Do you have an entrepreneurial project? A business plan is an essential document that helps you structure your vision, verify profitability and convince partners or financiers. Find out how and why to create this business plan to successfully launch and develop your new business.
Key points to remember
- A business plan is an economic and financial presentation of a project to start or take over a business.
- It is used to take stock of the project and convince partners (banks, investors, suppliers, etc.). It is also the reference document for successfully completing the first few years of your business, allowing you to compare actual operations with forecasts.
- As a general rule, a business plan consists of at least four parts: an introduction, an overview, a business model and financial forecasts.
- Piowo helps you set up your business by taking care of all the registration procedures. You will also have access to a range of management tools integrated into your business account.
What is a business plan?
A business plan is a document that presents an entrepreneurial project.
It is generally drawn up when starting or taking over a business in order to visualise the expected development of the activity during the first few years.
It includes the following elements:
- an overview of the project as a whole;
- a description of the team;
- an analysis of the market and the business environment;
- the business model developed;
- financial forecasts.
A high-quality business plan is a valuable communication and decision-making tool.
What is the purpose of a business plan?
Creating a solid business plan is one of the first steps in starting your business. It includes information obtained from:
- market research;
- developing a business model;
- defining financial forecasts.
How do you create a business plan?
Whether you are planning to launch a start-up, a restaurant or a real estate agency, a convincing business plan can be written in four steps. These are:
- a summary and introduction;
- a presentation of the project and the team;
- an economic overview;
- a financial forecast.
The financial forecast of the business plan
For potential financiers, this is the most scrutinised part, as it determines the profitability of your project.
This financial forecast is established over three years and is divided into four parts.
- A projected income statement: this is a summary of income and expenses in order to estimate the future profitability of the business.
- A projected balance sheet: this determines the assets (what the company will own) and liabilities (what it will owe) of the business at a given point in time.
- A financing plan: this lists the capital required to start the business based on the amount of working capital needed.
- A projected cash flow plan: this estimates the company’s cash inflows and outflows over a given period to ensure that it will always be able to meet its financial commitments and any unforeseen events.
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Last modified: July 14, 2025
