app to make a business plan

Create Your Business Plan in Minutes

Type your business idea below.

What Our Users Say

Zakariya A.

How it Works

Questionnaire

Respond to a series of targeted questions about your business goals and objectives.

AI Business Plan Generator

The engine analyzes your responses and generates a business plan tailored to your vision.

SBA Approved Business Plan

Receive a detailed, tailored business plan that aligns with your requirements. Ready for funding.

WHO BENEFITS FROM Plannit?

Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Analyze your ventures through extensive business plans aligned with your vision and goals.

Business Owners

Back your business with a solid plan that aligns with your vision and goals. Perfect for startups and small businesses.

Educational Institutions

Develop your business understanding and vocabulary by analyzing your business idea and creating a plan.

Startups Accelerators

Work alongside your founders as they build their plan to ensure they have a solid roadmap for growth and scalability.

Try Plannit AI For Free

Funding ready business plan, executive summary, company overview.

Problem Statement

Business Description

Mission Statement

Business Model

Products and Services

Additional Features

Revenue Model

Market Analysis

Target Market

Market Size and Segments

Unique Value Proposition

Risks and Mitigations

Identified Risks

Mitigation Strategies

Financial Overview

Income Statement

Marketing and Sales Plan

Focus On Your Vision

Language support.

Key Features & Benefits

Ai editing companion.

Modify and regenerate sections of your business plan using premade or custom prompts. Our AI will help you refine your plan to perfection.

Multi-User Collaboration

Invite team members with easy sharing to collaborate on your business plan in real-time. Communicate and make changes together. Collaborate with your partners in real-time as you perfect your plan.

Education Center

Immerse yourself in a rich library of articles, tools, templates, webinars and resources for continuous business and professional growth. Learn all about the key aspects of starting, running and growing a business.

Powered by Chat GPT

Our algorithms are powered the latest in AI technology to ensure the most accurate and relevant output. We use OpenAI's GPT 4 and 3.5 engines for the perfect blend of accuracy and speed.

Business Resources

We recommend a variety of useful tools and resurces that help sustain your growth. We only recommend the best in the business. Filter your needs and equip yourself with the best tools.

Your plan in your language. We offer a choice of over 150 worldwide languages to ensure the best fit for your business plan.

Financial Projections

Take an additional questionnaire about your financial trajectory and get a detailed financial projection + 3 year income statement for your business.

Tools and Templates

Plannit's comprehensive suite that accompany business planning. From pitch decks to financial models, we have you covered.

Plan Export

Download your business plan in an editable .docx format. Fully edit & share your plan with investors, partners, and stakeholders.

Privacy & Security

Rest assured, your privacy is our top priority, and we're committed to keeping your information safe and confidential.

PLANNIT BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Initiate with Your Business Concept: Lay the Groundwork: Start by introducing your business idea into Plannit AI's Business Plan Generator. This first step is crucial, as it sets the tone for a tailored, insightful business plan that truly resonates with your vision. Capture the Essence: Our platform is designed to grasp the nuances of your concept, ensuring that the generated plan accurately reflects the core and potential of your business.
• Navigate Through the AI-Guided Questionnaire: Tailored Interactive Experience: Plannit AI’s AI-guided questionnaire is your interactive guide through the planning process. It meticulously gathers information about your business's objectives, strategies, and market positioning, ensuring a comprehensive and reflective plan. Intelligent Feedback and Suggestions: As you progress through the questionnaire, benefit from smart prompts and suggestions, ensuring that your plan is not just detailed but also strategically sound and aligned with industry standards.
• Generate Your Plan with Advanced AI: Intuitive Plan Creation: With the questionnaire complete, Plannit AI's advanced algorithms intelligently analyze your responses. They then craft a detailed, customizable, and strategically aligned business plan, providing you with a structured, coherent, and actionable format. Benefit from AI-Powered Insights: Plannit AI offers AI-driven insights and suggestions, ensuring your plan is not just a document but a strategic tool equipped with tailored AI prompts and an in-app plan editor. Get inspired by browsing through our sample business plans, a collection of successful strategies across various industries.
• Finalize Your Plan with Confidence: Dynamic Adaptation and Refinement: Plannit AI recognizes that a business plan is a living document. Our platform allows for continuous adaptation and refinement, ensuring your strategy remains agile, relevant, and aligned with your evolving business goals. Professional Presentation and Sharing: Once your plan meets your standards, utilize Plannit AI's export features to present your plan professionally. Choose between various formats for exporting your business plan, ready to impress stakeholders, attract investors, or guide your team. Review and Adapt: Ensure your business plan is a living document, ready to evolve with your growing business. Plannit AI's dynamic platform allows you to adapt your strategy as new opportunities or challenges arise.
• Roadmap for Success: At its core, a business plan acts as a strategic guide, providing detailed steps on how your business will achieve its objectives. It helps you navigate the startup phase, manage growth effectively, and tackle unforeseen challenges with a well-thought-out strategy.
• Securing Funding: For startups and businesses looking to expand, a business plan is crucial for securing loans or attracting investors. It demonstrates to potential financial backers that your business has a clear vision, a solid strategy for profitability, and a plan for delivering returns on their investment.
• Informed Decision-Making: A well-prepared business plan offers valuable insights into your market, competition, and potential challenges. This information is vital for making informed decisions, from day-to-day operations to long-term strategic shifts.
• Market Analysis and Strategy: It allows you to conduct an in-depth analysis of your target market, understand customer needs, and position your product or service effectively. The marketing strategy outlined in your business plan helps in identifying the best channels and tactics to reach your audience and achieve market penetration.
• Financial Planning: One of the most critical components of a business plan is the financial forecast. It outlines your funding requirements, expected revenue, profit margins, and cash flow projections. This section is essential for budgeting, financial management, and ensuring the financial viability of your business.
• Goal Setting and Performance Measurement: A business plan sets clear, measurable goals and objectives. It provides a framework for monitoring performance, measuring success, and making necessary adjustments to stay on track.
• Aspiring Entrepreneurs: If you're at the idea stage, looking to transform your vision into a viable business, Plannit AI offers the tools and guidance to bring your concept to life. Our platform helps you articulate your business idea, define your target market, and develop a solid plan to turn your dream into reality.
• Students and Educators: For students delving into the intricacies of business planning and educators teaching the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, Plannit AI serves as an invaluable resource. It provides a practical, hands-on tool for learning and teaching how to create detailed business plans, analyze markets, and understand financials in a real-world context.
• Startup Founders: In the dynamic startup environment, Plannit AI is the ideal partner for founders looking to pivot quickly, secure funding, or understand their competitive landscape. With our AI-driven insights and market analysis tools, startups can make informed decisions and adapt their strategies to thrive in competitive markets.
• Small Business Owners: For small business owners seeking to optimize their operations, expand their customer base, or explore new markets, Plannit AI offers targeted solutions. Our platform simplifies the planning process, enabling owners to focus on growth while managing the day-to-day challenges of running their business.
• Consultants and Freelancers: Consultants and freelancers specializing in business development, strategic planning, or financial advising will find Plannit AI a powerful addition to their toolkit. It allows them to provide clients with comprehensive, data-driven business plans and strategies, enhancing the value of their services.
• Non-Profit Organizations: Leaders of non-profit organizations can leverage Plannit AI to plan initiatives, secure funding, and manage resources more efficiently. Our platform helps non-profits articulate their mission, set achievable goals, and measure their impact, ensuring they can make a difference in their communities.
• Innovators and Inventors: Individuals looking to commercialize innovative products or technologies can use Plannit AI to navigate the complexities of bringing new ideas to market. From patent strategies to go-to-market plans, our platform covers all bases, ensuring innovators can focus on what they do best.
• Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) and Government Agencies: Government and SBA backed entities can greatly benefit from integrating Plannit AI into their services, enhancing their ability to support a larger number of clients more efficiently. By facilitating quicker, more in-depth business plan development, these organizations can spend more time assisting with plan execution and less time on creation, ultimately serving their communities more effectively.
• Anyone with a Business Idea: Ultimately, Plannit AI is for anyone with a business idea, regardless of industry, experience, or stage of business development. Our mission is to democratize business planning, making it accessible, understandable, and actionable for everyone.
• Interactive Questionnaire and ChatGPT Integration: Plannit AI transforms the business planning process into an engaging conversation. Through our advanced ChatGPT integration, we offer a questionnaire that dynamically adapts to your responses, ensuring your plan is personalized, comprehensive, and aligned with your business goals.
• Dynamic Planning Environment: Unlike static templates provided by many, Plannit AI introduces a living platform that grows with your business. It features real-time updates, strategic insights, and a feedback mechanism that keeps your business plan current and actionable.
• Extensive Educational Resources: Our Education Center is packed with articles, guides, and sample plans to bolster your planning process. It's designed to arm you with the knowledge to navigate the complexities of your industry confidently.
• Enhanced Collaboration and Customization: Recognizing the collaborative essence of business planning, Plannit AI supports team efforts with multi-user editing, annotations, and feedback features, ensuring a comprehensive approach to your strategy.
• Customer Success Stories: Our users' achievements are a testament to Plannit AI's effectiveness. These success stories illustrate how diverse businesses have utilized our platform for strategic planning and growth.
• Tailored Business Plan Creation: Our platform stands out with its tailored approach, featuring customizable templates that directly cater to your business type and industry, making plan creation straightforward and relevant.
• Content Generation:: ChatGPT helps draft various sections of a business plan, from executive summaries to marketing strategies, by providing structured and coherent text based on the prompts given.
• Strategic Insights: It can offer suggestions on business strategies by analyzing trends and providing examples from a wide range of industries.
• Financial Planning: While it can't replace professional financial advice, ChatGPT can guide the structure of financial projections and statements, helping you consider important financial aspects of your plan.

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3 Apps to Help You Write a Business Plan Helpful apps that guide you from brilliant business idea to an actionable plan.

By Kim Lachance Shandrow Feb 4, 2013

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

If you have a killer idea for a startup, but lack the time, resources and budget to develop a business plan , a business plan-generating app can help you get your plan on paper and, ideally, off the ground.

A number of apps simplify the often tedious, complicated process of crafting a thorough bank- and investor-ready business plan. You provide the information, they organize it into a plan, and hopefully soon you'll be in business.

Here's a look at three apps that can help get your business plan rolling:

1. Enloop. This is an all-in-one web app that walks users through every step of creating a traditional business plan. Here's how it works: Based on the data you enter into the app, Enloop automatically generates sales, profit and loss, cash flow and balance sheet projections for you, complete with explanatory graphs and other compelling visual elements. Enloop also provides standard, yet customizable business plan text for each section of your plan, including portions focused on key company information and financial data.

Enloop's Free & Easy option includes a single custom business plan packaged in a clean, professionally formatted PDF file that you can download, print and share. More fully featured paid versions range from $9.95 a month to $39.95 a month and allow you to make multiple business plans. Enloop is only web-based and not yet available for mobile devices.

Related: Reworking Your Business Plan? Consider These Tips

2. StratPad. Alex Glassey, who designed this iPad-only app , describes it as "a strategic-planning app that helps entrepreneurs with the thinking and decision-making process ." StratPad can be a smart choice for people who are writing their first-ever business plan. It is packed with several free how-to tools for beginners, including a 58-page business strategy tutorial, view-on-demand training videos, email-based customer service, and more.

A free basic StratPad edition is available for students. Paid, one-time fee plans range from $9.99 to $54.99. The more you pay, the more advanced business plan options you get. The easy-to-use app guides users through a series of simple questions and prompts. Your answers are used to develop a summary business plan, complete with revenue projections and full-color graphs and charts.

3. Business Plan Premier. This $7.99 iPad app does double-duty for users who are eager to have their business plan backed fast. Not only does Business Plan Premier help you organize and write your business plan at an extremely detailed level, it also enables you to present your finished plan to more than 3,000 high net worth potential investors, who are also members of investment research firm Ben Stein & Accredited Members Inc .

Business Plan Premier leads you through writing your prospective company's vision and mission statements, product descriptions and marketing plans. You can also use it to complete competitive and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis, outline your management scheme, identify your startup expenses, define your target market and more depending on your needs.

Your completed business plan is exported as a Microsoft Word document that you can edit, print, email or upload to Dropbox. Business Plan Lite is the free (but much less functional) version of the app.

Related: Reverse-Engineering Your Business Plan: Success Starts With the End

Former West Coast Editor

Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at  Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times . She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the  Lowell Sun  newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow . You can also follow her on Facebook here . 

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LivePlan - The World's #1 Business Plan App

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Everything you need to write a convincing business plan:

Plan faster & easier with AI

Ensure your business plan is the best it can be with the AI-Powered LivePlan Assistant.

• Expand upon your ideas with just one click
• Auto-adjust your tone to be more professional
• Improve your writing and remove potential errors
• Start your forecast quickly with suggested revenue streams

Follow a step-by-step process

LivePlan asks you questions about your business, you plug in the answers. It’s as easy as that. You’ll get straight-forward instructions with examples on:

• Writing a pitch that grabs investors’ attention
• What to include in your marketing plan
• Every other essential piece of your business plan

Financials are calculated for you

LivePlan tells you exactly what kind of financial information you need to enter and then it does all the calculations automatically using built-in formulas. So you end up with razor-accurate financial statements that include all the tables that a lender or investor expects to see.

Help is never far away

Most LivePlan users are able to breeze through their first business plan. But if you ever have a question, there are 3 ways to get advice:

• Call a LivePlan expert at 1-888-498-6136
• Start a chat with our advocacy team
• Or refer to more than 500 sample plans and tutorial videos built into LivePlan

Impress lenders with your polished plan

Once your plan is done, you can:

• Customize the look of your plan using 10 beautiful document themes
• Download your plan as a PDF or Word doc
• Print your plan to get a clean, polished document

Join over 1 million entrepreneurs who found success with LivePlan

“LivePlan saved me a lot of time because the software does so much of the work for you . All you have to do is answer questions and plug in numbers.”

Tailored Coffee

“I have such a better clarity of thought because I can see the impact of marketing by using LivePlan versus just using a spreadsheet.”

Marc-Andre Seguin

JazzGuitarLessons.net

LivePlan Premium

Become a more strategic business owner.

Watch this 2-minute video to see how LivePlan Premium helps you figure out the best way to launch and grow your business.

“Don’t let your fear hold you back. LivePlan takes the fear and the struggle out of the process of creating a business plan.”

Jo Stanford

“It’s our road map, continually helping us stay on track. We wrote a business plan we can take to any investor , and it’s game on.”

Stacie Overman

Lavender Kisses Farm

Business Plan for Startups 4+

Template for entrepreneurs, thomsen business information, designed for ipad.

• 4.5 • 2.2K Ratings
• Offers In-App Purchases

Screenshots

Description.

Layla: Beautifully written, lots of free content! Badass: This app makes me more confident to do business In app purchase of templates 4.6 Stars out of 919 US ratings If you are new to entrepreneurship this app is especially helpful. I have written a free reference book/app explaining how to start a small business. If you decide to start, I have prepared business plan and budget templates ready to fill out and use. The templates you have to purchase at reasonable price in the app. I have made the app as less complicated as possible so you can find the courage to get started. Execution is the most important skill to possess when it comes to entrepreneurship. THE AUTHOR I have spent 25 years as entrepreneur and entrepreneurship consultant and talked to thousands of entrepreneurs. This experience I have used to develop this this app. I believe it will give you the courage and understanding to start your own business. I am convinced that starting a small business releases energy and set one free to create value for one self and others. Good luck in your new venture. ------------- My business plan app can both educate you to be an entrepreneur and help you write a business plan. You can write your business plan directly on your device while commuting. Or you can download business plan templates and email them to your computer and work from home. In this app you will find everything you need to create a professional business plan: - 100 of the best business plan and startup articles - free - 1 online business plan editor - in app purchase - 3 business plan examples & 3 startup budget templates - in app purchase - 1 business plan template - in app purchase - Access to additional content, if you need more inspiration for your business plan.- in app purchase WHY DOWNLOAD THIS BUSINESS PLAN APP Even though you are skilled in your line of work you might not be skilled in doing business. This business plan app is a step-by-step guide that takes the mystery and confusion out of starting a business. The app helps you by covering the 9 main issues you must overcome to run a successful business. Each issue is explained by 6-10 text articles and examples. EXCELLENT FOR HOME BUSINESS AND ONLINE BUSINESS I provide advice, help, templates and best practice on topics such as business concept, personal resources, product/service, market description, sales and marketing, organizing, business development, budgets, financing, and much more. The app has business plan examples for different types of startups, including a software company, a sports cafe and a graphic design company. How to create a business plan for your business or startup with this business plan app: 1. Read and learn from the articles and business plan examples on your iOS device. 2. Buy the business plan editor and write your own business plan when commuting or sitting on the loo (:-) 3. "Start Today - Not Tomorrow" - templates you can email out of the app. 4. Answer the questions in the business plan template. 5. Fill in figures in the budget templates. Congratulations, you now have your own business plan and you have made it yourself! Additionally, we hope you will find that our business plan app: - is easy to use and follow - gives tools to validate your business idea - is written in plain understandable language - covers all the business essentials you need to create a business plan and start a business - provides budget and marketing plan templates - provides a business plan template - gives access to three completed business plan examples - works offline - Home business - Online business May your new company give you joy and a steady income

Version 4.4.1

Business plan editor right on your device. Write your business plan when convenient. Explainer video Minor updates

Ratings and Reviews

2.2K Ratings

Amazing app!

This app is greatly designed to help new and advanced entrepreneurs set up a business plan. It gives an overview of understanding business language which is extremely helpful for those beginning a business. There are examples, templates, and guides that help with your business plan. If you’re thinking of creating a business, this is the app for you!!

Developer Response ,

Hi Julie I am happy you gained valuable startup information Ys Mogens

Very powerful information

Whether you’re new to business or a professional this app will help guide and empower you to realistically go from clueless to DO list. Success is up to you. This app is your new best friend.

14 dollars and I can’t do anything...

Seriously... I thought this would be an interactive app, but instead it’s just information that you can get anywhere. That’s great for maybe $1, but I paid 14 dollars to basically have Wikipedia info. Do not waste your money on this, instead do a web search for information on starting a business if you are only looking for information. If you are looking for a app that you can actually create a business plan from this is not it!

Hi I am happy to say that the newest version now has a business plan editor. All the information is still free - and doesn't even cost 1$

In-App Purchases

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The developer, Thomsen Business Information , has not provided details about its privacy practices and handling of data to Apple. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

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• Buy All Products $27.99
• Business Plan template $3.99
• Business Plan Sports Café $0.00
• Mini Business Plan Template $3.99
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• Startup Basic $19.99
• Establishing Budget template $3.99
• Marketing Plan template $3.99
• Operating Budget template $3.99
• Cash Flow Budget template $3.99
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Startupsvar - 100 svar for iværksættere og selvstændige

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Some of the reasons entrepreneurs love My Business Plan App

Convenience

Creating a business plan can be a time-consuming and complex process, and our app can make it more convenient by providing a streamlined, step-by-step process for building a plan

Industry Specific

My Business Plan customises your business plan based on the business industry your business belongs to

Powerful Financial Forecasts

My Business Plan comes with financial forecasting tools that can help users create realistic financial projections for their business

Collaboration

Our app allow multiple users to work on a business plan together, making it easier to get input and feedback from team members and other stakeholders

Accessibility

My Business Plan is accessible from anywhere and at any time, so you can work on your plans when it's convenient for you

Ease of Use

My Business Plan is user-friendly, with easy to navigate interfaces, making it accessible for people with little or no business planning experience

My Business Plan can provide guidance through the process of creating a business plan, highlighting key information that should be included and providing tips and suggestions for improvement

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Business Insights & Tips

Can ChatGPT Write a Business Plan? What To Know

How to Write a Departmental Business Plan - Key Considerations

How to write a business plan for your app startup

Table of Contents

Executive summary

Company description , market analysis, market size, projections, competitors, swot analysis, unique selling point (usp), marketing strategy, customer acquisition strategy, social media, startup costs and funding, monetisation strategy, final thoughts…, manage your finances better.

Writing a business plan is the first step to developing your app. It helps you clarify your vision and identify the steps you need to take to reach your goals. 

This guide will show you how to write a business plan for your app startup to help you attract investors, secure funding, and guide your overall efforts. 

You’ll need to include:

• Company description
• Unique selling proposition (USP)
• Monetisation plan

Every business plan should answer whether it’s profitable to produce the product and invest in the business. Use the following sections to get that point across.

This section is the first thing potential investors will see when reading your business plan, so make sure it packs a punch. 

Your executive summary should hook the reader and entice them to keep reading your plan –– and invest in your app startup.  

Make your summary clear and memorable, and answer the following questions:

• What problem do you want to solve with your app?
• What is your solution?
• How will your app change the market? 
• What goal are you pursuing? 
• Why will you succeed?

While your executive summary comes first in a business plan, it’s best to write it last to ensure it highlights all key aspects of the document. You can learn more about how to write an executive summary here .

This section introduces your app startup and app concept to help potential investors understand more about you. Who are you, and what makes you unique?

When describing your business and app, share the following details:

• Business structure (is it a sole proprietorship or limited company ?)
• Company location 
• Information about you as the owner
• Problem your app will solve
• Business mission (why you created your app startup)

Quick tip: People love a good story, so use your company description to tell yours. Explain how you came up with your app idea and why you think it’s important. Keep it short and catchy to win the reader’s attention quickly.

Next, investors need to know how your app will fit into the market. After all, you’re trying to convince them that you’re worth investing in.

First, research what the current market looks like. There are three key parameters to base the market size:

• Total available market (TAM) – the maximum demand for a solution in the commercial market.
• Serviceable available market (SAM) – the portion of the total available market you can target through sales and marketing.
• Serviceable obtainable market (SOM) – this defines the segment of the serviceable available market that includes the first people to use your product or service.

How likely is your app to succeed in the market?

Research firms like Nielsen or Forrester can help you understand your target market size and your industry’s potential for growth . Use success stories of similar businesses to give readers proof that your idea can be profitable.

Key point: Only include statistics that relate to your business. For example, if your app will only serve the local market, try to find local statistics. 

Also research your competitors to demonstrate how your app measures up against other solutions. What makes you different?

Study other app businesses in your industry, including their niche, branding, app functionality, audience size, pricing, marketing, and so on. 

Identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats ( SWOT ) to define where you stand in the market and against your competition. 

Demonstrating your strengths and opportunities shows potential investors why your app startup is a worthwhile investment.

And highlighting your weaknesses and threats shows investors that you know your limits and have a plan to overcome challenges you might face.

Your unique selling point (USP) is what differentiates your app and business from others in your industry. How is your app better than your competitors’?

Explain who you’ll do differently that will make people download your app instead of another, similar one. 

When considering how to write a business plan for your app startup, think about how you can prove to potential investors that you have a plan for promoting your business. 

You want to write a section that details your marketing strategy , including the following aspects:

Lay out your strategies for acquiring new customers, talking about each channel and tactic you plan on using to attract them. 

Try to estimate how much it will cost you to acquire one customer from each channel. For example, if you plan on using paid advertising, how much do you think you’ll need to spend on it?

It’s important to have numbers to show investors to give them an idea of how much money you might need.

Social media marketing is one of the most effective ways to promote a product these days. When developing your marketing plan, find out how many potential customers you could reach through platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and so on. 

Provide readers with details about what channel you believe will be most profitable and why. Remember, you want them to want to invest in you.

Include a reasonable estimate of how much it’ll cost to get your app startup up and running. Investors want to know where their money will go. 

Mention one-time costs, recurring charges, fixed costs, and any other expenses you think you’ll incur. Give an estimation of how much money you’ll need and why. 

This section explains how you’ll generate revenue from your app. The most common ways to monetise an app are: 

• In-app ads – your app is free for people to use, but other brands pay to advertise their solutions to your users. 
• Paid app – this is where users pay a small fee to download and use your app. 
• In-app purchases – here, you offer a basic version of your app for free and encourage people to pay for more features or other privileges.
• Subscription – you can charge monthly or annual fees for people to use your app. Netflix is an example of a subscription app. 

Knowing how to write a business plan for your app startup isn’t always easy. The idea is to prove that your idea is a worthwhile investment by demonstrating:

• Your knowledge about the market.
• Your understanding of your target audience.
• Why your app will succeed in the current market.
• That you’ve done your research to support your concept.

Once you’re done with your research and have written your business plan, remember to proofread it . Use writing tools like Grammarly to make sure your spelling, grammar and style are spotless.

Now that you have a better idea of how to write a business plan for your app startup, you’re one step closer to bringing your idea to life!

You can improve almost every aspect of your business with new technology, including your business bookkeeping. That’s why hundreds of app startups use Countingup to make their financial admin easier. 

Countingup is the business current account and accounting software in one app. Keep your money where you can see them, and your financial data easily accessible whenever you need it. 

• Counting Up on Facebook
• Counting Up on Twitter
• Counting Up on LinkedIn

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5 Best Business Plan Software in 2022

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When you’re starting a business, developing a strong business plan will be one of the first steps you take. Your business plan will cover everything from a detailed explanation of your products or services and pricing model to at least three years of financial projections—plus much more. Therefore, whether you’re not sure how to get started or you’re just looking to make the process easier, you may want to turn to business plan software for help.

In this guide, we'll break down five of the best business plan software options—discussing their pros, cons, features, pricing, and more—so you have all the information you need to decide which solution is right for your small business.

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Tell us where you're at in your business journey, and we'll direct you to the experience that fits.

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The 5 best business plan software options

The right business plan software will make the process of writing your business plan much simpler. Like many business software solutions, however, there are a number of different business plan software options out there—each of which has a unique set of features, user experience, and price.

This being said, if you're looking for a place to start your search for the best business plan software, you can explore the five top options below:

How much do you need?

with Fundera by NerdWallet

We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

1. LivePlan

Best overall business plan software.

If you want template-rich, modern-feeling business plan software, then LivePlan may be the right pick for you. LivePlan excels with their user interface, which feels updated and slick, and also offers intuitive, easy-to-use features and options.

Their step-by-step instruction will help you kick things off from the beginning, and you can take advantage of their online learning center to continue to gain business skills.

Affordable plans, including pay-as-you-go option

No long-term contracts or cancellation fee; 60-day money-back guarantee

Modern, intuitive interface; cloud-based, can be used on Mac, PC, as well as tablets

Ability to create unlimited plans in one account; over 500 customizable templates

Variety of business resources including video tutorials, step-by-step instruction, and general customer support

Limited integration options

Challenging to enter your own financial modeling projections

Can be difficult to learn

Ability to create an unlimited number of business plans on one account

More than 500 business plan templates spanning various industries

Integration with Xero and QuickBooks Online

Real-time tracking of financial data with accounting integrations

Ability to export your business plan to Word or PDF

Expert advice and step-by-step instruction included

Performance dashboards for tracking against budgets and sales goals

Ability to create and export a one-page pitch executive summary

Annual plan: $15 per month, billed every 12 months

Six-month plan: $18 per month, billed every six months

Pay-as-you-go plan: $20 per month, billed once every month

2. GoSmallBiz

Best for multiple business management tools in one platform.

Next on our list of the best business plan software options is GoSmallBiz, which is much more than just a business plan software. With GoSmallBiz, you have access to business continuity planning software with features that cover creating a roadmap, working through business and legal forms, building a website, and more.

In this way, GoSmallBiz is great for startups or newer businesses looking to access multiple business management tools through one platform.

Unlimited business consultation and extensive library of online resources

Multiple business tools in one software

Website consultation analysis and business assessment

Industry-specific business plan templates with emphasis on financial projections and statements

Expensive monthly cost compared to alternatives

Limited business plan features

Entire business plan can only be exported to Microsoft Word

Outdated interface

Industry-specific business plan templates with step-by-step building wizard

Ability to create financial statements and projections

Free website hosting and website builder

Customer relationship manager with integration with MailChimp

Digital marketing dashboard with social media and Google Analytics integrations

HR document builder

Corporate minutes writer

Business documents library

Business courses library

Unlimited business consultation

$39 per month, no contracts, free cancellation

Best for simple, fast business plan creation.

If you're looking for free business plan software, Enloop will be one of your closest options—they offer an all-inclusive seven-day free trial, no credit card required. Additionally, unlike some of the other options on our list, Enloop is strictly dedicated to business plan creation, including automated text writing, financial forecast comparisons, and a real-time performance score that tracks your progress.

This being said, if you'd prefer the most straightforward, fast, and simple way to write your business plan, Enloop will be a platform worth considering.

Simple and straightforward software, solely dedicated to business plan creation

Seven-day free trial

Automatic text generation available to streamline the writing process

Affordable plans with annual discount option

Limited additional educational resources

Only one template option

No integration options

Ability to create three business plans with customizable text, images, tables, charts, and over 100 currency symbols and formats

Includes automatic text generation for each plan section that you can then customize

Automatically generated financial statements

Includes financial performance comparison analysis (using three ratios with Detailed plan and 16 with Performance plan)

Real-time performance score to track your progress

Ability to invite users to edit (two with Detailed plan, five with Performance plan)

Pass/fail report and certificate to help you identify issues with your plan

Free plan: Seven-day free trial with no credit card required

Detailed plan: $19.95 per month or $11 per month, paid annually

Performance plan: $39.95 per month, or $24 per month, paid annually

Best for startups looking to acquire funding or find investors.

Part of the Startups.com suite, Bizplan gets top marks for their user interface—it’s intuitive, easy to use, and modern. You’ll work with a step-by-step business plan builder to get exactly what you’d like from your business plan. It may remind you of a modern website builder, since it has drag-and-drop tools to build templates.

Moreover, for one subscription fee, you have access to all of the tools in the Startups.com network, including self-guided courses, how-to guides, masterclass videos, and more. All in all, with a direct connection to Fundable, Bizplan is a top business plan software option for startups looking to acquire funding and find investors.

Subscription gives you access to all Startups.com tools

Lifetime access subscription option

User-friendly drag-and-drop business plan builder

Excellent educational resources

Connection to Fundable great for businesses looking for capital

No free trial

No templates based on industry

No mobile access

Drag-and-drop templates for business plan building

Financial command center to track all business financials in one place

Unlimited account collaborators

Ability to share business plan online with investors

Online resources including self-guided courses, masterclass videos, how-to guides, mentorship access

Unlimited software use for Fundable, Launchrock, and Startups.com

Monthly plan: $29 per month

Annual plan: $20.75 per month, billed at $249 per year

Lifetime access: $349 one-time fee

5. PlanGuru

Best for financial planning and budgeting.

Finally, for some of the strongest financial features among business plan software options, including budgeting and forecasting, you might check out PlanGuru. Whereas the other solutions we've reviewed were first and foremost focused on writing a business plan, PlanGuru is dedicated to business financial planning —providing the tools you need to create budgets, financial forecasts, reports, and more.

Therefore, if you need a software solution that can streamline the financial piece of your business planning processes, PlanGuru will certainly have the most to offer.

Extensive financial tools and detailed forecasting, budgeting, and reporting capabilities

Substantial library of resources

Cloud-based and desktop options

14-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee

Expensive, especially for additional users

Only focuses on the financial aspect of business planning; no templates or tools for basic business plan writing

Difficult to use without prior financial knowledge

Cloud-based version of software, as well as locally installed Windows version (desktop version has a few more features)

Works with QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Excel

Budgeting and forecasting for up to 10 years

Over 20 standard forecasting methods

Formula builder to create custom methods

Ratios and KPIs

Dashboard and reporting tools

Help guides, video tutorials, knowledgebase, and live U.S.-based customer support

14-day free trial

$99 per month (additional users $29 per month)

$899 per year (additional users $299 per year)

What to look for in business plan software

Ultimately, it's up to you to decide, which, if any, of the best business plan software solutions on our list is right for your business.

So, if you're trying to figure out how to choose between the various options out there, it might be helpful to compare your top choices based on the following criteria:

Features: As we've seen different business plan software solutions offer different features. You'll want to look carefully at the feature list of any software and determine what features are most important for your business needs. Do you need an extensive library of templates with detailed customization? Would you prefer software that includes an online learning center for business skills? Are you looking for a solution that combines business plan writing with other tasks? It may be useful to list out your ideal feature set, so you can compare individual software plans to that list.

Price: Although you might be able to find some free business plan software options (or at the very least, free trials), in most cases, you'll need to pay a subscription fee to access the platform you choose. Therefore, you'll want to think about what your budget is for this business tool and what type of software is most cost-effective for your needs.

User experience: User experience can vary widely among different business plan software options. You’ll find some programs that are newer or have been recently updated. Others might have the kind of interfaces that felt new years ago but are now pretty out of date—and, subsequently, make them a little harder to use. The right user experience for your needs is genuinely a matter of opinion and comfort—nevertheless, it's worth testing thoroughly testing out a platform to ensure that it can truly work for you before investing in a monthly or annual subscription.

The bottom line

There's no doubt that properly crafting your business plan is important for the future growth and success of your small business. Luckily, the right business plan software should make the process much simpler.

This being said, whether you opt for one of the best business plan software options listed here, or another platform entirely, you'll want to take the time to compare multiple solutions and ensure you choose the one that's right for your business.

As we mentioned, it can be helpful to think about the features you're looking for, your budget, and your user-experience preferences ahead of time—that way, you'll have a set of criteria in mind as you explore different solutions.

Ultimately, perhaps the best thing you can do to find the right software is to actually test out the platforms themselves—either by using a free trial or a money-back guarantee.

This article originally appeared on JustBusiness, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.

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Home Blog How To Write A Business Plan For an App To Build It Properly

How To Write A Business Plan For an App To Build It Properly

It is worth mentioning that the journey from an innovative idea to a successful app startup requires a well-structured and meticulously crafted business plan. This essential document serves as the North Star, guiding entrepreneurs and developers through the intricate path of app development, market entry, and long-term growth. 

This article delves into the crucial elements of creating a comprehensive business plan for mobile app startups. Each section of the plan is like a building block, laying the foundation for your app’s success and offering a clear roadmap for its journey in the competitive app market.

With each section carefully interwoven, we present a step-by-step guide to building a powerful business plan that captures the attention of investors and partners and instills confidence in your app’s potential for success. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur with a game-changing idea or an established developer seeking to expand your app portfolio, this comprehensive guide will empower you to create a compelling business plan for your mobile app startup.

Join us as we unveil the secrets to unlock success and transform your app dream into a thriving, innovative reality. So let’s dive in and harness the power of strategic planning to take your mobile app startup to unprecedented heights!

What is A Business Plan for A Mobile App?

A mobile app business plan is a detailed and structured document that outlines the entire strategy and vision for developing, launching, and operating a mobile application. It encompasses essential elements like the app’s concept, target market analysis, marketing strategy, revenue model, financial projections, and risk assessment. 

The plan serves as a roadmap to guide the app’s development process and helps attract investors and stakeholders by showcasing a well-thought-out approach to achieving business goals. It is a crucial tool for startups and entrepreneurs seeking to turn their app ideas into successful, sustainable ventures.

Many people confuse a mobile app business plan with a request for proposal (RFP), but RFP is not a plan. These documents are used in different stages and contexts of the app development process. 

In a nutshell, RFP is a list of questions for software developers. If you want to know how to write a software development RFP , follow the link above. 

Reasons To Create An App Development Business Plan

A well-crafted business plan is essential for the success of your mobile app for several reasons:

Clarity of Vision

Developing a business plan forces you to clearly articulate your app’s vision, mission, and objectives. By defining the purpose and goals of your app, you gain a deeper understanding of what you want to achieve and how to get there.

Market Validation

A business plan requires market research to analyze your target audience, competition, and market trends. This validation process helps determine whether there is a demand for your app and whether it can be successful in the current market.

Strategic Decision-Making

A well-thought-out business plan serves as a strategic roadmap. It outlines the steps and milestones needed to bring your app to market and helps you make informed decisions.

Attracting Investors

Investors and stakeholders expect a detailed app startup business plan before investing their resources. A comprehensive plan showcases your commitment, market knowledge, and potential for a return on investment, increasing the likelihood of securing funding.

Resource Allocation

With a business plan you  can estimate the financial and human resources required for app development, marketing, and ongoing operations. It helps manage your resources effectively and avoid overspending.

Realistic Financial Projections

Financial projections in your business plan provide insights into your app’s revenue potential, expected expenses, and profitability. It allows you to set realistic financial goals and create a sustainable business model.

Risk Identification and Mitigation

Creating a business plan helps identify potential risks and challenges your app might face. By anticipating and addressing these risks, you can develop contingency plans and minimize negative impacts on your app’s success.

An App Business Plan Template: A Detailed Guide To Building Your Software

Now we proceed to the most important part of the article. You should use this template to create your mobile app business plan and avoid unexpected gaps.  

#1 Section. Executive Summary

The executive summary is the first glimpse of your business plan for app development, capturing the essence of your app’s potential. Address these key questions clearly and compellingly:

Problem identification. Pinpoint the specific problem your app aims to solve. Explore the challenges your target audience faces and the inadequacies of existing solutions. Show a deep understanding of users’ needs and why your app is the ideal solution.

Your solution. Introduce your app concept without delving into intricate details. Highlight the core features that will delight users and differentiate your app. Emphasize how your solution addresses the identified problem effectively.

Market impact. Demonstrate why your app will stand out in the market. Support your claims with data, statistics, and projections. Avoid clichés, and instead, showcase the profound impact your app will have on users and the industry.

Goal & vision. Outline your financial objectives and your vision for your app’s future. Present your app’s growth potential by stating the number of users you aim to attract and the projected revenue. Strengthen your vision with measurable metrics and short-term plans.

Crafting a compelling executive summary entices potential investors and stakeholders to delve deeper into your business plan, making them more likely to support your app venture.

#2 Section. Business Description

In this section, craft an alluring overview that sparks interest and draws potential partners closer by presenting the following aspects:

Company basics. Clearly state your company’s legal structure, whether an LLC or another entity. The organizational structure sets the foundation for future processes and operations. Additionally, highlight the location of your company, and if it operates remotely, explain the rationale behind this choice.

A captivating history. Engage your readers with compelling storytelling of your company’s journey. Describe the inception of your business idea and the initial steps taken to establish your venture. Keep it concise yet captivating, leaving the reader eager to know more.

Team introductions. Introduce your team to build a deeper connection with your readers. Showcase the expertise and skills of your company’s specialists, transforming a mundane description into a virtual introductory meeting. Share key details about your managers and engineering team members, including names, positions, and relevant experiences. Adding personal information like hobbies creates a more relatable connection with the reader.

Advisory team expertise. Highlight the value of your advisory team in guiding crucial decision-making processes. Emphasize the significance of their involvement in your company’s success and how their expertise can impact the local market. By mentioning their names and credentials, you convey a sense of credibility and competence, further intriguing potential partners.

By crafting your business description artfully, you build a strong rapport with potential partners, igniting their interest and curiosity in your app startup.

Take advantage of the opportunity to captivate investors and partners with a compelling business plan. Begin your app journey today with our step-by-step guide! Contact Binerals for more assistance.

#3 section. market analysis.

A comprehensive market analysis is essential for launching a successful app startup. By delving into the industry’s past and present, you gain valuable insights to shape its future. This stage transforms hypotheses into tangible statistical data, providing a strong foundation for your app’s growth.

• Market size. Understanding the market’s size involves analyzing three critical factors:
• Total Available Market (TAM): Assess the overall market demand for your app’s solution. Determine the potential scale of users who could benefit from your app.
• Serviceable Available Market (SAM): Identify the specific segment of users within the TAM that you can realistically reach and engage.
• Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM): This refers to the portion of SAM that represents your initial target users, those most likely to adopt your app.
• Market dynamics. To make informed decisions, compare and analyze the market’s evolution over the past five years. Examine shifts in size, demand, and trends. Learn from successful influencers who have entered the market and the lessons from those who have failed. 
• By studying industry expenditure, you gain clarity on your app’s potential revenue.
• Customer persona. To develop an exceptional app, viewing it through your customers’ eyes is crucial. Understanding your target audience and creating a detailed customer persona is vital. It involves crafting a portrait of the ideal app user, encompassing gender, name, occupation, education, hobbies, and daily challenges. Knowing your users allows you to tailor your app to meet their needs effectively.

With a well-executed market analysis, your app startup gains a strategic advantage. It clearly explains your app’s potential impact, target users, and the path to success in a dynamic and competitive market landscape.

#4 Section. Marketing Strategy

A robust business plan for app startup must outline a well-crafted marketing strategy that ensures your app effectively reaches potential users’ smartphones. Follow our step-by-step guide to build a successful marketing approach:

Identify customer acquisition channels. Examine various channels through which you can acquire customers. While social media marketing is potent, delve deeper into your research to gauge the potential reach on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Provide the readers with insights on which channels hold the most promise for profitability.

An app landing page is another powerful tool to engage your target audience. Showcase an engaging mockup and elaborate on the number of potential customers your landing page can attract.

Decide on metrics. In the early stages, measure your success through installations and conversion rates rather than financial revenue. Determine which metrics will be most valuable for evaluating your project’s progress and success.

Explore referral programs. Leverage referral programs as a growth catalyst. Identify potential companies for collaboration and explain to the app business plan readers why such partnerships are expected to yield fruitful results.

Optimize for SEO. Enhance your website and mobile application to improve search engine optimization (SEO). This optimization ensures visibility and discoverability, driving organic traffic and increasing user acquisition potential.

A well-executed marketing strategy in your app business plan demonstrates your readiness to attract users, increase app installations, and ensure your app gains traction in the competitive app market. It acts as a roadmap for effective user acquisition, enabling your app to thrive in the digital landscape.

SWOT analysis. It stands for S trengths, W eaknesses, O pportunities, and T hreats. App startups gain valuable insights into their business situation by conducting a comprehensive SWOT analysis. It is a powerful tool to make informed decisions, mitigate risks, capitalize on strengths, and successfully navigate the ever-changing app market landscape. 

Embracing weaknesses as opportunities for improvement allows app startups to enhance their competitiveness and work towards building a resilient and thriving app business.

#5 Section. Define Your Competitors

In the vast world of app startups, having competitors is inevitable. Learning from them can be a catalyst for your app’s success. While striving to offer unique functionalities and cater to users’ needs exceptionally, acknowledge that similar solutions may already exist.

Understanding your competitors is vital. Conduct market research to identify potential rivals, study their track record, and assess their capabilities. By understanding their weaknesses, you can strategize to transform those areas into your strengths, giving your app a competitive edge. 

By embracing the power of knowledge and learning from your competitors, you position your app startup for success. Emulate their strengths while devising innovative approaches to address their shortcomings. Such a proactive approach strengthens your app’s market position and sets the stage for meaningful growth and success in the competitive app landscape.

#6 Section: Choose a Monetization Strategy

As we approach the culmination of your tech startup business plan, financial considerations take center stage. While running a non-profit project is commendable, mobile apps hold immense revenue potential, demanding focused attention on the monetization strategy.

To turn your app’s efforts into financial profit, consider the following strategies:

Use advertising. Implementing advertisements within your app is a quick and straightforward way to monetize it. However, you need many active users to reap substantial rewards. Advertisers will be more willing to invest in ad placements as your user base grows, boosting your revenue.

Charge a fee for installation. In a market flooded with free apps, standing out as a paid app requires demonstrating unique features and value. Communicate the app’s distinct advantages to convince users to pay for installation. Emphasize the value they will receive and how it sets your app apart from free alternatives.

Add a paid account option. Offering a free trial period allows users to experience your app’s capabilities before upgrading to a paid account. Showcase the app’s performance and powerful functionality during the trial phase to entice users to opt for a paid subscription. Delivering a seamless and valuable user experience increases the likelihood of successful conversions.

Selecting the most suitable monetization strategy is crucial before you begin drafting your sample business plan. Investors and partners seek a well-defined and clear monetization approach. Be prepared to articulate your expected financial profit from the app, as this clarity demonstrates your commitment to financial sustainability and makes your app startup more appealing to potential backers.

With a well-chosen monetization strategy, your app can unlock its full revenue potential and pave the way for financial success in the dynamic and lucrative mobile app market.

#7 Section. Startup Costs & Funding 

Understanding the critical role of finances in app startups is essential, as financial issues are a key reason for startup failures. With your first technology startup business plan example taking shape, recognize the significance of startup costs and funding for your business.

Why is the financial component of planning so crucial?

Understanding funding needs. Assessing the type and amount of funding required to bring your app to life is vital. Clearly outline the financial resources needed for app development, marketing, operational expenses, and other essential aspects. This outlining  enables potential partners and investors to grasp the financial commitment required to propel your app startup forward.

• Transparency for partners. Transparency regarding financial needs is critical for gaining the support of potential partners. Clearly articulate the required funding and demonstrate how it aligns with your app’s development and growth plans. Open communication about your financial needs builds trust and credibility with stakeholders.

Your startup financial model should encompass a forecast for the next 3-5 years. Include the following data in your plan:

• Talk about required funding. Provide a comprehensive estimation of the financing needed for various aspects of your app startup. Additionally, anticipate potential challenges and develop a contingency financial plan as a safety net.
• Specify payment frequency . Different costs have varying payment frequencies. Some may be one-time expenses, while others, such as salaries and maintenance costs, are recurrent. A detailed financial plan helps track expenses accurately and ensures prudent financial management.

By incorporating a well-structured startup cost and funding section in your app business plan, you demonstrate foresight and preparedness for the financial aspects of your app startup. This financial roadmap serves as a guiding force, securing the necessary resources and steering your app toward success in the competitive mobile app industry.

Wrapping Up

Crafting a comprehensive business plan for your mobile app startup is the compass that steers you through the turbulent waters of app entrepreneurship. As we conclude this explanation, we understand that every aspect of the business plan plays a vital role in shaping your app’s destiny.

In conclusion, your mobile app startup’s destiny lies in the blueprint you create. A well-crafted business plan is the culmination of your dreams, expertise, and unwavering determination. Armed with this strategic document, you navigate the challenges of the app landscape with foresight and precision, confident in your app’s potential to transform lives and revolutionize the market. If you correctly build a business plan, app development will be smoother and faster. 

Let your mobile app startup be the beacon of inspiration, driving change and elevating the human experience. As you embark on this path, remember that you can redefine the future of mobile applications, one visionary idea at a time. 

Join the league of successful app entrepreneurs by developing a game-changing business plan. Let's start this challenging task together! Contact Binerals right away.

A business plan provides a clear roadmap for your app startup, outlining your vision, target audience, marketing strategy, and financial projections. It is essential for attracting investors, guiding decision-making, and ensuring the long-term success of your app.

There are various monetisation strategies to consider, such as in-app advertising, charging a fee for installation, offering a paid account option with premium features, or implementing a freemium model. Choosing the right strategy depends on your app’s unique value proposition and target audience.

Yes, a SWOT analysis helps you identify your app’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, enabling you to make informed decisions and develop strategies that leverage your advantages and address potential challenges.

Software as a service is a popular and effective concept for your application delivery. Let’s find out more about SaaS development specifics, possible pitfalls, and best practices.

• Tech & Trends

Every great startup was once inspired by the idea, and the idea, in turn, was embedded into an MVP. This is the only way to build a lean tech project, so unlock the life-proven tips to do it.

The idea to create a new Snapchat sounds pretty promising, especially given the popularity of visual social media, and the logically following popularity of the apps for photo editing, face swapping, and selfie-filtering. In this guide, we will find out how to combine these trendy features into a single app, following the example of Snapchat

Why create a business plan for a mobile app?

A business plan is the backbone of any enterprise. Many people like to describe it as a map that assists you in getting from point A (idea) to point B (success) without accidentally venturing into point C (financial failure). You can also think of it as a set of guidelines used to devise app development strategies and manage the budget in a responsible and effective way.

A business plan helps steer the enterprise in the right direction

With a comprehensive mobile app business plan, you’ll be able to use facts and exact calculations to determine the overall direction of the business :

• Gain useful insights into the competition and the current state of the market
• Make informed decisions regarding marketing and communication
• Outline a comprehensive financial strategy
• Evaluate performance and decide on the best allocation of resources

It will also help you to better manage your team :

• Keep everyone in sync and focused on the same target
• Establish clear goals and KPIs, as well as set priorities

And finally, having a business plan is crucial if you want to win over investors and stakeholders.

This is not just our opinion — research confirms the value of writing a business plan. Recently, Palo Alto Software surveyed 2,900 entrepreneurs and discovered that those who create business plans are almost twice as likely to succeed as those who don’t. To measure “success”, Palo Alto used three metrics: business growth, secured investment capital, and secured loans. Find out more information about the study.

This study clearly shows that a business plan isn’t just a formality

What does a mobile app business plan look like?

A typical mobile app business plan is comprised of 8 sections:

• Executive summary
• Products & services
• Company overview
• Market analysis
• Competitive analysis
• Marketing strategy
• Financial strategy

The whole document usually runs 20 to 40 pages including appendices, but this number largely depends on the scale of your project and your goals. A mobile app business plan for a massive product with international presence may well run into hundreds of pages, while an average startup is unlikely to go over 50 pages. 

When writing a mobile app business plan, you should always consider the target audience . Keep everything informative but concise — otherwise, you run the risk of losing the reader’s attention. This is especially important if you’re writing a business plan to raise funds: investors don’t want to have their time wasted. However, it’s crucial not to sacrifice any important information for the sake of hitting a hypothetical 40-page goal.

Things to keep in mind when creating a business plan

Before we dive straight into writing a mobile app business plan, let us give you some tips that will help you along the way.

Before getting started on that Google Doc, ask yourself one question: what are you trying to achieve? The answer to that question defines your priorities. For example, if you’re going to use your mobile app business plan to raise some funds, you’ll want to focus on the reasons you need that money and exactly how you’re going to spend it.

Readability is highly important. This means that the information you present may be complex, but navigating it should be as simple to do as possible. The document should have a coherent structure, with one part logically flowing into another, and clear formatting with headings, subheadings, and enough white space. You can also supplement the numbers you provide with graphs to highlight the most important takeaways .

Pay attention not only to what the document says, but also to what it looks like: with headings, subheadings, and diagrams you create a better document structure

Fact-based estimates

All financial forecasts in your mobile app business plan should be realistic — too much optimism will likely damage your image and lead to lack of trust, not to mention that inflated expectations can ruin the enterprise itself. With that said, all the reports should clearly indicate that there are good prospects for the business and what investors stand to gain if they support the project. If the reports paint a bleak picture, maybe it would be a good idea to test another concept.

External review

Creating a 30-page formal document is a daunting task, and there’s not a single reason why you should face it in solitude. In fact, it’ll be much better if you don’t! As you go, ask other people (preferably experienced) to review it from time to time — this way, you’ll be sure that your plan is logical and makes sense.

How to create a business plan for an app

OK, so we’ve established that a typical startup business plan consists of 8 sections, each equally important. But what exactly do you put in these sections? Let’s find out.

Write an executive summary 

An executive summary is a rundown of the whole document. It describes the current situation in the market, establishes the target audience, as well as puts forward the product’s concept, business goals, and financial projections. Put simply, it answers three big questions:

A well-written executive summary can act as a standalone document. In fact, many investors make their initial decisions after reading this part only, so getting it right is crucial if you want to win over important stakeholders.

The secret is to keep everything clear and concise: you want to convey the message that your app idea has huge potential without overwhelming the reader with 5-page long sheets and abstract ideas. Ideally, the executive summary shouldn’t run longer than 2–3 pages.

The four key components of an executive summary

Prepare the company overview 

In this section of your mobile app business plan, you tell the reader more about your company . Include the following information:

• Mission. It’s a brief explanation why a company exists (take Google, for example: “Our mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”)
• Vision. It’s a declaration of the company’s potential impact on the world.
• Corporate values
• History and past achievements (if any)
• Competitive advantages

You should also provide detailed information about the team : the number of people you employ, as well as their qualifications and previous experiences.

We recommend dedicating a separate subsection to your top management and key team members to tell about their background and achievements. This will help convince investors that apart from a great app idea , you also have great people behind it.

Make sure to cover the issue of ownership . Does each partner own an equal portion of the business? If not, how exactly is ownership divided?

Potential investors will definitely want to know this information.

Describe your products & services

This is where you really get into detail about your business idea. First, provide some information about the problem you want to solve. To do this, answer 3 fundamental questions:

You need to convince stakeholders that your product solves an important problem. Answering these 3 questions will help

You need to convince the reader that this issue is of importance. You can cite some research or statistics, but try not to oversaturate this section with numbers.

Then, you move on to the actual solution and tell how exactly you plan to tackle the problem. This is where you describe your product or service. Give a brief description of the processes involved, but again, avoid flooding the section with too many technical details.

Finally, give a brief examination of your competitors and highlight how exactly your product is going to surpass the already existing options.

Conduct an audience analysis

In the audience analysis part, you evaluate the current state of play and give justified reasons why you believe your product has a place in the competitive environment. This section includes queries into the target market , customer behavior, current trends , and several important metrics: cost per acquisition (CPA), total available market (TAM), service available market (SAM), and service obtainable market (SOM).

Try to be as specific as possible when talking about the target audience. Consider building customer personas — generalized representations of the people who are going to be interested in your product. To create a persona, conduct several in-depth interviews and organize the obtained information into the following blocks:

• Demographic information — age, gender, income, place of living
• Psychographic information — goals, challenges, motivation, personality type
• Professional activities — qualifications, current job, past job experiences
• Interests and personal tastes
• Needs — why would they need your product?

This is an example of what a customer persona sheet may look like

Carry out a competitive analysis

We’ve already touched on the subject of competition in the executive summary and the products & services section. This time, however, you dive in much deeper and provide a detailed analysis of your direct and indirect competitors, answering the following questions: What are their strengths & weaknesses? What marketing strategies do they use? What is their pricing?

Once you’ve described the competitive landscape, it’s time to show why your product is going to be superior. One way to do this is by conducting a SWOT analysis.

SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It actually doesn’t need to be any more complicated than this: the section names speak for themselves.

In Strengths , you state the advantages that separate you from the competition.

In Weaknesses , you focus on the things your product lacks and resource limitations.

In Opportunities , you describe the prospects for your business, as well as the external factors that can have a positive influence on the enterprise (rising demand, changing attitudes, etc.).

And finally, in Threats , you cite any external factors that can have a negative influence on the enterprise (bad media coverage, changing regulations, and so on).

Conducting a SWOT analysis is important for proper positioning

Outline your marketing strategy

This is where you describe three important things. First, you need to cover the channels you’re going to use to reach your target segments — for example, social media, target ads, or physical ads. Then, you specify the amount of money you plan to spend on marketing activities, and finally, the KPIs you’re going to use to evaluate efficiency.

Describe your financial strategy

We’ve reached the core of any mobile app business plan. A startup needs a financial strategy much like a ship needs an engine or a mast, and this section is where all the crucial number crunching is happening — akin to an engine room. Let’s look at what you need to include in this part of the plan:

• A revenue model, also known as a monetization strategy
• A monthly sales and revenue forecast for the first 12 months and annual projections for the next 3–5 years
• An income statement, which outlines annual net profits or losses
• A cash flow statement, which shows how much money the company operates with in total
• A balance sheet, which lists assets, liabilities, and equity in your company
• Funds needed (how much money you need to gain in investments)
• Use of funds (how exactly you’re going to use gained investments)

Exit strategy

You need an exit strategy if you plan to sell your company some time in the future. Having this subsection is crucial if you want to draw the attention of venture capitalists and angel investors. The most common exit strategies are acquisition, initial public offering (IPO), and management buyout.

Make sure you understand all these terms correctly and can confidently use them when pitching — investors are more likely to trust an entrepreneur who knows their numbers .

A typical balance sheet lists a hefty number of assets, liabilities, and stockholders’ equity. Complicated, but important!

Compile an appendix

This isn’t a mandatory section — you can omit it altogether, if you want. However, it might be a good place for charts, tables, legal notes, licenses, permits, detailed studies, illustrations of your product, and all other miscellaneous pieces of information that can seem a little out of place if you include them in any of the primary sections of your mobile app business plan.

How to fund your app startup

We’ve compared the main sources of funding in the table below.

And now a bit more about every source of funding.

Bootstrapping

Bootstrapping is just a fancy word for using your own money. Unsurprisingly, this is the best way to fund a startup: there are no loans, no interest rates, no bonds, and no contractual obligations. If the idea fails, you’ve got no one to answer to (well, apart from your wallet) — and if it takes off, you get to keep more of the returns. 

Personal networks

The second most desirable source of funding. A personal network is your friends and family — or, in other words, people you have a close emotional connection with. Persuading them to fund your mobile app development project will be much easier than pitching the idea to complete strangers. And in case the startup fails, they will likely give you enough time to recuperate and pay them back. 

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding means turning directly to end-users to get funding for the project, usually via the Internet. This method is very popular among smaller, niche-specific enterprises, but it doesn’t mean that large-scale ventures have nothing to gain from it — some businesses (including app development companies) manage to raise millions of dollars on Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms. Pros: you get to build a customer base super early. Cons: failure to deliver the promised product usually leads to court, unless you have exceptionally good PR.   

Angel investors

Angel investors are wealthy individuals who use their own money to support business ideas they find promising. They usually invest in budding projects in the seed stage, when the risks are at their all-time high — hence the name. But here’s the catch: in return, they get a share in the business, or at least a convertible bond. This means that if the idea takes off, they’ll gain a certain level of control over your company and become entitled to a share of your income. 

Startup contests at IT events

The tech industry is packed with conferences that can define the future of your app startup. Many of these events host startup contests with formidable prize funds reaching millions of dollars. Winning a contest like this is a quick way to get a solid influx of money early on — but, of course, there are no guarantees, and the competition is fierce.

Bank loans are your last resort. We recommend using this option only if every other one has failed. Why? Tons of paperwork, strict deadlines, and unfavorable interest rates make it poorly suited for fledgling startups — and don’t forget that failure to return the money on time may lead to severe consequences. It’s much safer to take a loan once you have an established company, but definitely not when you’re just starting out.

Monetization strategies

Deciding how your product is going to make money is one of the most important steps to take when developing a mobile app . There are multiple monetization strategies available, each of them suitable for specific types of businesses. Let’s look at some of the most popular ones.

One-time purchase

This strategy is based on the “pay once, use forever” principle. With this business model , you make your app available only after the customer purchases it, either before or after the download. This model can generate substantial revenue, but only if you offer unique features that are highly valuable to the user — otherwise they will most probably turn to free alternatives. Very common among productivity apps and games.

In-app purchases

The app and its basic functionality are free to use, but users can pay to access more advanced features or nice-to-have bonuses. The most famous examples of this model are probably games like Clash of Clans or Fortnite — you can play all you want for free, but if you want to progress faster or get in-game benefits , you can buy skins and in-game currency. Very lucrative if applied properly, but is mainly limited to the entertainment segment.

Subscriptions

Users can download the app for free, but to enjoy the full range of its features they’ll have to buy a subscription. Usually, this business model includes multiple options : for example, you can subscribe for a month, 6 months, or a year. To increase conversion, developers often offer trial periods that allow customers to fully experience all the advantages of the product before choosing to commit.

This strategy is also known as the freemium business model

Talentum , an app we developed a couple years ago, used a subscription-based revenue model. Users could order food from their favorite chefs without any paywalls, but there was always an option to upgrade their accounts and unlock the full range of features.

Talentum, the app that connects customers with top-notch freelance chefs

A fitness app we developed uses a similar system, but on the vendor side: coaches can buy higher-level subscriptions to take on more customers.

The subscription model is also used in dating applications such as Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge. Users that subscribe receive profile boosts, unlimited likes, advanced filters, and other benefits. Check out our article if you want to know more about dating app monetization strategies .

The most popular business model , which is also easy to combine with others. In this model, you use the app to run ads to generate revenue. There are several formats you can choose from, with some of them being more intrusive (like interstitial ads), and some less (like native or banner ads).

Many developers use this strategy together with a subscription-based model: the free version of the app is monetized using ads, while buying a subscription removes this annoyance and grants other benefits.

Keep in mind that the more intrusive the ad, the less users are going to like it

Commissions

Very handy for marketplaces of all sorts: if a vendor uses your app to sell their goods, you charge a commission for every sale they make at a fixed percentage. Alternatively, you can opt for charging fixed flat fees, but the first option is more widespread. The more vendors you attract to the platform, the heftier your revenue will be.

What is a business plan for a mobile app?

A mobile app business plan is a set of guidelines used to devise comprehensive app development strategies and manage the budget in a responsible and effective way.

How long does it take to create a business plan for an app?

Creating a mobile app business plan may take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a month.

Is it possible to create an application without a business plan?

Yes, it’s entirely possible, but in this case you’ll need a reliable partner to help with refining the concept and turning it into a cool product on the go. If you have an idea for a mobile app, reach out to us — we’ll help bring it to life with low development costs.

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App Business Plan Template

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An app business plan template shows the goals and objectives of a company that creates mobile apps. It includes detailed information on the company's mission, vision, and target market. It also includes information on the app's features and how it will be marketed and sold. An app business plan template can help you get funding for your app before it is created. It is also helpful for app developers, investors, and entrepreneurs. Mobile app development can be complicated, but Venngage offers an app business plan template that will show you exactly what to include in your business plan. This app business plan template allows you to fill in the details on the left side of the spreadsheet and watch as it calculates the app development costs on the right. Create an app business plan infographic using Venngage’s app business plan infographic template. To personalize this app business plan infographic, you don't need to be a designer, have design expertise, or use any design tools. To get started with this app business plan infographic template, go to Create. In the editor, you may

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How to Write a Business Plan for a Mobile App Startup?

Anton Baryshevskiy

Head of Business Development, Co-Founder

Head of Business Development

Get your project estimation!

If you’re on the threshold of launching your mobile app startup, there are numerous things you need to be concerned with: workload, core concept, budget, product implementation area, employees… You need to rightly put all key elements of this puzzle together to provide a clear roadmap for your project — that is, to compile a business plan for mobile app development.

We at Mind Studios know how to make a business plan for an app. Here, you'll find a complete guide to creating a business plan. Also, we’ve added our template to help all stakeholders and investors have a clear and most importantly, equal understanding of your startup idea. So if you don't know how to plan an app yet and where to start, let's find out more about it.

A business plan is a guide that turns your ideas into action

As a rule, you should start with visualizing the project and formulating its key ideas. They will later become the basis of your business plan.

Another vital component of developing your project is writing a product requirements document (PRD) for your app. It consists of three sections: business requirements, user requirements, and software system requirements . The business plan is, actually, a component of the PRD, namely the business requirements part.

All the preceding processes, such as developing a project vision, core ideas, and concepts, creating an app development plan, and drafting a PRD, allow all stakeholders to be on the same page as the startup's founder.

In this post, we’ll go through how to write a business plan for an app startup.

Some statistics

Still not sure if your startup needs a business plan? Numerous studies back up the value of having a well-thought-out business plan for companies on different stages of their business journeys.

According to one study that involved 3,000 company owners from diverse fields, those with business plans were almost twice as likely to succeed as those who didn’t. Furthermore, such strategic-planning companies were more effective in attracting investment or securing loans.

You can find more detailed information in the diagram below:

If your way is developing a mobile application

As of 2021, people have made 230 billion downloads of mobile applications, up by 63% than in 2016. Everyone appears to require mobile solutions these days, so your startup has a lot of room for imagination. You can choose from a wide range of mobile app types. To name a few, it could be a travel, event planner (here's an event app development guide), money management, social networking, or fitness app.

No matter which one you decide to create, a pre-written mobile app business plan can help you seamlessly go through the mobile app development process with its four fundamental stages : discovery, idea validation , design, and actually, development.

A goal without a plan is just a wish

There is a plethora of mobile applications these days. It means, though, that there are hundreds of almost identical apps in each category. Attracting users becomes a task of utmost importance.

Chad Mureta, an app tycoon, says that a developer’s profit directly depends on their knowledge of what’s interesting to the user; that is, to create a successful and profitable application, a developer should think like a user .

Creating a mobile app business plan template based on thorough user analysis will help you explain your business idea to stakeholders. Also, you’ll see a path to a product-market fit. To make that happen, you should determine what your target audience wants, needs, likes/dislikes in competitors’ apps, and tends to expect from using your app.

Therefore, identifying your target audience preferences should be your priority, as it is one of the main drivers of your startup.

Understanding the market is the key to success

The author of the bestseller 4 Steps to Enlightenment. Strategies for creating successful startups , Steve Blank, suggests that very few people understand where their market is. The writer believes it is almost impossible to launch a thriving startup without analyzing the market it’s going to enter.

Before you start writing a business plan, it’s crucial to figure out not only the degree of public interest in your product but also the level of competition in the market you’re going to enter.

Thanks to the preparatory analysis of your rivals and potential app users, you’ll be able to flawlessly identify your product’s objectives, advantages, and unique value proposition (UVP). This will also help you form the basis of a proper business plan.

Review your business plan annually

Steve Blank claims that a business plan is static in contrast to a business model, which is dynamic. A business plan appears to be stable by definition: that’s a document created once and rarely revised after adoption.

But in our quick-to-change world, do you believe there’s anything that could remain static? Especially in terms of business? Investopedia , for example, shares an opposite to Steve Blank’s statement: A business plan should evolve in tandem with a company’s growth.

We at Mind Studios adhere to the last approach and recommend you go through your business plan for an app at least once every year . It will allow you to respond to changes in your users’ demands and assess what goals you have achieved and which ones you still need to accomplish.

Moreover, refreshing a business plan will enable you to keep your finger on the pulse of your startup’s current and upcoming financial needs and, therefore, help you develop efficient strategies to attract investments. Consider it a dynamic document that adapts to your startup’s development path.

Why should you make a business plan for apps?

In addition to helping you get your startup off the ground, a viable business plan acts as an indicator for investors to consider it as a potential asset.

Let’s summarize the main reasons why your mobile app startup needs a business plan:

Both startups and established businesses need business plans, the content of which will depend on the company’s primary goal.

To attract partners, startup owners tend to use a business model canvas — a more flexible model of the traditional business plan. It can seamlessly adapt to the iterative nature of tech startup development, yet providing core information about a project.

However, the business model canvas for an app does not guarantee 100% success; it can only be one of the components that will help your project attract investment. A comprehensive business plan with a detailed description of your company and mobile app, justification of funds use, and coverage of all legal concerns is what can instill trust in all stakeholders of your project.

Is there a difference between a business plan for a mobile app and other software?

There are obvious distinctions between mobile applications, websites, and other software solutions. They significantly contrast in marketing approach, monetization strategy, and feature sets. As a result, business plans for these solutions will differ as well.

A traditional software development business plan might be structured similarly to a business strategy for a mobile app company. However, any document that presents the firm and its product will be distinctive in content. It is reasonable since each project is unique, with its own goals and target audience.

What does a business plan for a mobile app look like?

Your mission is to create a reliable and stable mobile application for either enterprises, individuals, or non-profit organizations. In this case, a business plan will help you pave the road to make your project profitable.

Therefore, when writing a mobile app business plan for startups, you’ll need to estimate the cost of development and commissioning as well as the timing of the return on investment in your project. Only by doing this, will you get a clear picture of your app’s viability.

One of the essential factors in writing a good startup business plan for a mobile app is delivering maximum transparency at each part. Let’s highlight what you should include in your mobile app business plan to make it serve your business in the most effective way possible.

Executive summary

Let’s start with the executive summary . It is the first and most significant part of your mobile app business plan because it’s the first thing an investor will read. The executive summary should be clear and concise, with no detailed information about how your product works. Address the situation in the market, who your target customer is, and what unique problem your application can solve.

Make your proposal unique to distinguish your company from others. In other words, create a unique value proposition (UVP). Use your imagination: consider your executive summary as a movie teaser and your investor as a spectator. Would they like to see your movie?

Specify your goals . These objectives should rely on your business analysis. Investors will examine your aims to see if they satisfy their needs. You also have to determine the ultimate goal of your exit plan . Furthermore, you should establish a list of funding requirements and the proceeds that will be used to boost the attractiveness of your company. One of the essential factors in the startup business plan for your mobile app success is ensuring maximum transparency at each stage.

Make your document convincing . To do this, ensure your product’s concept and goals are crystal clear and do not vary throughout the paper. Provide the reader with accurate data and realistic expectations about your project. Of course, don’t forget to make sure that the name of the person who created the business plan and executive summary and the names of your team members are consistent throughout the documentation.

Business description

Introduce your company in this part, beginning with corporate information and ending with your mobile app concept. This part of your startup business plan will show investors the corporate values of your company, your mission, product vision, and the fundamental factors for your startup success.

This information is vitally important for investors. For example, a technology startup accelerator Y Combinator considers getting money as by far the easiest part whereas working on ideas — the most significant part for any startup in achieving success. In most cases, Y-Combinator-like organizations make compiling a thorough business plan a prerequisite before introducing newly-formed projects to investors.

Company overview

Here you should describe your company’s:

This section should give the reader of your business plan detailed information about your startup: the official name of your company, the location of the headquarters, and its structure, namely the business entity type (LLC, corporation, etc.). Make sure to provide further details about your team, such as the number of workers, their names, job titles, and so forth.

Describe the purpose of your company and the fundamental principles that guide your business in the mission statement. After establishing your mission, outline the primary challenges and solutions your startup can offer.

Company history

Before making any business proposal, describe the history of your company, how your team formed, and how you came up with your idea. In addition, you can talk about the main stages of your company’s development and the experience that precedes the product launch.

Whether you are outsourcing app development process or you have an in-house team, it is often the most significant part of the executive summary because your app development team is the main engine of your project implementation. You should specify each person’s name, position, work experience, and responsibilities in the company. In addition, you can involve an advisory group that will help you make essential decisions. Consultants on your advisory team should have experience in the industry.

Market analysis

Information about the state of the market should be the main factor in your app idea realization. You should be aware of the present situation in your industry, have up-to-date information, and be able to generate a short-term forecast.

To conduct market analysis , you should take several steps:

• Examining existing business environment
• Defining your market research criteria
• Determining your total available market (TAM), service available market (SAM), and service obtainable market (SOM)
• Identifying your direct competitors
• Analyzing your target audience and figuring out the cost per acquisition (CPA) for your niche

No market research in the mobile app industry can be conducted without analyzing Google Play Store and Apple App Store with their ranks for top paid, top free, and top-grossing apps as well as user reviews.

Market forecasts

Forecasting is an integral component of writing a business plan for an app development startup realization.

Forecasts from reputable research firms such as Nielsen and Forrester are of interest when creating any business plan, be it a business plan for an app development, a website, or a traditional software startup business plan. To provide reliable market forecasts, you can:

• Include data on the growth of companies with solutions similar to your mobile app
• Add information on the amount of money poured into similar startups (platforms like Crunchbase or Y Combinator can help with this)
• Enrich your business plan with some forecasts on your target customer behavior

Your goal is to assess whether there’s a real market for your product, whether there are enough customers in the market, and, accordingly, whether those customers are willing to pay money for using your product.

SWOT analysis

A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method that allows you to present a structured description of your business situation. It can be a great way to evaluate your app startup concept from four perspectives. Namely, its:

• W eaknesses
• O pportunities

It’s natural when a business has weaknesses: knowing about them will serve as a powerful driver for finding solutions and will reduce any risks your company may need to face.

Marketing strategy

An app marketing strategy is a bridge that allows your product to fall into the hands of your customers. You have to convince investors that you have such a bridge. This is an important part of the mobile app strategy.

When drawing up a mobile app marketing plan, you have to define the marketing strategies you intend to use in application promotion. Here are a few examples, along with descriptions of how they work:

Create a landing page

Creating a landing page for your mobile app will help you reach a wider audience by informing users about new features and updates. Make sure your page contains the name of the application, a description of its functionality, promotional videos, and so on.

Launch a website and blog

Launching a website is a great way to promote your application. There, you may, for example, provide more information about your company, its goals and values, and an overview of your future mobile solution.

A website blog is also a helpful thing with your app advertising. You can share news on your upcoming product and publish SEO-optimized articles for better promotion.

Social media marketing

Consider social media marketing while developing a business strategy to promote your app. Describe how you intend to use this form of advertising at various phases of your mobile solution development: before launch while attracting your audience and retaining users.

Estimate your marketing budget

You may estimate the cost of marketing services based on the market analysis you outlined in the preceding section of your business plan. Understanding the marketing budget is essential to all parties: you, the app owner, investors, and other stakeholders.

Product growth

Depending on the type of app startup, growing the user base approach differs, as does the business plan for entering different markets. For example, a massive advertising attack tends to make sense in markets where consumers understand your product or service and its usefulness.

Take, for instance, Uber , which has successfully launched extensive marketing campaigns. The company’s ads have spread globally with Uber localizing advertising for each region.

So, if you’re still working on a business strategy, think about how you’ll expand your user base in advance. This will tremendously assist you in future product growth.

Choose your product launch type

Be sure to indicate the product launch type in your business plan. There are two such types: hard and soft launch . The first one means delivering a finished product to your entire target audience. A soft launch is when you release an MVP or full version of your app, but for a limited audience.

To rightly set out this part of your business plan, you should clearly understand what kind of financing you need to move forward. Moreover, you need to express it as clearly as possible to be sure a potential investor will also understand what funding you need.

The financial model includes, as a rule, a three- to five-year forecast of all the main forecasted indicators, including profit and loss, cash flow, balance sheets, start tables, unit economics calculation as well as your app’s projected revenues and costs. Your financial document has to contain the following components to determine the actual cost and distribution of investments in the best way, with a clear explanation of each.

Startup costs/funding required

Inform your investors about estimated costs. We recommend placing reasonable estimates and leaving room for extra expenses since these numbers might fluctuate.

Designate all types of costs :

• One-time costs (e.g. relocation costs, costs for buying an office space, equipment, servers, software, licenses)
• Fixed costs: they remain unchanged regardless of whether you produce something or not (e.g. rent, insurance, lease payments, fixed salaries)
• Variable costs: costs that change according to the production volume (e.g. wages)

Monetization strategy

It is another section you need to add to your mobile app business plan. By illustrating your monetization model, you’ll demonstrate to your investors and other stakeholders that your project will be profitable and provide a return on investment with positive unit economics. It will also help you be sure that your startup will reach its break-even point.

The most common ways to monetize an application are :

• Advertising
• Charging for the application (if your business model describes a paid application, you need to convince the consumer why they have to pay and what they’re paying for)
• In-app purchases (this is a widespread mobile app business model in iOS and Android applications)
• Subscriptions (this model of monetization is quite popular and works until the user decides to cancel the subscription; in most cases, subscription apps have a free trial period)

One of our prominent projects in which we’ve helped set up a monetization strategy is Fitr. Training , a remote fitness coaching application. Our team analyzed the platform’s performance and discovered we could enhance the conversion rate.

We established a monetization model based on the collected data and customer feedback. Namely, our team launched an efficient subscription option. The results were remarkable: one out of every four coaches now uses the paid membership.

Mind Studios can also assist you in elaborating a potent monetization strategy.

Business plan example for a mobile app startup

We’d like to offer you a business plan template for a startup updated to 2023. Keep in mind that, although this mobile app business plan itself is structured according to all the rules, the calculations are entirely fictional. To complement our business plan, we also provide a mobile app marketing plan template, ensuring a strategic approach to promoting your app in the competitive market. This template includes up-to-date techniques for 2023, guiding you through effective advertising and user engagement strategies.

Download the free PDF business plan template for a mobile app here .

Writing a business plan for a mobile app startup isn’t easy. As a rule, the most challenging part of developing a business plan for a mobile app idea is writing the first page. Many people in this situation rush to find and download a free copy of another company’s business plan. They mistakenly believe that someone else’s business strategy will help them achieve their goals. But it absolutely won’t!

A business plan cannot be a cloned document. It must be one-of-a-kind reflecting your passion and enthusiasm in bringing your idea into life . A successful business plan should demonstrate that your company is viable and financially attractive. The higher the viability, the higher the investment opportunity.

If you need to compile a well-thought-out business plan to attract investments and successfully launch your app, our expert team at Mind Studios is here to help .

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How to Create the Best Business Plan for an App? Guide to a Business Plan App

Summary: The world has witnessed a great upsurge in the mobile app market. As per a report, the global mobile app market size was at USD 206.85 billion in 2022. And it is all set to increase at a CAGR of 13.8% till 2030. We all know that these and many other stats are right and effective.

On what basis are we so confident about? There is a major increase in the internet and the adaptability of online apps. So, now businesses tend to make calculative moves by developing mobile app business plans. Let’s have a look at how to write a good business plan for your mobile app.

Key Takeaway:-

• Such a business plan for the app will help you measure the risk factors beforehand.
• Steps to curate an app business plan are stated below to ensure a proper direction for your mobile app.
• Why should you opt for a mobile app plan? Ensure your futuristic success with a plan on hand prior to the SDLC.
• What good will such a business plan do? You will be able to figure out every necessary point in time & also get a good team to execute the plan.

Introduction

Anything well-planned always gives a better outcome than an unplanned thing.

Imagine the scenario in which you want to go on a trip.

In the first scenario, you have yet to plan the trip. You reach there and have to do a rekey of things. You will have to look for a nearby stay, have food, and have fun. Eventually, it did consume a lot of your time, money, and energy.

A planned trip with all the things right from the hotel to food and fun will help in a hassle-free holiday. Now you have travel apps and agents to go and get every booking document way before your trip.

So, while reading too, the first thought that came to your mind was a planned & well executed trip.

The same goes for apps. Plan it to win the online spectrum at the right time.  

In this competitive online space, who will not want a great curated business plan? Every startup or enterprise has to expand and grow to survive the online world.

Now, let’s directly chase the question.

Why Do You Need a Mobile App Business Plan?

• In general, the revenue in 2023 is over $935 billion. 
• 21% of millennials open an app 50+ times per day. 
• 49% open an app 11+ times each day. 
• A typical mobile user uses 30 apps per month and 10 apps per day.

All these mobile app statistics are alarming. To ace in the digital world, you have to strike hard with a business plan.

There are 100s of apps made on the same concept. Why will a user use your app? How will you lure them to stay for long? What are the other futuristic business ideas? Thus, you need a roadmap to discover your project phases and needs.

How will your mobile app startup succeed? From where will your app get funds? How will you survive in the later SDLC stages? All these things and many more can be noted in a mobile business plan app.

And most importantly, such advance plans always help to get to the user base.

What is the worth of a business plan? Know it from the best tycoon:-

Without a plan, even the most brilliant business can get lost. You need to have goals, create milestones, and have a strategy in place to set yourself up for success. – Yogi Berra .

Perks to Get an App Business Plan

• You need a strong business plan to transform your ideas into actions.
• A plan will always help you to improve. 
• It defines growth points and steps to expand in the future.
• You can raise funds by presenting it to the investors.

Now, without further due, let’s get into some exceptional steps to follow for your PRD.

How to Write a Successful Business Plan for Your Mobile App?

Pave a winning road with a business plan. It does not matter whether you are an SME, enterprise, or startup; every app idea will need a plan to flourish in the unknown online space. 

The key factors that you should know for a business plan are budget and investment returns on a timely basis. Apart from that, you have to provide maximum transparency to achieve each milestone in real-time. 

Let’s have a look at some of the intricate steps to follow when creating an app business plan.

8 Steps to Create a Good App Development Business Plan

#1 Executive Summary

As the name has, it is ‘summary’. We all know it means a precise & concise way to define one’s business; when you approach an investor, they do not have time to read every bit about you.

You need to jot down the essential details of your company and its offerings. 

What should be the overview?

• Make a unique proposal
• Create an excellent UVP
• Specify your goals
• Provide accurate documents

Your business plan must contain the current and expected market situation along with target customers. It should also have the crux of your app, i.e., what problem will it solve? But all the details are to be mentioned in a precise way.

#2 Introduce Your Firm

For a good plan, you need to start with your firm’s details and end with a mobile app idea. You have to show your investors your company’s mission, product vision, and other factors for your startup’s success. 

Describe Your Firm

Write the details of your startup. It should give a reader details like the company name, location, headquarters, team size, hierarchy, etc. The mission statement of your firm should specify its goals. Also, list the main problems and the likely answers your startup may provide.

Always ensure that your business plan is easy to read. And also, one should understand the mission of your firm from the very beginning of your plan.

Company History

Every investor is interested to check a firm’s background. How did your company come into existence? How did you come up with such an idea? What were the stages of your company’s development? How have you decided to launch your product? All these details will help you to win the trust of your fundraisers. 

Your Tech Team

Why will a third party take an interest in your venture? There are two reasons to believe you.

• Your app idea and its growth perspects.
• The team backing your app idea with their tech brains.

Whether you outsource app development or have an in-house team, you need to have a detailed description of the team members. From work expertise to company responsibilities, the business plan should consist of all of it.

#3 Marketing Analysis & Strategies

Details about your app idea’s market are very crucial. You have to keep a watch on the industry and consumer needs. Every factor, along with its impact and solution, has to be given into the plan. A forecast of your ideal situation is a must. Such details help to know your overall market knowledge and the analysis for the future.

What should be your intricate steps?

• Review the current business environment
• Define your research criteria
• Get to know your overall market, SAM, and SOM
• Know your rival
• Analyze your audience

Expert advice: One has to study Google Play Store and Apple App Store. You will easily come to know about who is at the top, who is paid more, and which apps are grossing well. Ensure that you get the nerves of every app in the store right. And prepare for the missing pieces in your app.

#4 Forecast Your Market Possibilities

Why should your mobile app business plan have such a market forecast? How will it help your market credibility? A market forecast always shows your app idea’s efficacy to grow in the later stages. And if you are someone with a startup app idea , then, of course, such a step is a must for you. 

Now, what are some of the reliable points to showcase in your plan?

• Describe the expansion of businesses.
• Include data about the amount of funds received by your firm. And who has invested in it so far?
• Add some forecasts about the behaviour of your target users.

Your goal is to look into a long term situation. Study and analyze deeply whether there is a real market for your product. Is there enough customer base? Will you be able to maintain money & funds in the future? All these factors do matter a lot. 

Being an IT professional in web and mobile app development , we know the importance of market forecasts. With every app idea before making our first move, we ensure to analyze every bit of the market. Thus, it gives our team of experts a proper picture of the current needs. And provides great insight to the project owner about the future.

#5 SWOT Analysis

Now, this is a well-known method to get the right analysis of your business. Every brain understands SWOT.

• Opportunity

Every business has a weakness; you cannot simply deny it. With SWOT, you will get all the loopholes in time. And can work on them to convert them into prospects. Such findings also represent a futuristic expansion for your business.

#6 Create a Marketing Campaign

How will anyone come to know about your app? Via Marketing. Obvious answer! One needs to be careful about how they present themselves to the world.

The market awaits eagerly about new entries. You need to focus and strike at the right time among the right audience. With so much of the online and offline world, you need to be on the right channel to meet your potential client. Let’s have a look at some examples:-

Create a Landing Page

A landing page is a trustworthy face for your brand. You need to showcase features, functionalities, and the motto of your online product on the page. Ensure that you use the logo and the name correctly. Also, to engage more audiences, you can integrate an explanatory video. 

Launch a Website & Blog

Today, the very first thing we all do is to check a brand, product, or service’s online presence. So, as we say, it has become a mandatory move to build a website and start to blog for a better SERP rank. You have to promote your app with keywords and all the other SEO rules to be among the untouched global audiences. 

It is a modern and trusted way of advertising your business.

Social Media Platforms

Of course, this is The Way to be among all kinds of age groups. Market yourself thoroughly on all the popular social media like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, etc. It helps a lot as these have their in-house plans, which helps a product reach and market itself well in advance.

You have to put aside a budget only for social media. And look into the analytics of your page to improve on every online front. It is very easy to be in the public eye, but to catch their attention for seconds is the game to be aced. 

The Market as per Budget

Marketing is an integral part of creating an app business plan. You have to get an estimate to spend on these strategies. You have to keep a check on your money spent. And the response achieved to be on the right strategy and meet the end goals on time.

#7 Product Growth & Launch

Every app is different and varies in user base, too. So, the growth of every online business differs a lot. An ABC tactic that worked for XYZ product is not necessarily apt for your venture. To expand in the right direction, you need a good sense of the market. And attract apt audiences that tend to make a loyal user base in a short span.

Now, as far as the product launch is concerned, there are two kinds of launches. In every app development business plan, you will have to mention one of these types. 

• Full-fledged deployment: You deploy a full bloomed SDLC. The one with all the features, tech stacks, and other growth criteria.
• MVP model: This is a minimalistic version of your idea. The MVP app development contains much needed features and functionalities. It is the best way to explore and know the possibilities of growth from the user’s perspective. 

#8 Finances

The financial model has a three- to five-year outlook for all the key forecasted indicators, like:-

• Profit and loss
• Balance sheets
• Start tables
• Unit economics calculation
• Revenues and expenses 

These will help you get an actual cost & asset value. In the future, it will help to figure out budget ways. 

Now, the investor might ask you about how you will monetize your app in the later stages. Here is a brief on it before ending the blog.

Monetization Strategy for an App Idea

If you are creating an app business plan, the strategy display is a must. Your firm will make profits in the future, and you are confident of it. 

Here are some of the common money-making tactics for your app business:-

• The charge for the services (You have a premium app model. Ensure that the users pay and use it.)
• In-app purchases are a great model for mobile apps on both iOS and Android.
• Subscriptions (this monetization strategy is very common. And continues to make revenue until the user decides to cancel the subscription. And so most apps offer a free trial period.)

Classic Tip from Our Experts

To flourish in your app business plan, you should take an MVP model with you. With such an app or software development, it becomes easy for the third person to understand your intent and be with you in the discussion.

A business plan with a functioning model is what will definitely make its way through. You can address your audience most effectively with such a profitable move. For more query on the topic, you can consult our experts. Also, get a free quote for your app idea!

On a Concluding Note!

Bring out your unique app business plan. No clone successfully made its way up to an original Uber, Netflix, Amazon, and Flipkart. Get yourself out there with our tech brains. Let’s explore the best for you and your business together. Invade the online space with a great mobile app business plan.

1. What is a business plan for a mobile app?

The app business plan is a document with all the details of the business and step wise representation of a futuristic SDLC. 

2. How does a mobile app business plan look like?

It starts from a brief history of your company to the marketing plan, launch date, investor details, and more. Every minute upgrade which will happen in the future has to be mentioned in the plan. 

3. What is the price to create a business strategy for an app?

It depends on the size of your business and the entire project scope. Our cost to create a business plan starts from $3000.

Mobile App Business Plan

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Bharat Patel

The software development world has been filling the gaps between customer and businesses at a lightning speed. Being an expert for 17+ years in the tech industry, I have been into multiple roles right from management to consulting. My team and I ensure to craft the best large scale apps with intricate designing to meet all the required and complex needs of a business.

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Personal Finance

How to start an online business in 8 steps.

Our evaluations and opinions are not influenced by our advertising relationships, but we may earn a commission from our partners’ links. This content is created independently from TIME’s editorial staff. Learn more about it.

The internet has reshaped where, when, and how people shop for goods and services. The popularity of digital shopping has opened a world of opportunities for online business owners. With a computer and a stable internet connection, you can work from anywhere, set your own schedule, and sell to customers worldwide while avoiding the hassle and costs of owning a brick-and-mortar business.

Whether you're just starting to brainstorm about the best online business ideas or already have a concept in mind, here are some tips for getting your business up and running.

8 Ways to start your online business

1. establish a business niche.

If you haven't done so already, you'll need to decide what you want to offer and who your target customers will be. Here are a few factors to consider:

Your interests

Mark Twain once said, "Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life." While only some would agree with this work/life approach, it's a good starting point for choosing a business niche. Think about your passions, skills, and expertise, then focus on ideas where they intersect.

Target audience

Consider your target audience and whether they have a problem no one else is solving or a product no one else is providing. If so, do they have the discretionary income to afford your product or service and are they willing to pay for it? Will there be adequate demand?

Profit potential

Consider if your niche has profit potential in an online environment. For example, an overly large or heavy product may be too expensive to ship at a reasonable cost. Is the idea scalable so you can accommodate more customers and transactions in the future?

2. Choose a business model

A business model is how your company will provide products or services to customers and make money. Some options to consider include:

• Affiliate marketing. Promote other businesses and receive a commission for each sale you make.
• Coaching and consulting. Share your expertise and offer guidance.
• E-commerce. Launch a website and sell products online using one of the best payment gateways .
• Franchising. Pay a franchise fee and operate under an established brand.
• Freelancing. Offer a service such as writing, programming, web design, or social media marketing.
• Information products. Create and sell eBooks or online courses.
• Subscriptions. Package software or subscription boxes and charge a recurring fee.

3. Write a business plan

A good business plan outlines the steps to start and manage your business. The important thing is to think through the key elements of your venture while focusing on your goals. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), a traditional business plan format includes some combination of the following:

Executive summary

Explain what your company is and why it will be successful. This section should include your mission statement, product or service, basic company information, and financial details if you need financing.

Company description

Provide detailed information about your company: the problem it solves, your target audience, and your competitive advantages.

Market analysis

Explain your industry outlook, what other businesses are doing, and how you can do it better.

Organization and management

Outline who will run your company and how it will be structured. Will it be a general or limited partnership, a C or S corporation, limited liability company (LLC), or are you a sole proprietor?

Service or product line

Describe the product or service you offer, explaining how it benefits your target customers.

Marketing and sales

Explain how you will attract and retain customers and the steps for making a sale.

Funding request

Explain the level of funding you'll need over the next five years and how you'll use it. Include financial projections detailing your forecasted income, cash flow, and budgets. Research how to get a business loan , and familiarize yourself with the SBA website to learn more about its loan programs.

4. Develop your brand

Once you know what you'll sell and how you'll run the business, developing your brand is next. You'll have to choose a business name and create a logo. This process can be relatively simple if you already have ideas in mind—or challenging if you're starting from scratch. You might want to hire a graphic designer to implement your vision.

5. Create a website

Once you have developed your brand, it’s time to build a website. You’ll need to lock in a domain name and choose a hosting service. There are website builders, such as Squarespace , available to help you get started—or you can hire someone to do the work for you.

6. Cover legal bases

The next step is to make your business official. While the requirements vary by business, here are the essential action items:

Register your business

Registering with your state gives you legal grounds to use your brand's name. You can utilize a service like LegalZoom to register as a sole proprietor, LLC, corporation (C corp or S corp), nonprofit, or DBA (doing business as). Consult a tax specialist for help choosing the best business structure for your situation.

Apply for an EIN

You'll need an Employer Identification Number (EIN)—a federal tax ID—to pay federal taxes, apply for business licenses and permits, open a business bank account , and hire employees. You can apply for an EIN for free on the IRS website . The IRS says to beware of websites that charge for this free service.

Licenses and permits

Depending on your business activities and location, you may need licenses and permits from your state, county, or city. Check with your state's website (e.g., ca.gov, nc.gov) to determine your necessary licenses and permits.

Most businesses must file an annual income tax return, and the form you use depends on how your business is structured. Online services like Found, a banking and tax app designed for small business owners, have tools to make keeping track of taxes easier. It's also helpful to establish a relationship with a trusted tax specialist.

7. Market your business

Once your online business is ready for the world, it's time to market it. While marketing strategies vary depending on your business model and target audience, here are a few options to consider:

• Include your brand in online directories.
• Create social media profiles and share high-quality content often.
• Launch compelling email marketing campaigns.
• Use SEO best practices to optimize your site for search engines.
• Collaborate with influencers to promote your brand.
• Leverage your network—including professional contacts, friends, and family.

8. Reward customer loyalty

Keeping existing customers happy is often easier than generating new leads, so it can be worth the extra effort to reward them for their loyalty. Consider offering discounts to repeat customers or perks to patrons who refer friends and family. You might also provide spending-based rewards or incentives for sharing positive reviews on social media.

Of course, one of the best ways to reward loyalty is to connect with your customers personally, making sure they always feel welcome and appreciated. That way, they'll be more likely to become repeat customers, recommend you to friends and family, and help you grow a thriving online business.

Why should you consider starting an online business?

Consumers increasingly prefer shopping online, providing virtually unlimited opportunities for digital entrepreneurs to reach a global audience. Further, many of the traditionally time-consuming aspects of starting a business have been simplified—and made more affordable—by websites such as LegalZoom .

One outcome of the pandemic was the emergence of new and enhanced tools that make remote work not only possible, but more efficient. As a result, it's easier than ever to work anywhere in the world with a laptop and a reliable internet connection.

How to save when starting an online business

Businesses have a slew of start-up costs that can be difficult to manage before you're up and running. Here are a few ways to make balancing the budget a little easier.

Rewards credit cards

A business credit card is an excellent way to keep your business and personal expenses separate for accounting purposes, but that's not the only perk. With the best small business credit cards , you can also earn rewards on your spending, enjoy perks like free travel insurance, and score a hefty welcome bonus.

Tax prep software

A good way to save money in the early days of your business is to use upgradable tax prep and other business-related software. Start with the free version, then upgrade to the premium package once your business takes off.

Payment processing

You'll need a payment service provider to accept online payments. Not surprisingly, some payment solutions are more expensive than others. For example, Square charges 2.9% + $0.30 for online transactions, while Venmo costs 1.9% + $0.10 between Venmo accounts. Of course, fees shouldn't be the only consideration when choosing a payment service provider. Still, they're worth paying attention to; even small differences can add up over time.

TIME Stamp: Research and strategy are key to success

Starting an online business involves many of the same steps as opening a brick-and-mortar business. You’ll need to determine your niche, conduct market research, craft a well-thought-out business plan, and develop a brand and website. Implementing a successful marketing plan is also key to building and retaining a solid customer base.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What is the best type of online business to start.

The best online business for you depends on your professional background, skills, interests, and goals. Think about what you're good at and enjoy doing, then brainstorm ideas for monetizing it.

Which kind of online business is most profitable?

There are a wide variety of online businesses ranging from e-commerce to private tutoring. How profitable one is over the other depends on a number of factors. The start-up and ongoing costs of some are nominal compared to others. For example, an online tutoring business would typically have much lower costs than selling collectibles online. Demand, competition, and how well an online business is managed also impact profitability.

Can I start an online business with $100?

You can start an online business on a shoestring budget. With $100, you’ll be able to buy a domain name, build a basic website (using a free template), and publish the site through a web hosting provider long enough to get you started. Of course, some ventures have higher start-up costs, so you may well need considerably more than $100, depending on your business.

The information presented here is created independently from the TIME editorial staff. To learn more, see our About page.

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• 5 Best Business Plan Software and Tools in 2023 for Your Small Business

Data as of 3 /13/23 . Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

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A business plan can do a lot for your business. It can help you secure investors or other funding. It can give your company direction. It can keep your finances healthy. But, if we’re being honest, it can also be a pain to write.

Luckily, you don’t have to start from scratch or go it alone. Business plan software and services can help you craft a professional business plan, like our top choice LivePlan , which provides templates, guidance, and more.

You’ve got quite a few choices for business plan help, so we’re here to help you narrow things down. Let’s talk about the best business plan tools out there.

• LivePlan : Best overall
• BizPlanBuilder : Most user-friendly
• Wise Business Plans : Best professional service
• Business Sorter : Best for internal plans
• GoSmallBiz.com : Most extra features
• Honorable mentions

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LivePlan: Best overall business plan software

Data as of 3 /13/23 . Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. *With annual billing

LivePlan has been our favorite business plan software for a while now, despite the stiff competition.

There’s a lot to like about LivePlan. It has pretty much all the features you could want from your business plan software. LivePlan gives you step-by-step instructions for writing your plan, helps you create financial reports, lets you compare your business’s actual financials to your plan’s goals, and much more. And if you ever need inspiration, it includes hundreds of sample business plans that can guide your writing.

LivePlan software pricing

But the best part? You get all that (and more) at a very competitive price. (You can choose from annual, six-month, or monthly billing.) While LivePlan isn’t quite the cheapest business plan builder out there, it’s not too far off either. And if comes with a 60-day money back guarantee. So there’s no risk in trying LivePlan out for yourself.

With a great balance of features and cost, LivePlan offers the best business plan solution for most businesses.

BizPlanBuilder: Most user-friendly

Need something easy to use? BizPlanBuilder fits the bill.

BizPlanBuilder doesn’t have a flashy, modern user interface―but it does have a very clear, intuitive one. You’ll be able to see your plan’s overall structure at a glance, so you can quickly navigate from your title page to your market trend section to that paragraph on your core values. And as you write, you’ll use a text editor that looks a whole lot like the word processing programs you’re already familiar with.

BizPlanBuilder software pricing

Data effective 3/13/23. At publishing time, amounts, rates, and requirements are current but are subject to change. Offers may not be available in all areas.

BizPlanBuilder also offers lots of helpful guidance for actually writing your plan. It gives you pre-written text, in which you just have to fill in relevant details. It offers explanations for what information you need to include in each section of your plan and way. It even gives you helpful tips from experts, so you’ll have all the information you need to plan like a pro.

So if you want planning software with almost no learning curve, you’ll like BizPlanBuilder.

Wise Business Plans: Best professional service

• Custom quote

Unlike all the other companies on this list, Wise Business Plans doesn’t offer software. Instead, it offers professional business plan writing services―meaning someone does all the hard work for you.

Now, you might think that sounds expensive―and you’re probably right (you have to request a custom quote for your plan). But there’s a lot to be said for expertise, and Wise Business Plans has plenty of that. Your business plan will get written by an experienced writer (with an MBA, no less). They’ll get information from you, do their own research, and then write your plan. You get one free revision, and you can always pay for more.  

Wise Business Plans service pricing

Your end result will be a polished, entirely original business plan. (You can even get printed copies.) And best of all, you won’t have to spend your precious time working on the plan yourself. Wise Business Plans takes care of all the hard parts, and makes your business look good while doing it. Sounds like a service worth paying for, right?

Put simply, if you want the most professional business plan possible, we recommend using Wise Business Plans’s writing service.

Business Sorter: Best for internal plans

Many businesses need plans to show to people outside the company (to get financing, for example). But what if you just need a plan for internal use? In that case, we suggest Business Sorter.

Business Sorter uses a unique card-based method to help you craft the perfect business plan. (You can watch a demo video to see how it works.) You’ll plan some of the usual things, like finances and marketing. But Business Sorter also lets you make plans for specific teams and team members. It also emphasizes more internal matters, like operations, that might get overlooked in a business plan for outsiders.

Business Sorter software pricing

After you’ve made your business plan, Business Sorter also helps you stay accountable to it. You can create tasks, give them deadlines, and assign them to team members―giving you basic project management tools to make sure your business plans become business actions. (Oh, and did we mention that Business Sorter has the lowest starting prices of any software on this list?)

It all adds up to a business plan software that works great for internal planning.

GoSmallBiz: Most extra features

Want to get way more than just business planning software? Then you probably want GoSmallBiz.

See, GoSmallBiz offers business plan software as part of its service―but it’s just one part of a much bigger whole. You also get everything from discounts on legal services to a website builder to a CRM (customer relationship manager) to business document templates. And more. In other words, you get just about everything you need to get your startup off the ground.

GoSmallBiz software pricing

Don’t worry though―you still get all the business planning help you need. GoSmallBiz gives you business plan templates, step-by-step instructions, and the ability to create financial projections. And if you get stuck, GoSmallBiz will put you in touch with experts who can offer advice.

If you want business planning and much, much more, give GoSmallBiz a try.

• PlanGuru : Best financial forecasting
• EnLoop : Cheapest tool for startups

We recommend the software above for most business planning needs. Some businesses, though, might be interested in these more specialized planning software.

Honorable mention software pricing

Planguru: best financial forecasting features.

PlanGuru is pretty pricey compared to our other picks, but you might find its forecasting features worth paying for. It has more forecasting methods than other software (over 20) plus it lets you forecast up to 10 years.

EnLoop: Cheapest tool for startups

EnLoop doesn’t have our favorite features or interface, but it does have really, really low pricing plus a seven-day free trial. It's the most affordable software for startup business planning and still provides all the essential features like financial analysis, team collaboration, charting, and more.

Data as of 3 /13/23 . Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. * With annual billing

Several of our previous favorite planning software, including BusinessPlanPro and StratPad, seem to have gone out of business.

A business plan is a written, living document that tells the story of your business and what you plan to do with it. It serves as the source of truth for you—the business owner—as well as potential partners, employees, and investors, but it also serves as a roadmap of what you want your business to be.

Why you need a business plan

While some small-business owners don’t see the point of creating a formal business plan, it can have some concrete benefits for your business. For example, one 2016 study found that business owners with written plans are more successful than those that don’t. 1

Still too vague? Then let’s get specific.

If you ever seek business funding (from, say, banks, angel investors , or venture capitalists ), you’ll have to prove that your business deserves the money you want. A formal business plan―complete with financial data and projections―gives you a professional document you can use to make your case. (In fact, most potential investors will expect you to have a business plan ready.)

Even if you’re not seeking funding right now, a business plan can help your business. A formal plan can guide your business’s direction and decision making. It can keep your business accountable (by, for example, seeing if your business meets the financial projections you included). And a formal plan offers a great way to make sure your team stays on the same page.

What to include in your business plan

Not all business plans are created equal. To make a really useful business plan, you’ll want to include a number of elements:

• Basic information about your business
• Your products/services
• Market and industry analysis
• What makes your business competitive
• Strategies and upcoming plans
• Your team (and your team’s background)
• Current financial status
• Financial and market projections
• Executive summary

Of course, you can include more or fewer elements―whatever makes sense for your business. Just make sure your business plan is comprehensive (but not overwhelming).

How business plan software can help

With so many elements to include, business plan creation can take a while. Business plan software tries to speed things up.

Most business plan software will include prompts for each section. In some cases, you can just fill in your business’s specific information, and the software will write the text for you. In other cases, the software will give you specific guidance and examples, helping you write the text yourself.

Plus, business plan software can help you stay organized. You’ll usually get intuitive menus that let you quickly flip through sections. So rather than endlessly scrolling through a long document in a word processor, you can quickly find your way around your plan. Some software even lets you drag and drop sections to reorganize your plan.

Sounds way easier than just staring at a blank page and trying to start from scratch, right?

Choosing business plan software

To find the right business plan builder for your business, you’ll want to compare features. For example, would you rather write your own text, getting prompts and advice from your software? Or would you rather go with a fill-in-the-blank method?

Likewise, think about the elements you need. If your plan will have a heavy focus on finances, you’ll want to choose business plan software with robust financial projection features. If you care more about market and competitor analysis, look for software that can help with that research.

You may also want to find business plan software that integrates with your business accounting software . Some plan builders will import data from Xero, QuickBooks, etc. to quickly generate your financial data and projections.

And of course, you’ll want to compare prices. After all, you always want to end up with software that fits your business budget.

The right business plan software can make your life easier. With LivePlan ’s wide breadth of features and online learning tools, you can’t go wrong. Plus, BizPlanBuilder 's one-time pricing makes it easy to invest while Business Sorter has a low starting cost. And if you're business is looking to grow, GoSmallBiz and Wise Business Plans will scale with you.

But of course, different companies have different needs. So shop around until you find the software that’s best for you and your business.

Now that you've got a business plan, take a look at our checklist for starting a small business.  It can help you make sure you have everything else you need to get your startup off to a good start!

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Creating a business plan can take anywhere from a couple hours to several weeks. Your timeline will depend on things like the elements you choose to include, whether you use software or hire a writing service, and how much research goes into your plan.

That said, much of the business plan software out there brags that it can help you create a fairly detailed plan in a few hours. So if you’re going the software route, that can help you set your expectations.

If you want to get the most out of your business plan, you should update it on a regular basis―at least annually. That way, you can continually refer to it to inform your company’s strategies and direction.  

At the very least, you should update your business plan before you start looking for a new round of funding (whether that’s with investors or lenders).

Thanks to business plan software, you can easily write your own business plan rather than pay someone to do it for you. And in most cases, software will cost you less than a professional business plan service.

There are some times you might want to go with a service though. If time is tight, you might find that it’s worth the cost of a service. Or if you’ve got big investor meetings on the horizon, you might want the expertise and polish that a professional service can offer.

Ultimately, you’ll have to decide for yourself whether business plan software or a business plan service will work better for your company.

Methodology

We ranked business plan software and tools based on features, pricing and plans, and connections to project management and other services. The value of each plan and service, along with what it offers, was a big consideration in our rankings, and we looked to see if what was offered was useful to small businesses or just extra. The final thing we looked at was the ease of use of the software to see if it's too complex for small businesses.

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don't guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.

Sources 1. Harvard Business Review, “ Research: Writing a Business Plan Makes Your Startup More Likely to Succeed .” Accessed March 13, 2023.

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Disclaimer: The information featured in this article is based on our best estimates of pricing, package details, contract stipulations, and service available at the time of writing. All information is subject to change. Pricing will vary based on various factors, including, but not limited to, the customer’s location, package chosen, added features and equipment, the purchaser’s credit score, etc. For the most accurate information, please ask your customer service representative. Clarify all fees and contract details before signing a contract or finalizing your purchase.

Our mission is to help consumers make informed purchase decisions. While we strive to keep our reviews as unbiased as possible, we do receive affiliate compensation through some of our links. This can affect which services appear on our site and where we rank them. Our affiliate compensation allows us to maintain an ad-free website and provide a free service to our readers. For more information, please see our  Privacy Policy Page . |

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There is a constant arms race between law enforcement and criminals, especially when it comes to technology. For years, law enforcement has been frustrated with encrypted messaging apps, like Signal and Telegram. And law enforcement has been even more frustrated by encrypted phones, specifically designed to thwart authorities from snooping.

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Home » Home » How to Create a Perfect APP for Business Development: A Step by Step Guide

How to Create a Perfect APP for Business Development: A Step by Step Guide

By Space Coast Daily  //  June 4, 2024

Imagine a small café owner who wants to enhance customer service through a unique mobile app for table reservations and delivery. Or a gym owner dreaming of an app to help clients plan workouts and track progress.

Today, such software can indeed boost business efficiency and improve customer interaction. But how do you turn this idea into reality? In this article, we’ll explore the steps to create the perfect app for your business and look into who provides software application development services and why it’s important to choose professionals. We’ve asked IT experts from Euristiq, a leading app development company, to share their insights.

Step #1: idea and concept

Identify business needs. First and foremost, ask yourself what tasks you want to accomplish with the app. What specific features do your staff or customers need? Asking the right questions is crucial at this initial stage, and, according to the experts at Euristiq, developers should assist their clients with this.

Here are a few examples of the right questions:

• What problems do you want to solve with the app?
• Which apps do you like, and why?
• How do you envision the ideal app for your business?

Market and competitor research. Create an overview of apps that already exist in your niche and analyze their strengths and weaknesses. This will help you understand how to make your app unique and desirable. IT experts conduct thorough market analysis for their clients to identify opportunities for improvements and innovations. For example, if you want to create a fitness app, they’ll analyze popular fitness apps to find ways to enhance your product and offer something new. Through careful analysis of needs and the market, you can lay a solid foundation for a successful app.

Step #2: planning and design

Prototype and user scenarios. Once you’ve identified needs and researched the market, it’s time to move on to planning and creating a prototype. A prototype is a simplified version of your app that allows you to visualize it. For instance, if you have a café, you can create a prototype showing the table booking and food ordering process. This helps identify potential issues early on and understand how user-friendly the app will be.

The experts at Euristiq have extensive experience in creating prototypes and user scenarios. They use various development tools to test creative ideas and receive feedback from clients. This step helps avoid costly mistakes.

UX/UI design. After creating the prototype, it’s time for UX/UI design. UX (User Experience) is what the user experiences while interacting with the app, while UI (User Interface) is what the user sees. Good UX/UI design makes the app intuitive and enjoyable to use.

For example, if your app is for fitness, the design should be simple and user-friendly, allowing users to easily find workouts, track progress, and receive recommendations. Attention to detail is crucial here to ensure the best user experience.

Step #3: development

Choosing technologies and platforms. Once the design is ready, it’s time to select the technologies and platforms for app development. The choice depends on the business goals and needs. For example, if you want the app to work on both iOS and Android, suitable cross-platform technologies need to be chosen. Euristiq experts offer the most efficient and modern solutions that fully align with your budget and requirements.

Development process. This step consists of several stages: frontend (what the user sees) and backend (the server-side part that ensures the app’s functionality). Regular testing and debugging of the app are crucial to avoid errors and ensure stability. For example, if you’re developing an app for an online store, the frontend will include interfaces for searching and ordering products, while the backend will consist of systems for processing orders and managing inventory.

Therefore, during the development stage, it’s important not only to create the app but also to ensure that it works flawlessly and meets user expectations. Experienced developers will help you navigate this path with minimal risks and maximum efficiency.

Step #4: testing and launch

App testing. Before launching, it’s crucial to ensure that the software operates seamlessly. This involves various types of testing:

• Functional testing: checking all functions for correct operation.
• Load testing: evaluating performance under high loads.
• User testing: testing with real users.

Launch and promotion. Once the app is ready, it’s time for its launch and promotion, which includes preparing marketing materials, creating promotion strategies, and engaging with users to gather feedback.

For instance, you can initiate an advertising campaign on social media or offer discounts to early users. After launching the app, it’s important to maintain it and add new features to keep users interested and enhance their experience. 

Euristiq offers long-term support and development services to ensure that your app remains relevant and in demand. 

Creating a unique app for your business is a significant step toward improving customer interaction and enhancing efficiency. A professional approach and expert experience will help you navigate this path with minimal risks and maximum results.

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