How to write a business plan (UK)
Most business plans die in a drawer because they're written for nobody. A plan earns its keep when it's aimed at a reader, a bank manager weighing a loan, an investor sizing risk, or you, pressure-testing whether the numbers actually work.
Who's going to read it?
Write for that person. A bank wants to see you can repay; an investor wants to see it can scale; you want to know it's viable. Same facts, different emphasis, decide before you start.
What a UK business plan needs
- Executive summary: the whole plan in half a page. Write it last; it's the part busy readers actually read.
- The business: what you sell, who buys it, and why you're the one to do it. Concrete beats visionary.
- Market: your customers and competitors, backed by evidence, not adjectives. "Growing demand" means nothing; a number means something.
- Operations: how it runs day to day: suppliers, premises, staff, the moving parts.
- Marketing: how customers will actually find and choose you.
- Financials: startup costs, a realistic sales forecast, cash flow and break-even. The section that gets scrutinised hardest.
The financials, honestly
You don't need to be an accountant, but you do need numbers you can defend: startup costs, a month-by-month forecast for year one, and your break-even point, the sales level where you stop losing money. Seeking funding? Say exactly how much and what it buys.
Two mistakes that get plans rejected
- Hockey-stick forecasts with no basis. "£500k by year two" with nothing underneath reads as fantasy. Tie every number to an assumption a reader can check.
- No mention of risk. A plan that names its risks. A key supplier, a slow first quarter, a big competitor, and how you'll handle them reads as competent. Silence on risk reads as naivety.
The fast way
Vizivo's Business Plan Generator writes each section in this structure from what it already knows about your business, so you start with a real draft instead of a blank page. It's a draft to review and refine. You stay in control of every figure and claim.
Common questions
- What does a bank actually want to see in a business plan?
- A clear description of what the business does, who buys from it, how it makes money, and financial projections that look realistic. Banks are looking for evidence you have thought about costs and cash flow, not for length.
- How long should a small business plan be?
- Long enough to cover the standard sections and no longer. For a business bank account or a small loan, 10 to 15 pages is normal. Investors usually want more detail on the market and the numbers.
- Do I need a business plan if I am not raising money?
- Not formally, but writing one forces you to answer the questions it is easiest to avoid: what you charge, what it costs you to deliver, and how many customers you need before the business breaks even.
Do it in two minutes
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Related guides
- What documents do you need after registering a UK limited company?Companies House sends the certificate and then goes quiet. Here is what you actually have to file, what you need before you can trade, and what can wait.
- How to budget for a small business (UK)Build a business budget you'll actually keep: list real costs, forecast income conservatively, plan for tax and quiet months, and review monthly.
- How to write a marketing plan for a small businessA marketing plan you'll actually use: one clear goal, the right audience, a few channels done well, and numbers to know if it's working.