Free Startup Business Plan Template [2022]

If you’re a startup owner, you probably know that you need a business plan. At least at some point. Maybe you’ve already written one, or initiated the writing process. But maybe - just maybe - you tend to push it off, because climbing that mountain seems downright exhausting 😅

In this guide, you’ll learn why planning for your startup isn’t as demanding as you might think, and why it’s without a doubt worth prioritizing - and of course how to do it. You’ll also be introduced to the content of the Cuttles Startup Plan and get ready to start filling out the template you downloaded with this guide.

If you can't wait to get started with our template - you can download it here.

Plan to Grow Your Startup

The business plan is the backbone of your startup. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not “just” a document you need to present to potential investors. It’s essentially the creation of your startup on a piece of paper.

Writing a plan is a lot of work. To top things off, the benefits of putting in the effort to write a plan can be hard to spot, compared to things like product development, customer relationships and sales 🤷‍♂️

But if you want your startup to grow into a viable business, it is definitely worth the effort. Luckily it doesn’t have to be a 30-page task. In fact, more and more investors want to see short, precise and to-the-point business plans that won’t take them forever to chew through.

Grow Up To 34% Faster

The business plan is the backbone of your startup. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not “just” a document you need to present to potential investors. It’s essentially the creation of your startup on a piece of paper.

Build Viable Startup DNA

Writing your business plan forces you to think about every detail of your startup and gives you a sense of direction, even when things get chaotic. In fact, writing a business plan makes reaching viability 16% more likely.

Get investment

You’ll need a business plan if you want to raise money for your idea. If you need money, you will have to show that you have a good handle on how to make your business succeed.

The Cuttles Startup Business Plan

In a startup, resources are scarce, and if you haven’t written a plan before, and don’t really know where to start, it can seem easier and smarter to prioritize something else. But it shouldn’t have to be like that.That’s exactly why we created the Cuttles Startup Business Plan. It simplifies the process and makes it much faster to write a plan for your startup ⚡️We’ve carefully picked each section to align with investor best practices and have stuffed the template with guides, questions and real life examples to get you going.

Here’s a walk-through of the sections

1. Concept

What is the main idea of your startup? You want to encourage people to read your whole business plan 👓 That’s why you should start with: 

• A catchy introduction
• Your mission and vision statements

2. Opportunity

Next, it’s all about describing the opportunity you’ve seen. Focus on the outside for now and don’t spend too much time describing your startup. We’ll save that for later. Include:

• The problem you’ve seen in the market
• The clever solution to that problem
• Your startup’s unique value proposition (here’s a chance to talk about yourself)
• The market you want to enter

3. Product

Now’s the time to present what your startup actually wants to do. Go crazy! 🤩 It’s a good idea to include:

• The product you want to build
• Your pricing strategy
• Distribution channels to get your product from desk to customers

4. Business Model

How is your startup going to make money and what do you need to do to succeed? In the business model, include these things:

• The key resources you need to make things work
• The key activities you’ll need to carry out to make your business work
• The partnerships you’ll need to establish
• A description of your cost structure
• A presentation of your revenue streams and how you’ll ultimately make some cash

5. Competitors

Time to find out who you’re up against. This section should present:

• Your competitors
• Your competitive advantages

6. Customers

Who’s going to buy your product? This section of your business plan should provide a description of the customers you want to reach. Include:

• Who your customers are and different segments you can divide them into
• The value you bring to the people you serve 💎

7. Marketing

How are people going to know about you? This section is all about how to reach your audience. Write about these things:

• Cover the basics with a SWOT analysis
• The marketing channels you’ll use to reach your customers
• How you’ll build a strong customer relationship
• The brand position you want your business to have

8. Roadmap

It’s time to break down the road ahead. Describe the steps you need to take to make all of this happen 👠👟 Include things such as:

• Key milestones you want to reach
• Key actions you need to take

9. Risks and Challenges

Unless you’re able to see the future, you’ll need to think about the risks and challenges you may face on the road ahead.

10. Team

Your team is your most important asset 💪 It’s the people who will drive your idea to where it needs to be and convince investors to bet on you. Present your team and the reasons why you are exactly the right people to take over the world.

11. Traction

What’s your closing statement? End your business plan on a high note by presenting the winning arguments that’ll ultimately convince people that your idea and your business is destined for success 🔥 Include things such as: Number of users/customer, deals made, important partnerships, investors and advisors

That’s it friends!

Now go get started on your startup business plan and ride the hell out of that unicorn idea!

Click here to download the Cuttles Startup Business Plan Template here