from (sources) and how it will be spent (uses).

This table helps size the investment required to set up the music school, and understand how risks will be distributed between the business owners, and the financiers.

The sources and uses table also highlights what the starting cash position will be. This is key for startups as the business needs to have sufficient funding to sustain operations until the break-even point is reached.

Now that you have a clear understanding of what will go into the financial forecast of your music school business plan, let's have a look at the written part of the plan.

The written part of a music school business plan

The written part of a music school business plan is composed of 7 main sections:

• The executive summary
• The presentation of the company
• The products and services
• The market analysis
• The strategy
• The operations
• The financial plan

Throughout these sections, you will seek to provide the reader with the details and context needed for them to form a view on whether or not your business plan is achievable and your forecast a realistic possibility.

Let's go through the content of each section in more detail!

1. The executive summary

The first section of your music school's business plan is the executive summary which provides, as its name suggests, an enticing summary of your plan which should hook the reader and make them want to know more about your business.

When writing the executive summary, it is important to provide an overview of the business, the market, the key financials, and what you are asking from the reader.

Start with a brief introduction of the business, its name, concept, location, how long it has been in operation, and what makes it unique. Mention any services or products you plan to offer and who you sell to.

Then you should follow with an overview of the addressable market for your music school, current trends, and potential growth opportunities.

You should then include a summary of your key financial figures such as projected revenues, profits, and cash flows.

Finally, you should detail any funding requirements in the ask section.

2. The presentation of the company

As you build your music school business plan, the second section deserves attention as it delves into the structure and ownership, location, and management team of your company.

In the structure and ownership part, you'll provide valuable insights into the legal structure of the business, the identities of the owners, and their respective investments and ownership stakes. This level of transparency is vital, particularly if you're seeking financing, as it clarifies which legal entity will receive the funds and who holds the reins of the business.

Moving to the location part, you'll offer a comprehensive view of the company's premises and articulate why this specific location is strategic for the business, emphasizing factors like catchment area, accessibility, and nearby amenities.

When describing the location of your music school, you may want to emphasize the potential for growth. The area could have a strong demand for music instruction and a steady influx of students, as well as a supportive local community that could welcome and sustain the school. You could also highlight the potential for collaborations with local organizations and businesses that could help the school to thrive. Finally, you could suggest that the area has a range of cultural and recreational activities that could attract a diverse student base and keep them engaged.

Lastly, you should introduce your esteemed management team. Provide a thorough explanation of each member's role, background, and extensive experience.

It's equally important to highlight any past successes the management team has achieved and underscore the duration they've been working together. This information will instil trust in potential lenders or investors, showcasing the strength and expertise of your leadership team and their ability to deliver the business plan.

3. The products and services section

The products and services section of your business plan should include a detailed description of the offerings that your company provides to its customers. 

For example, your music school might offer private and group music lessons, instrument rentals, and music theory workshops to its customers. Private lessons can help students build their skills quickly and allow for a more tailored approach, while group lessons can be a great way to learn social skills and develop collaboration. Instrument rentals provide an affordable way for students to get started without having to buy new instruments, while music theory workshops can help students develop a deep understanding of music fundamentals and improve their creativity.

When drafting this section, you should be precise about the categories of products or services you sell, the types of customers you are targeting and how customers can buy them.

4. The market analysis

When outlining your market analysis in the music school business plan, it's essential to include comprehensive details about customers' demographics and segmentation, target market, competition, barriers to entry, and relevant regulations.

The primary aim of this section is to give the reader an understanding of the market size and appeal while demonstrating your expertise in the industry.

To begin, delve into the demographics and segmentation subsection, providing an overview of the addressable market for your music school, key marketplace trends, and introducing various customer segments and their preferences in terms of purchasing habits and budgets.

Next, shift your focus to the target market subsection, where you can zoom in on the specific customer segments your music school targets. Explain how your products and services are tailored to meet the unique needs of these customers.

For example, your target market might include parents of young children who are interested in learning an instrument. These parents may be looking for a way to provide their children with the opportunity to learn music in a structured and supportive environment. They may be looking for an experienced instructor who can teach the basics of music theory and playing an instrument to their children.

In the competition subsection, introduce your main competitors and explain what sets your music school apart from them.

Finally, round off your market analysis by providing an overview of the main regulations that apply to your music school.

5. The strategy section

When writing the strategy section of a business plan for your music school, it is essential to include information about your competitive edge, pricing strategy, sales & marketing plan, milestones, and risks and mitigants.

The competitive edge subsection should explain what sets your company apart from its competitors. This part is especially key if you are writing the business plan of a startup, as you have to make a name for yourself in the marketplace against established players.

The pricing strategy subsection should demonstrate how you intend to remain profitable while still offering competitive prices to your customers.

The sales & marketing plan should outline how you intend to reach out and acquire new customers, as well as retain existing ones with loyalty programs or special offers. 

The milestones subsection should outline what your company has achieved to date, and its main objectives for the years to come - along with dates so that everyone involved has clear expectations of when progress can be expected.

The risks and mitigants subsection should list the main risks that jeopardize the execution of your plan and explain what measures you have taken to minimize these. This is essential in order for investors or lenders to feel secure in investing in your venture.

Your music school could face the risk of losing income if students are unable to afford tuition. During difficult economic times, it may be difficult for your school to continue to bring in enough money to stay afloat. Additionally, your school could be at risk of facing a lawsuit if an employee or student is injured on school property. This could be a costly issue that might significantly reduce the financial stability of the school.

6. The operations section

In your business plan, it's also essential to provide a detailed overview of the operations of your music school.

Start by covering your team, highlighting key roles and your recruitment plan to support the expected growth. Outline the qualifications and experience required for each role and your intended recruitment methods, whether through job boards, referrals, or headhunters.

Next, clearly state your music school's operating hours, allowing the reader to assess staffing levels adequately. Additionally, mention any plans for varying opening times during peak seasons and how you'll handle customer queries outside normal operating hours.

Then, shift your focus to the key assets and intellectual property (IP) necessary for your business. If you rely on licenses, trademarks, physical structures like equipment or property, or lease agreements, make sure to include them in this section.

You may have a library of musical scores, books, and recordings to provide students with resources to help them learn music theory and composition. Additionally, you could have a roster of highly experienced faculty members who have years of expertise in teaching music. These faculty members might also have relationships with other music schools, orchestras, and industry professionals that could be beneficial to students.

Lastly, include a list of suppliers you plan to work with, detailing their services and main commercial terms, such as price, payment terms, and contract duration. Investors are interested in understanding why you've chosen specific suppliers, which may be due to higher-quality products or established relationships from previous ventures.

7. The presentation of the financial plan

The financial plan section is where we will include the financial forecast we talked about earlier in this guide.

Now that you have a clear idea of the content of a music school business plan, let's look at some of the tools you can use to create yours.

What tool should I use to write my music school's business plan?

In this section, we will be reviewing the two main options for writing a music school business plan efficiently:

• Using specialized software,
• Outsourcing the drafting to the business plan writer.

Using an online business plan software for your music school's business plan

Using online business planning software is the most efficient and modern way to create a music school business plan.

There are several advantages to using specialized software:

• You can easily create your financial forecast by letting the software take care of the financial calculations for you without errors
• You are guided through the writing process by detailed instructions and examples for each part of the plan
• You can access a library of dozens of complete business plan samples and templates for inspiration
• You get a professional business plan, formatted and ready to be sent to your bank or investors
• You can easily track your actual financial performance against your financial forecast
• You can create scenarios to stress test your forecast's main assumptions
• You can easily update your forecast as time goes by to maintain visibility on future cash flows
• You have a friendly support team on standby to assist you when you are stuck

If you're interested in using this type of solution, you can try The Business Plan Shop for free by signing up here .

Hiring a business plan writer to write your music school's business plan

Outsourcing your music school business plan to a business plan writer can also be a viable option.

Business plan writers are experienced in writing business plans and adept at creating financial forecasts without errors. Furthermore, hiring a consultant can save you time and allow you to focus on the day-to-day operations of your business.

However, hiring business plan writers is expensive as you are paying for the software used by the consultant, plus their time, and their profit margin of course.

From experience, you need to budget at least £1.5k ($2.0k) excluding tax for a complete business plan, more if you need to make changes after the initial version (which happens frequently after the initial meetings with lenders or investors).

You also need to be careful when seeking investment. Investors want their money to be used to grow the business, not spent on consulting fees. Therefore, the amount you spend on business plan writing services (and other consulting services such as legal services) needs to be negligible relative to the amount raised.

The other drawback is that you usually don't own the business plan itself: you just get the output, while the actual document is saved in the consultant's business plan software - which makes it difficult to maintain the document up to date without hiring the consultant on a retainer.

For these reasons, outsourcing the music school business plan to a business plan writer should be considered carefully, weighing both the advantages and disadvantages of hiring outside help.

Ultimately, it may be the right decision for some businesses, while others may find it beneficial to write their business plan using online software.

Why not create your music school's business plan using Word or Excel?

I must advise against using Microsoft Excel and Word (or their Google, Apple, or open-source equivalents) to write your music school business plan. Let me explain why.

Firstly, creating an accurate and error-free financial forecast on Excel (or any spreadsheet) is highly technical and requires a strong grasp of accounting principles and financial modelling skills. It is, therefore, unlikely that anyone will fully trust your numbers unless you have both a degree in finance and accounting and significant financial modelling experience, like us at The Business Plan Shop.

Secondly, relying on spreadsheets is inefficient. While it may have been the only option in the past, technology has advanced significantly, and software can now perform these tasks much faster and with greater accuracy. With the rise of AI, software can even help us detect mistakes in forecasts and analyze the numbers for better decision-making.

And with the rise of AI, software is also becoming smarter at helping us detect mistakes in our forecasts and helping us analyse the numbers to make better decisions.

Moreover, software makes it easier to compare actuals versus forecasts and maintain up-to-date forecasts to keep visibility on future cash flows, as we discussed earlier in this guide. This task is cumbersome when using spreadsheets.

Now, let's talk about the written part of your music school business plan. While it may be less error-prone, using software can bring tremendous gains in productivity. Word processors, for example, lack instructions and examples for each part of your business plan. They also won't automatically update your numbers when changes occur in your forecast, and they don't handle formatting for you.

Overall, while Word or Excel may seem viable for some entrepreneurs to create a business plan, it's by far becoming an antiquated way of doing things.

• A business plan has 2 complementary parts: a financial forecast showcasing the expected growth, profits and cash flows of the business; and a written part which provides the context needed to judge if the forecast is realistic and relevant.
• Having an up-to-date business plan is the only way to keep visibility on your music school's future cash flows.
• Using business plan software is the modern way of writing and maintaining business plans.

We hope that this practical guide gave you insights on how to write the business plan for your music school. Do not hesitate to get in touch with our team if you still have questions.

Also on The Business Plan Shop

• In-depth business plan structure
• Key steps to write a business plan?
• Free business plan template

Know someone who owns or wants to start a music school? Share this article with them!

Founder & CEO at The Business Plan Shop Ltd

Guillaume Le Brouster is a seasoned entrepreneur and financier.

Guillaume has been an entrepreneur for more than a decade and has first-hand experience of starting, running, and growing a successful business.

Prior to being a business owner, Guillaume worked in investment banking and private equity, where he spent most of his time creating complex financial forecasts, writing business plans, and analysing financial statements to make financing and investment decisions.

Guillaume holds a Master's Degree in Finance from ESCP Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Business & Management from Paris Dauphine University.

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How to write a business plan.

Does your company have a written business plan? It’s never too late to write one, and it’s a worthwhile exercise because it can reveal opportunities and challenges you might not otherwise see.

But writing a business plan is especially important if you’re going to be pitching it to potential lenders, investors, or partners. They all want to know One Big Thing about your business: how it’s going to succeed. Your business plan should make this One Big Thing very, very clear.

You can find lots of great resources online for how to write a business plan, including templates and sample plans. Most sources give you a structure to follow that looks something like this:

• Executive summary
• Description
• Organization
• Product or service
• Marketing plan

We recommend adding one more section that is often overlooked: Technology. We’ll get to this in detail a little later, but you should plan to add it right after Financials.

This is a good order for presenting your small business plan. But it’s not the best order for actually writing it. Instead, try going from macro to micro. Start with the big picture—the market—and then zero in on your specific business, leaving its nitty gritty details for last.

The reason to write it in this order is to help keep your plan focused on the One Big Thing—how your business will succeed. Everything in your plan should ladder up to this. We’ll show you what we mean.

1. The market.

For this part, do your research. Go online to examine your best competitors and see what they’re doing that’s making them successful. If you have a retail business, visit your competitors’ brick-and-mortar stores.

What customers are your competitors targeting? How are they reaching these customers? What problems are they solving for them?

Look for the common trends in your industry, but also look at how the really good competitors are differentiating themselves from each other in ways their customers care about. Describe all of this in the Market section of your plan.

2. Description.

Now that you’ve painted the big picture, start to home in on your own business. Explain what customers you’re targeting and what problem or need you’re addressing for them. Clearly describe how you’re doing this differently from your competitors, and why that difference matters to your customers.

Two things should be very clear in this section of your business plan: the reason for your business to exist and your advantage over the competition. They should add up to the One Big Thing you need to prove: how your business will succeed.

3. Product or service.

What are you selling, exactly? Describe it in detail. Where does it come from? Are you developing it yourself? How is it created? Is there intellectual property you need to protect? Do you need to do research and development?

The product or service you’re describing should ladder up to the problem or need you identified in the previous section. Be sure to “connect the dots” to make it very clear how the product or service you’re selling solves the need that exists in the market.

4. Marketing plan.

How are you going to sell your product or service? What channels will you use to communicate its benefits to your target customers? Are you going to take market share from a competitor—if so, from whom? And how? Or maybe you’re going to grow the category and get new customers to engage in it for the first time. How will you do that?

Remember the competitive advantage you laid out in the Description section? Be sure to echo that advantage here, but also use this section of your business plan to explain how you’re going to communicate it to the people you need to reach.

5. Organization.

Next, talk about who is going to make it all happen. Describe how your business is structured, including the legal structure—is it incorporated, or a partnership, an LLC, or some other structure?

You can include an org chart in this section. Explain who is in each role and why they are qualified to perform that role successfully. You can include résumés or CVs of team members in here, or you can add them to an appendix at the end of the plan.

If you’ll need to hire employees, include those positions in your org chart. Make sure it’s clear why this is the group of people and job functions who can make your One Big Thing a reality.

6. Financials.

Use this section of your small business plan to explain how all of this works financially. Account for the expenses and income associated with selling your product or service, the cost of activities in your Marketing section and the value of the sales they will drive, and the salaries of the folks in your Organization section.

Include a five-year projection of revenue and expenses. When will your business start to turn a profit?

If you’re writing a business plan for an existing business, include financial statements for the past five years.

Explain all the numbers and where they’re coming from. It all has to make sense—and the One Big Thing in your Description section should support your projections.

7. Technology.

Why include a Technology section in your business plan? Because it’s an important part of how your business will succeed. We see technology as the connective tissue that holds a business together. And it helps enable all the players in the market to compete.

At a minimum you’ll likely need wireless connectivity and mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops. But think about other technologies that can help keep your business efficient and agile.

For example, a mobile POS system can enable your business to take credit card payments in the field or right on the sales floor. A mobile forms solution can help streamline your business processes, reduce errors, or even improve cash flow. Vehicle tracking technology can help you route service or delivery vehicles in the most efficient way.

How will your business use technology to work smarter, compete better, or respond faster? What role will it play in bringing your One Big Thing to life?

8. Executive summary.

We saved the first part of your business plan for last: the executive summary. If you write it at the end, it will pretty much write itself. Start this section with your One Big Thing, which by now should be easy to articulate. This statement should be simple and direct. Try to be as specific and precise as you can while using as few words as possible.

After that, sum up each of the previously written sections. Think one sentence per section. When you’re finished, you should have a cohesive paragraph that summarizes your whole plan. Read it out loud to make sure it flows; you may need to add some transitional words where needed.

You can finish your plan with an appendix that includes résumés, as we mentioned earlier, along with examples of marketing creative, copies of legal filings, detailed financial charts, or any other relevant supporting documents.

Now all you need to do is re-order the sections like this:

• Appendix (optional)

Follow these guidelines and you should end up with a business plan that is focused, convincing and compelling.

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How to Start a Business From Scratch in 6 Easy Steps

10 min. read

Updated April 30, 2024

Did you know that most of the world’s new businesses are bootstrapped ? 

That’s right, most business owners do not launch with loans or outside investment but instead use their personal resources and savings to get up and running. They start from scratch and reinvest in the business as it gains traction.

And you can do the same. 

Key Takeaways:

• Start with an idea that uses your experience, knowledge, or passion.
• Determine if there’s a need for your product or service.
• Create a plan and financial forecasts.
• Treat it like a side hustle until you get traction.
• What does it mean to start from scratch?

“Starting a business from scratch” does not mean:

• Using no money to launch your business.
• Getting no outside assistance.
• Inventing a business idea no one has done before.

Starting from scratch is about building a business from the ground up, using personal resources and minimal external financial support. The goal is to establish a sustainable business you control that satisfies a need in the market. 

• Why start a business from scratch?

Here’s why starting from scratch might be the right approach for you:

• Risk reduction: Control your initial investment and expenses and scale gradually, allowing you to avoid overspending.
• Full control: With no outside investment or stakeholders to please, you can shape your business how you see fit.
• Proves your idea has real customers: Test your concept with customers early to help refine your offering and validate market demand.
• Fast decision-making: Quickly pivot to meet changing market demands without the red tape of larger organizations.
• Potentially makes future funding easier: You take the time to prove your business model and profitability before seeking funding. Your track record reduces investor and lender risk and can lead to better funding terms.

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• 6 steps to start a new business from scratch

For this article, we will focus on the steps that take you from a budding business idea to generating sales. 

For additional resources, check out our starting a business guide .

1. Start with an idea

Do some self-reflection and choose an idea you’re passionate about or one that uses your existing skills and experience. 

This will make it far easier to execute and often requires less research, training, and upfront investment to get up and running than an idea completely new to you.

For example, service-based businesses, like accounting or consulting, often need just your time and expertise. If any cash is needed, it should be a small enough amount to fund yourself, giving you full control over the speed at which you grow your business.

As you explore possible ideas, create a one-page business plan to document how it could work. 

It doesn’t have to be an official plan at this stage; just fill in what you can, mark any assumptions, and keep adding details throughout the rest of this process.

What businesses can you typically start from scratch?

While not an exhaustive list, here are a few potential ideas that can be started from scratch:

• Freelance Writing or Content Creation: Offer writing skills to businesses and online publications.
• Consulting Services: Share your professional management, marketing, or tech expertise.
• Handmade Crafts and Art: Sell your unique creations on platforms like Etsy or at local fairs.
• Tutoring: Offer either in-person or online.
• Web Design and Development: Build websites for small businesses or individuals.
• Virtual Assistant: Provide administrative support to businesses remotely.
• Landscaping and Gardening Services: Turn your love of plants into a business with basic gardening tools.

For more business options and a process to generate ideas, check out our guide on developing good business ideas .

2. Find product-market fit

Landing on an idea is not enough to create a viable business. You need to determine if you have initial product-market fit—that your business satisfies and is demanded by a large enough group of people. 

This involves identifying your potential customers, understanding their motivations and needs, and determining whether they are willing to pay for your product or service. Additionally, spend time researching the market and understand who your competitors are. 

At this stage, you don’t need a fully fleshed-out business. You just need enough of an idea to start speaking to potential customers.  

This is where your one-page plan can be incredibly useful, as it helps you formalize enough information to have the working framework of a business. You can even add notes from your customer interviews to help adapt your plan.

Your goal, in this instance, is to:

• Hone in on pain points your potential customers have
• Verify that you can solve them
• Identify any gaps or issues with your idea
• (Bonus) Make initial sales 

Keep in mind that you may find none of that. Your solution may not be needed or is missing key components. You may even be targeting the wrong audience and need to change course.

That’s completely okay! Most businesses don’t get things right the first time. Be willing to refine and iterate on your initial idea. Verify what works and what doesn’t, and make the right adjustments to create a sustainable business that customers really want.

3. Examine your resources

While I have this as the third step, you’ll likely be doing this throughout every stage of starting a business.

Start by evaluating your funding sources. Personal savings are ideal as they keep you in full control of your business. If needed, consider asking friends and family for small contributions, as they’ll likely be much more flexible about repayment than traditional lenders.

Next, consider if a partner could benefit your venture. Do they bring complementary skills, share the workload, or offer additional resources? 

The right partner can fill crucial roles – like marketing or operations – allowing you to focus on your core strengths. They may even fill a necessary gap to get customers in the door.

Finally, don’t underestimate the power of your network. Reach out to former colleagues, industry peers, and mentors for advice, services, or referrals.

Why you need to know your available resources

Taking stock of your resources is the first step in understanding what is feasible for your business. It helps you determine whether you have enough cash, expertise, and support to meet your customers’ expectations.

For example, let’s say you want to launch an eCommerce website and have enough cash on hand to fulfill orders but require customers to pay for shipping. If you’re competing with similar businesses that offer free shipping, your lack of it could turn customers away.

Similarly, you have a solid understanding of product development and have already gotten pre-orders. But you have no idea how to set up an eCommerce site , keep track of orders, and ensure they actually ship.

In both circumstances, your resources fall short of the needs of your customers. You may have to explore funding ( it doesn’t have to be a loan ) and find a partner with the right skill set to get your site up and running. 

4. Write a business plan and develop financial forecasts

At this point, you need to finalize your business plan and create initial forecasts . 

If you’ve been using the one-page plan throughout the last few steps, then this shouldn’t be a time-consuming process. Your goal at this point is to clearly define:

• Business Model: Value proposition, customer segments, distribution channels, and revenue streams.
• Milestones: Set realistic goals (landing your first customer, scaling, etc.) with specific timelines and action steps to track progress.

For your forecasts, start by estimating your:

• Startup costs and ongoing expenses
• Revenue in the first year of operation
• Cash flow — how much money will be moving in and out of your business each month as you collect revenue and pay expenses

These numbers do not have to be perfect. You’ll likely be making educated guesses or using industry estimates. The point is to have something that you believe represents your business. It will help you maintain a healthy cash flow and understand what it will take to be profitable.

Remember, you don’t need to create an overly lengthy plan or complex financial statements. They’re your tools, so focus on usability – they should be flexible and evolve with your business, helping you make informed decisions.

Dedicate time ( at least monthly or quarterly) to reviewing and updating your plan and forecasts as you gather data to ensure your strategy aligns with real-world performance.

5. Protect your business

As a business owner, you must make your business legal and guard against liabilities. To keep things simple, we’ll assume you’re starting as a sole proprietorship for this article.

Check out our full guide to learn more about the specifics of each legal structure .

Necessary legal components for a simple startup:

• Business Registration: As a sole proprietor, you may not need to register your business with the state government if you do business under your legal name. However, if you operate under a name that’s not yours, you must file for a “Doing Business As” (DBA) name. This is often required to set up a business bank account.
• Licenses & Permits: Research local requirements for your specific business type. You may need a general business license, professional licenses, or specific permits (e.g., health and safety). Contact your city or county business office for details.
• Tax Registration: Report business income on your personal tax return. If you plan to hire employees, you’ll need to apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. Even without employees, an EIN can protect your personal information and may streamline certain business transactions. Check if you need to register for state sales tax collections.
• Insurance : Consider general liability insurance for accidents and negligence claims. Get professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance if you offer professional services.
• Contracts: Use written agreements for business partners and supplier or contractor transactions. This clarifies expectations, prevents disputes, and protects both parties. Contact a lawyer to review or help you write this documentation if needed.

6. Promote and run your business

At this point, you just need to run your business. You don’t need to go all in, either. Launch it as a side hustle until you hit the point where it can become your full-time focus.

Don’t overcomplicate it: Set up a simple website, payment system, and essential operational tools. You want to serve customers immediately and learn from real-world experience.

But unless you locked in pre-orders earlier in this process, you’ll need to market your business to do it. 

Select marketing channels you believe will reach your target customers. Start small — you want to avoid overspending while you determine the right mix of marketing tactics. If you’re unsure where to start, paid social media ads (Facebook and Instagram), email campaigns, and local partnerships can be inexpensive options.

Stick to the budget you created, run small, easily measured marketing tests, and look for a positive return on investment (i.e., bringing in more revenue from sales than you spent on advertising). 

Only consider increasing spending after you start bringing in customers.

• Continue to review and revise

You are on your way to running a sustainable business and may even have your first customers already! 

Just don’t get too far ahead of yourself. You’re still proving that there is traction that can be repeated with multiple customers. 

As you operate, review your plan and forecasts. Pay close attention to your cash flow and be willing to pivot if things aren’t working. 

That’s the benefit of starting from scratch: You are in full control and can scale and spend at a pace that improves your chances of success.

If you haven’t yet, download a free one-page business plan template to document your idea. The earlier you begin developing the plan, the more useful it will be throughout the startup process.

See why 1.2 million entrepreneurs have written their business plans with LivePlan

Kody Wirth is a content writer and SEO specialist for Palo Alto Software—the creator's of Bplans and LivePlan. He has 3+ years experience covering small business topics and runs a part-time content writing service in his spare time.

Table of Contents

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10 Simple Tips to Write a Successful Business Plan

"The absolute biggest business plan mistake you can make is to not plan at all." So writes Noah Parsons in his helpful blog post 17 Key Business Plan Mistakes to Avoid in 2023 . But how does one pull together all of the necessary components of a cohesive plan? It can feel overwhelming.

Eric Butow, CEO of online marketing ROI improvement firm Butow Communications Group, has teamed up with Entrepreneur Media to update the second edition of our best-selling book Write Your Business Plan to provide you with a simple, step-by-step process for creating a successful business plan. In the following excerpt, he gives ten tips to gather all of the critical information you will need to succeed.

1. Know your competition.

You need to name them and point out what makes you different from (and better than) each of them. But do not disparage your competition.

2. Know your audience.

You may need several versions of your business plan. For example, you may need one for bankers or venture capitalists, one for individual investors, and one for companies that may want to do a joint venture with you rather than fund you.

3. Have proof to back up every claim you make.

If you expect to be the leader in your field in six months, you have to say why you think that is. If you say your product will take the market by storm, you have to support this statement with facts. If you say your management team is fully qualified to make the business a success, be sure staff resumes demonstrate their experience.

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4. Be conservative in all financial estimates and projections.

If you feel certain you'll capture 50 percent of the market in the first year, you can say why you think so and hint at what those numbers may be. But make your financial projections more conservative. For example, a 10 percent market share is much more credible.

5. Be realistic with time and resources available.

If you're working with a big company before you buy a business, you may think things will happen faster than they will once you have to buy the supplies, write the checks, and answer the phones yourself. Being overly optimistic with time and resources is a common error entrepreneurs make. Being realistic is important because it lends credibility to your presentation. Always assume things will take 20 percent longer than you anticipated. Therefore, twenty weeks is now twenty-four weeks.

6. Be logical.

Think like a banker and write what they would want to see.

7. Have a strong management team.

Make sure it has good credentials and expertise. Your team members don't have to have worked in the field. However, you need to draw parallels between what they've done and the skills needed to make your venture succeed. Don't have all the skills you need? Consider adding an advisory board of people skilled in your field and include their resumes.

Write Your Own Business Plan is available now at Entrepreneur Bookstore | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

8. Document why your idea will work.

Have others done something similar that was successful? Have you made a prototype? Include all the variables that can have an impact on the result or outcome of your idea. Show why some of the variables don't apply to your situation or explain how you intend to overcome them or make them better.

9. Describe your facilities and location for performing the work.

That includes equipment you use to create your products and/or services. If you'll need to expand, discuss when, where, and why.

10. Discuss payout options for the investors.

Some investors want a hands-on role. Some want to put associates on your board of directors. Some don't want to be involved in day-to-day activities at all. All investors want to know when they can get their money back and at what rate of return. Most want out within three to five years. Provide a brief description of options for investors, or at least mention that you're ready to discuss options with any serious prospect.

To dig deeper, buy Write Your Own Business Plan and get 1 month of free access to business planning software Liveplan Premium.