The Main Parts of a Business Plan

Business: Cambridge International GCSE (2027 Exams), topic 1.3.14

There are lots of different ways to structure a business plan. However, some sections are very important and are almost always included.

This section should clearly describe which products or services the company sells and why customers will benefit from this.
This also may include what a product’s unique selling point (USP) is. The USP of a product or service is how this product or service is different (or unique) from the products or services offered by the competition.

This will include an in-depth analysis of different aspects of the business’ environment.
Analysis of competitors – Who the main competition are and where they are positioned in the market.
Analysis of customers – The different customer segments and which of these will be the ‘target market’.

This will outline the company’s organisation structure and provide personal details of the owners and other important personnel.

This will be outline how a firm will produce its products or provide its services.
This includes things like the location of factories, who the suppliers will be, what materials will be needed and how much they will cost.

This section will outline the investment that is needed to start up a business, as well as objectives for revenue and profit.
Cost and profit - This includes detailed outlines of the forecasts for cost, revenue and profit.
This section usually includes a cash-flow forecast and projected profit and loss account for the first 12 months of trading.
Sources of finance - This section often includes details of how a company will fund investment if it is required.

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