Create a business plan

We have created a specially developed business plan tool for you that guides you step by step through the process of creating your plan. You can register here.

If you set up a company with the Business or Prime package, the license is already included in the start-up package.

The free version of our Business Planner already offers you insight into real example plans, creating instructions for the plan as well as dos and don'ts.

Financial planning is also available free of charge.

The full version also offers a comparison with industry figures and full export functions. If required, our experts can put your plan through its paces - after completing your plan, select the «Check business plan» menu item in the software.

The business plan helps you to plan your company. It should not be a static document that is created once and then collects dust. Adapt the business plan to the development of your company.

A business plan does not always have to be 40 pages long. We recommend keeping the business plan as concise as possible and as detailed as necessary.

The focus depends on the following factors, among others.

Your project

If you become self-employed as a freelancer, simple planning is often enough.

Commercial self-employment often requires somewhat more detailed planning for investments, storage, etc. For industrial projects or business ideas in growth sectors (e.g. Internet, mobile, high-tech), detailed planning is essential due to the complexity and/or size.

Development phase of your company

Is it a classic start-up, a young company or an established company? The advantage of creating a plan for established companies is that you can draw on experience.

In the case of completely new business ideas or models, a realistic forecast is arrived at through analysis and experience in related areas.

Addressees of the business plan

Is the plan intended to help you find investors or funders, convince potential partners or review your own project? If you are only creating the plan for yourself, you can view the individual chapters as a “toolbox” from which you can draw as required.

Investors, on the other hand, expect a complete, well-founded and formally flawless plan.

This is not only efficient and saves time - our consulting team also works with it. So we can support you in the best possible way.

Each letter of «TAKE OFF!» stands for a planning step with several subchapters. STARTUPS.CH recommends you to work out the individual steps chronologically from «T - activity» to «! – Summary & miscellaneous».

Detailed information or even experience is rare. In this phase you should refrain from extensive detailed planning. Important are fundamental analyses - for example of the market - and an initial strategic and operative basic planning on which you can build.

In the course of your operational activities and through contacts with customers, suppliers and competitors, you will gather experience and information - the basic planning should now be revised and refined. The result is more realistic planning, which will promote your growth success.

One last important note: Do not try to plan first in isolation and then strictly implement this plan - planning and operational activities should always go hand in hand. This is the only way to incorporate your valuable experience and information into a realistic and updated plan.

You then look at your expenses and try to record them with values as well - individual expenses (e.g. depreciation or interest expenses) cannot be quantified at this point. The capital requirement shows which costs, investments (including depreciation) and cash and cash equivalents are required to achieve the planned turnover.

Once you know how many funds you need, they must be financed through equity or debt. This results, among other things, in interest expenses and dividend payments, which in turn complete the income statement. Liquidity planning is one of the most important planning calculations, especially in view of the numerous insolvencies of many companies in the first few years. It can be derived from the income statement. An initial and final balance sheet and any key figures round off the financial planning.

A good business plan should be clearly structured and still cover all the important topics. Here we give you an overview of a typical business plan structure. The key data listed here is based on the TAKE-OFF concept developed by us, which covers all essential content.

Content: Summary of the business idea

Number of pages: 1-2

Your business plan in short form. You outline the business idea or business model, the strategy, the offer, the target market, the entrepreneur team and the key data of the financial planning such as turnover, profit and capital requirements.

Content: Idea, business model and founders

Number of pages: 3-4

• Business idea: Industry, project, origin of the idea
• Business model: Range of services, provision of services, partners
• Company: Registered office, name, legal form, date of incorporation
• Founder suitability: Personal suitability, qualifications, competencies, experience, other managing directors
• Offer: Overview of products and services, customer needs and benefits, research & development (follow-on products, product innovation, patents)

Content: Market and target groups

Number of pages: 2-3

• Market: Market overview, action radius, customers, market volume, target market share, market assessment (trends, growth rates, entry barriers)
• Target groups: Target group, customer segments, prioritization

Content: Industry and competitors

Number of pages: 2-3

• Industry sector: Industry Sector, Suppliers, Substitute Products, Buyer Power, Competitive Pressure from Competitors
• Competitors: Number of competitors, direct and indirect competition, strengths, weaknesses, market position, products

Content: Positioning, marketing mix, turnover

Number of pages: 4-5

• Positioning: (USP) Unique selling proposition, price advantage or differentiation, own market position
• Market entry: Product and assortment design, pricing, sales, communication
• Sales planning: Business areas, sales planning

Content: Tasks, Structure, Location, Infrastructure

Number of pages: 3-4

• Processes: Core tasks, manufacturing, management, business and support processes and administration
• Organizational structure: Organizational units, authority to issue directives, decision paths and employees, areas of responsibility and responsibilities, organizational chart
• Location & infrastructure: Production and sales locations, advantages and disadvantages of the chosen location, infrastructure, production facilities

Content: Opportunities and risks, strengths and weaknesses, milestones

Number of pages: 2-3

• Opportunities and risks: Internal and external opportunities and risks
• Strengths and weaknesses: Strengths and weaknesses in processes, organization or customer base
• Milestones: Market and product targets, break even

Content: Income statement, capital requirements, financing, liquidity, balance sheet, key figures

Number of pages: 5-6

• Sales and expenses: Sales and expense planning, income statement
• Capital requirements and financing: Investments, cash requirements, start-up costs, financing requirements, borrowed capital and equity capital
• Liquidity: Planning of cash and cash equivalents, cash and cash equivalents
• Balance sheet: Comparison of assets and liabilities
• Key figures: Profitability, financing, liquidity

Content: CVs, brochures etc.

Number of pages: individual

• CVs, detailed calculations and analyses, brochures, etc.