business plan for advertising company

Advertising Agency Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

Advertising Agency Business Plan

You’ve come to the right place to create your Advertising Agency business plan.

We have helped over 1,000 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans and many have used them to start or grow their Advertising Agencies.

Below is a template to help you create each section of your Advertising Agency business plan.

Executive Summary

Business overview.

The Premium Advertising Agency is a startup advertising agency located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company is founded by Patricia and Danielle Swanson, sisters who have amassed millions of dollars for their clients over the past ten years while working at a national chain advertising agency. Now that they’ve garnered a positive reputation of securing a high rate of visibility and profitability for their clients, they have decided to form their own company and they’ve invited former clients to join them. They plan on recruiting a highly-effective team of associates to help manage their agency at the highest peak of performance and stellar results for their clients.

The Premium Advertising Agency will provide a comprehensive array of advertising services to a wide variety of companies and entities that need assistance in launching or growing their businesses. The Premium Advertising Agency will be a one-stop shop for everything needed to propel any business to the next level of profitability and exposure to new client bases within their local region. Premium Advertising Agency will be the ultimate choice in Cincinnati for advertising campaigns and services, while also being a moderately-priced agency in the city.

Product Offering

The following are the services that Premium Advertising Agency will provide:

• Full-service digital media marketing
• Targeted traffic campaigns
• Market research
• Strategic traditional advertising campaigns
• Innovative and results-driven solutions
• Social media analytics
• Content creation (website, social media)
• Influencer marketing
• Paid advertising campaigns
• Day to day account management

Customer Focus

Premium Advertising Agency will target small-to-large-sized businesses within the greater Cincinnati region. There is no company that is too small or too large that cannot benefit from a comprehensive and effective advertising promotion or ongoing advertising program. Premium Advertising Agency will target executive board members at networking events. Premium advertising Agency will target diverse, women-owned and veteran-owned businesses.

Premium Advertising Agency will target marketing managers via local and national associations.

Management Team

Premium Advertising Agency will be co-owned and operated by Patricia and Danielle Swanson. They have recruited Jay Jameson to be the Accounts Manager and Lawrence Slater to be the Staff Accountant. In addition, they have recruited Janelle Meredith to be the Human Resources Manager.

Patricia Swanson is a graduate of the University of Ohio, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Digital Marketing. Danielle Swanson is also a graduate of the University of Ohio, where her earned degree was in Business Management. Patricia and Danielle amassed millions of dollars for their clients over the past ten years while working at a national chain advertising agency. Now that they’ve garnered a positive reputation of securing a high rate of visibility and profitability for their clients, they have decided to form their own company and they’ve invited former clients to join them.

Success Factors

Premium Advertising Agency will be able to achieve success by offering the following competitive advantages:

• Friendly, knowledgeable, and highly-qualified team at the Premium Advertising Agency
• Comprehensive menu of services, including social media and digital campaigns
• Traditional advertising campaigns with highly-productive and profitable results
• Innovative techniques that solve the difficult advertising issues of today’s consumer groups
• Select marketing and advertising campaigns for startup companies.
• Premium Advertising Agency offers the best pricing packages for full-service, ongoing account maintenance or one-time marketing campaigns. Their pricing structure is the most cost effective when compared to their competition.

Financial Highlights

Premium Advertising Agency is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its Premium Advertising Agency. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the office space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the print ads and marketing costs. The breakout of the funding is below:

• Office space build-out: $20,000
• Office equipment, supplies, and materials: $10,000
• Three months of overhead expenses (payroll, rent, utilities): $150,000
• Marketing costs: $10,000
• Working capital: $10,000

The following graph outlines the financial projections for Premium Advertising Agency.

Company Overview

Who is premium advertising agency.

Premium Advertising Agency is a newly established, full-service advertising agency in Cincinnati, Ohio. Premium Advertising Agency will be the most reliable, effective, and results-driven choice for all businesses in Cincinnati and the surrounding communities. Premium Advertising Agency will provide a comprehensive menu of advertising and marketing services for any business, large or small, to utilize. Their full-service approach includes a comprehensive array of customized campaigns.

  Premium Advertising Agency will be able to actively manage every client account, with dedication to the unique needs of each client. The team of professionals are highly qualified and experienced in marketing and advertising across all traditional methods and digital platforms, as well. Premium Advertising Agency removes all the typical headaches and issues of advertising and marketing and ensures effective solutions are provided, while delivering the best customer service at the same time.

Premium Advertising Agency History

Since incorporation, Premium Advertising Agency has achieved the following milestones:

• Registered Premium Advertising Agency, LLC to transact business in the state of California.
• Has a contract in place for a 20,000 square foot office in a midtown building.
• Reached out to numerous contacts and former clients to spread the word and follow Premium Advertising Agency to their new location.
• Began recruiting a staff of fifteen account managers and six office personnel to work at Premium Advertising Agency.

Premium Advertising Agency Services

The following will be the services Premium Advertising Agency will provide:

Industry Analysis

The advertising agency industry is expected to grow over the next five years to over $500 billion. The growth will be driven by an increased dependency on social media marketing and various forms of digital campaigns. These will replace some traditional forms of advertising and marketing. The growth will also be driven by an increased number of customers who view the internet for a variety of purposes, where advertisements can be strategically placed to influence buying decisions. The growth will also be driven by the application of technological solutions and invitations to consumers not yet known. The growth will be driven by fewer brick-and-mortar stores and an increase in online purchases and marketing campaigns thus directed. Costs will likely be reduced as digital platforms and consumer invitations will become more plentiful and thus, less expensive to produce.

Customer Analysis

Demographic profile of target market.

Premium Advertising Agency will target the businesses in Cincinnati, Ohio. They will target marketing directors and executive personnel of companies. They will target startup companies that are diverse, woman-owned or veteran-owned. They will target associations and trade show events where personal meetings with executives can take place.

Customer Segmentation

Premium Advertising Agency will primarily target the following customer profiles:

• Businesses in the Cincinnati, Ohio region.
• Marketing directors
• C-suite executives and decision-makers
• Startup company executives of diverse, woman-owned, or veteran-owned businesses
• Marketing association executives and thought leaders

Competitive Analysis

Direct and indirect competitors.

Premium Advertising Agency will face competition from other companies with similar business profiles. A description of each competitor company is below.

Boone & Stratton Advertising

Boone & Stratton Advertising provides comprehensive marketing and advertising services within Cincinnati, Ohio and the surrounding communities. The company is over 100 years old and is entrenched with family members of both original partners, Madison Boone and Jeremy Stratton. The company has 100 advertising managers, who primarily focus on traditional advertising methods in print, telephone, and added-value inserts in publications. The company leases a multi-story building in the downtown area of Cincinnati and is known for the “team spirit” of the advertising account managers and rigorous standards of professionalism required of each by the executive board members.

Although Boone & Stratton Advertising is well-entrenched in the Cincinnati business landscape, the company does not engage in digital marketing or social media outreach campaigns. This leaves the opening for newer, innovative companies to enter their space and engage with their customers, particularly if companies are targeting younger demographic audiences.

SportsSupport Ad Agency

The SportsSupport Ad Agency is a company that focuses on the sports industry throughout the U.S. The Cincinnati location is one of 25 within this national chain advertising agency and the focus for this location is on regional sports clients. The advertising agency has highly-segmented sports apparel clients directed toward outdoor winter activities, as well as spring, summer and fall activities that include boats, fishing and accessory clients for those targeted audience segments. SportsSupport Ad Agency uses social media marketing via popular channels and uses certain channels to conduct surveys or to test product ideas. Most of the campaigns are directed toward the executives within the industries related to sports and their ad budgets for the yearly track of traditional advertisements.

XYZ Digital Promotions

XYZ Digital Promotions is a social media marketing agency located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company targets the brand managers who oversee products that appeal to younger demographic customers. XYZ Digital Promotions claims to effectively enter and invite that target market better than any other advertising agency. XYZ Digital Promotions targets and partners with executives of beer, music festivals, streetwear, and hip hop music labels to bring the message to consumers via structured and direct digital campaigns.

XYZ Digital Promotions was founded in 2020 during the global pandemic. The brand messages offered to consumers were on-point and spoke to their “human condition,” as well as pointing to a variety of products to solve or provide solace for those hard conditions. Campaigns include new music cuts and contain an array of references to popular stars of the year, with memes and graphic art elements to most campaigns. XYZ Digital Promotions is a highly-segmented, successful advertising and marketing company directed to the consumer aged 17-25.

Competitive Advantage

Premium Advertising Agency will be able to offer the following advantages over their competition:

• Innovative techniques that solve the advertising issues of today’s consumer groups

Marketing Plan

Brand & value proposition.

Premium Advertising Agency will offer the unique value proposition to its clientele:

• Highly-qualified team of skilled employees who are able to provide a comprehensive array of social media campaigns and traditional advertising techniques to ensure successful growth for their clients.

Promotions Strategy

The promotions strategy for Premium Advertising Agency is as follows:

Word of Mouth/Referrals

Premium Advertising Agency has built up an extensive list of contacts and clients over the years by providing exceptional service and expertise to their account clients. Premium Advertising Agency invites former and current clients to follow them to the new company and help spread the word of the Premium Advertising Agency.

Professional Associations and Networking

Premium Advertising Agency will embark on a thorough campaign to network extensively through regional association and business groups. They will also target marketing directors and executive personnel within those same business groups. They will target startup companies that are diverse, woman-owned or veteran-owned.

Website/SEO Marketing

Premium Advertising Agency will fully utilize their website. The website will be well organized, informative, and list all the services that Premium Advertising Agency provides. The website will also list their contact information. Agency brand managers, and list their top-tier brand alliances. The Premium Advertising Agency’s website presence will engage SEO marketing tactics so that anytime someone types in the Google or Bing search engine “advertising agency” or “marketing company near me”, Premium Advertising Agency will be listed at the top of the search results.

The pricing of Premium Advertising Agency will be moderate and on par with competitors so customers feel they receive excellent value when purchasing their services.

Operations Plan

The following will be the operations plan for Premium Advertising Agency. Operation Functions:

• Patricia Swanson will be the President and co-owner of the company. Danielle Swanson will be the Vice President and co-owner of the company. They will oversee all staff and manage client relations. Danielle and Patricia have spent the past year recruiting the following staff:
• Jay Jameson, a former associate at their prior employer, will take on the role of the Accounts Manager, directing and assisting Account Representatives.
• Janelle Meredith, a former associate, will be the Administrative Manager, and will manage the office administration, client files, and provide human resources training.
• Lawrence Slater will be the Staff Accountant, providing all client accounting, tax payments, and monthly financial reporting.

Milestones:

Premium Advertising Agency will have the following milestones completed in the next six months.

• 5/1/202X – Finalize contract to lease office space
• 5/15/202X – Finalize personnel and staff employment contracts for Premium Advertising Agency
• 6/1/202X – Finalize contracts for Premium Advertising Agency clients
• 6/15/202X – Begin networking at industry events
• 6/22/202X – Begin moving into Premium Advertising Agency office
• 7/1/202X – Premium Advertising Agency opens its office for business

Jay Jameson, a former associate at their prior employer, will take on the role of the Accounts Manager, directing and assisting Account Representatives. Janelle Meredith, a former associate, will be the Administrative Manager, and will manage the office administration, client files, and provide human resources training. Lawrence Slater will be the Staff Accountant, providing all client accounting, tax payments, and monthly financial reporting.

Financial Plan

Key revenue & costs.

The revenue drivers for Premium Advertising Agency are the fees they will charge to their clients for their advertising and marketing services.

The cost drivers will be the overhead costs required in order to staff Premium Advertising Agency. The expenses will be the payroll cost, rent, utilities, office supplies, and marketing materials.

Funding Requirements and Use of Funds

Premium Advertising Agency is seeking $200,000 in debt financing to launch its advertising agency. The funding will be dedicated toward securing the office space and purchasing office equipment and supplies. Funding will also be dedicated toward three months of overhead costs to include payroll of the staff, rent, and marketing costs for the print ads and association memberships. The breakout of the funding is below:

Key Assumptions

The following outlines the key assumptions required in order to achieve the revenue and cost numbers in the financials and in order to pay off the startup business loan.

• Number of Clients Per Month: 35
• Average Revenue per Month: $175,000
• Office Lease per Year: $100,000

Financial Projections

Income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, advertising agency business plan faqs, what is an advertising agency business plan.

An advertising agency business plan is a plan to start and/or grow your advertising agency business. Among other things, it outlines your business concept, identifies your target customers, presents your marketing plan and details your financial projections.

You can easily complete your Advertising Agency business plan using our Advertising Agency Business Plan Template here .

What are the Main Types of Advertising Agency Businesses? 

There are a number of different kinds of advertising agency businesses , some examples include: Full-Service Advertising Agency, Digital Advertising Agency, and Traditional Advertising Agency.

How Do You Get Funding for Your Advertising Agency Business Plan?

Advertising Agency businesses are often funded through small business loans. Personal savings, credit card financing and angel investors are also popular forms of funding.

What are the Steps To Start an Advertising Agency Business?

Starting an advertising agency business can be an exciting endeavor. Having a clear roadmap of the steps to start a business will help you stay focused on your goals and get started faster.

1. Develop An Advertising Agency Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed advertising agency business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast. 

2. Choose Your Legal Structure - It's important to select an appropriate legal entity for your advertising agency business. This could be a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks so it’s important to do research and choose wisely so that your advertising agency business is in compliance with local laws.

3. Register Your Advertising Agency Business - Once you have chosen a legal structure, the next step is to register your advertising agency business with the government or state where you’re operating from. This includes obtaining licenses and permits as required by federal, state, and local laws.

4. Identify Financing Options - It’s likely that you’ll need some capital to start your advertising agency business, so take some time to identify what financing options are available such as bank loans, investor funding, grants, or crowdfunding platforms.

5. Choose a Location - Whether you plan on operating out of a physical location or not, you should always have an idea of where you’ll be based should it become necessary in the future as well as what kind of space would be suitable for your operations.

6. Hire Employees - There are several ways to find qualified employees including job boards like LinkedIn or Indeed as well as hiring agencies if needed – depending on what type of employees you need it might also be more effective to reach out directly through networking events.

7. Acquire Necessary Advertising Agency Equipment & Supplies - In order to start your advertising agency business, you'll need to purchase all of the necessary equipment and supplies to run a successful operation.

8. Market & Promote Your Business - Once you have all the necessary pieces in place, it’s time to start promoting and marketing your advertising agency business. This includes creating a website, utilizing social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, and having an effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy. You should also consider traditional marketing techniques such as radio or print advertising. 

Learn more about how to start a successful advertising agency business:

• How to Start an Advertising Agency

How to Create an Advertising Agency Business Plan

Blog > how to create an advertising agency business plan, table of content, introduction, executive summary, company overview, market analysis, target market and customer analysis, competitor analysis, services and offerings, marketing and sales strategies, operational plan, human resources and talent acquisition, financial projections, budgeting and resource allocation, client acquisition and retention, technology and innovation, risk management and legal compliance, expansion and growth strategies, exit strategy, our other categories.

• Company Valuation
• Pitch Deck Essentials
• Raising Capital
• Startup Guide
• Uncategorized

Reading Time : 24 Min

Business plan 101.

Starting an advertising agency is an exciting venture, but success requires careful planning. A comprehensive business plan is the foundation of your agency’s growth and profitability. In this blog post, we will guide you through the process of creating a well-structured advertising agency business plan that aligns with your goals. As an expert startup consultant service provider, Stellar Business Plans is here to support you in crafting a winning strategy that stands out in the competitive advertising industry.

The executive summary is the gateway to your business plan, offering a concise overview of your agency’s key elements. This section is your chance to make a strong first impression and capture the reader’s attention. While providing an elevator pitch, emphasize the unique aspects of your agency that set it apart from the competition. Include your mission and vision statements, key services, target market, and the most significant financial projections. Keep it brief, engaging, and compelling to entice investors, partners, and potential clients to read further.

Stellar Business Tips:

• Keep the executive summary clear and concise, focusing on the unique value your agency brings to the market.
• Highlight your agency’s key differentiators, such as specialized expertise, innovative approaches, or a client-centric approach.

Example: “XYZ Advertising Agency offers data-driven solutions that deliver up to 30% higher conversion rates for our clients, thanks to our cutting-edge AI-powered ad targeting algorithms.”

The company overview provides essential background information about your advertising agency. Detail the founding story, explaining the inspiration behind your agency and the driving force that led to its establishment. Introduce the key stakeholders, founders, and leadership team, highlighting their expertise and experience in the advertising industry. Clearly state your agency’s mission, vision, and values to showcase your commitment to delivering exceptional services. Additionally, provide insights into your agency’s current status, such as the number of employees, locations, and awards or recognitions received.

• Personalize the company overview by sharing anecdotes or personal experiences that motivated you to start the agency.
• Emphasize your team’s collective strengths and past successes to build trust and credibility.

Example: “Our agency, Stellar Ads, was founded by marketing enthusiasts with a shared passion for creative storytelling. Our team members collectively bring over 50 years of experience in successful advertising campaigns for Fortune 500 companies.”

A thorough market analysis is crucial to understanding the advertising industry’s current state and future trends. Conduct extensive research on market growth rates, industry size, and key drivers shaping the advertising landscape. Identify emerging technologies and digital platforms that are disrupting traditional advertising methods. Gather data on consumer behavior, preferences, and engagement with different advertising channels. Use industry reports, market research, and expert insights to back up your analysis and projections.

• Utilize reputable sources and industry reports for market data and statistics.
• Focus on current and future trends that will impact the advertising industry, such as the rise of mobile advertising or the growth of influencer marketing.

Example: “According to the Global Advertising Market report by Grand View Research, the global advertising market is projected to reach $654.55 billion by 2028, with digital advertising accounting for over 50% of total ad spending.”

Defining your target market is critical for tailoring your advertising strategies to meet specific needs. Identify the primary industries or sectors you want to serve and the demographics of your ideal clients. Create buyer personas to better understand the pain points, challenges, and aspirations of your target audience. Conduct surveys or interviews with potential clients to gain valuable insights into their expectations from an advertising agency. Analyze competitors’ clientele to identify gaps and opportunities for your agency.

• Consider conducting focus groups or beta testing campaigns to gather feedback from potential clients before launch.
• Use social listening tools to monitor online conversations and understand customer sentiment regarding advertising trends and campaigns.

Example: “Our target market includes tech startups and e-commerce businesses in the B2C segment, aged 25-35, who seek innovative and visually captivating ad campaigns to stand out in a competitive market.”

A comprehensive competitor analysis helps you position your agency strategically in the market. Identify direct and indirect competitors, evaluating their strengths, weaknesses, and market share. Study their marketing and sales strategies, service offerings, pricing models, and client retention practices. Identify areas where your agency can excel and differentiate itself from competitors. Highlight your competitive advantages and how you plan to capture market share from established players.

• Use a SWOT analysis to identify your agency’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in comparison to competitors.
• Conduct regular competitor monitoring to stay updated on their new offerings and strategies.

Example: “Competitor A excels in social media marketing, but our agency’s strength lies in data-driven audience targeting, providing clients with a higher return on investment (ROI) through efficient ad spend.”

Detail the breadth and depth of your advertising services, showcasing your expertise in various advertising channels. Describe each service in-depth, including the strategies, tools, and technologies used to deliver exceptional results to clients. Provide case studies and success stories of previous campaigns that demonstrate your agency’s capabilities. Present testimonials or feedback from satisfied clients to build trust and credibility with potential clients.

• Highlight case studies where your agency’s creativity and problem-solving skills resulted in successful campaigns.
• Mention your agency’s adaptability to new advertising platforms and technologies to demonstrate your readiness for future challenges.

Example: “Our comprehensive services encompass digital advertising, content marketing, brand storytelling, and influencer partnerships. In a recent campaign for Client B, we increased brand awareness by 50% through a compelling social media storytelling series.”

A well-crafted marketing and sales strategy is essential for attracting clients and driving business growth. Outline your digital marketing efforts, content marketing, social media presence, and thought leadership initiatives. Leverage search engine optimization (SEO) to increase your agency’s visibility and organic reach. Showcase your agency’s past successes to demonstrate your track record of delivering results. Additionally, develop a sales playbook that outlines your sales team’s strategies, tactics, and target metrics for lead generation and conversion.

• Showcase your agency’s expertise through thought leadership content, such as blog posts, webinars, or whitepapers.
• Leverage client testimonials and case studies in your marketing materials to establish credibility and trust.

Example: “Our marketing strategy includes targeted content marketing and thought leadership webinars that showcase our agency’s expertise in the advertising industry. We consistently engage with our audience on social media platforms to build lasting relationships.”

The operational plan outlines how your agency will function on a day-to-day basis to deliver outstanding services. Define the organizational structure and hierarchy, including the roles and responsibilities of each team member. Emphasize collaboration and cross-functional communication to ensure seamless workflow. Detail the workflow for creating and executing advertising campaigns, from initial client briefings to campaign launch and reporting.

• Emphasize the importance of open communication and collaboration between creative and account teams to deliver cohesive campaigns.
• Implement a project management system to streamline workflow and ensure timely delivery of campaigns.

Example: “Our agency follows an agile project management approach, allowing creative teams to collaborate with account managers and clients in real-time, resulting in efficient campaign execution and streamlined processes.”

An advertising agency’s success heavily relies on its team of creative professionals, marketers, and account managers. Detail your talent acquisition and retention strategies, emphasizing a culture that fosters creativity, innovation, and growth. Offer competitive compensation packages, professional development opportunities, and incentives to retain top talent. Outline your recruitment process, employee training programs, and mentoring initiatives to nurture and upskill your team.

• Offer flexible work arrangements and a positive work culture to attract and retain diverse talent.
• Encourage continuous learning and skill development to keep your team updated on the latest advertising trends and technologies.

Example: “Our agency provides ongoing training and development programs to nurture our team’s creative and strategic skills. We foster a culture of open communication and creative freedom, ensuring every team member feels valued and motivated.”

Financial projections are essential for demonstrating the agency’s viability and potential return on investment. Provide detailed revenue projections based on your target market and service offerings. Factor in pricing strategies, growth rates, and market share estimations. Include expense projections, such as salaries, marketing, technology, rent, and overhead costs. Prepare income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow forecasts for multiple years to demonstrate long-term sustainability.

• Use conservative estimates in your financial projections to account for unexpected challenges or market fluctuations.
• Include a sensitivity analysis to understand how changes in key variables may impact your agency’s financial performance.

Example: “Our financial projections indicate a 20% revenue growth in the first year, driven by increased demand for digital advertising services. We anticipate a healthy profit margin of 15%, with prudent cost management.”

A well-managed budget ensures efficient resource allocation and maximizes the return on investments. Develop a detailed budget for various operational and marketing expenses, ensuring they align with your business objectives. Consider potential cost-saving measures and opportunities for strategic investments to fuel growth. Regularly review and adjust your budget based on performance and changing market dynamics.

• Keep a contingency budget for unforeseen circumstances, such as sudden campaign changes or market disruptions.
• Allocate resources based on data and performance metrics to optimize ROI.

Example: “Our budget allocates 30% of total funds for marketing and lead generation efforts, as we aim to expand our client base through targeted campaigns and strategic partnerships.”

Attracting and retaining clients is the lifeblood of an advertising agency. Develop a comprehensive client acquisition plan, including lead generation strategies, outreach initiatives, and networking efforts. Implement a structured client onboarding process to ensure clear communication, expectations, and deliverables. Focus on building long-term relationships and delivering outstanding results to retain clients and encourage referrals.

• Offer attractive referral programs or incentives for clients who refer new business to your agency.
• Establish a client feedback system to continuously improve your services based on client preferences and satisfaction.

Example: “Our agency maintains strong relationships with our clients by providing regular performance reports and conducting satisfaction surveys. We incentivize client referrals with exclusive access to upcoming beta campaigns.”

Advertising is rapidly evolving, driven by technological advancements and digital transformation. Embrace technology to enhance your advertising campaigns and improve data analytics. Adopt advanced tools and platforms for audience targeting, retargeting, and campaign optimization. Stay abreast of emerging technologies and trends to stay competitive and offer innovative solutions to clients.

• Invest in analytics tools to gather data on campaign performance and audience behavior, enabling data-driven decision-making.
• Keep your team updated on the latest advertising technologies through training and workshops.

Example: “Our agency harnesses AI-driven analytics tools to precisely target audiences and optimize campaigns in real-time. Our technology investments allow us to deliver more personalized ad experiences, resulting in higher engagement rates.”

The advertising industry comes with its fair share of risks, from data breaches to campaign performance challenges. Identify potential risks and develop mitigation strategies to minimize their impact on your agency’s operations. Ensure your agency complies with advertising laws, data privacy regulations, and industry standards. Educate your team on ethical advertising practices and transparency in client communications.

• Establish a crisis management plan to address potential reputation-damaging scenarios swiftly and effectively.
• Regularly review and update your agency’s legal compliance policies to stay aligned with changing regulations.

Example: “Our agency employs data encryption protocols and adheres to GDPR guidelines to protect client data and ensure utmost privacy. We have a crisis management team in place to handle any unforeseen challenges.”

To sustain long-term success, consider opportunities for geographic expansion or niche market penetration. Evaluate the feasibility of offering additional services, such as branding, public relations, or content marketing. Explore strategic partnerships or collaborations with complementary agencies to broaden your service offerings and reach new client segments. Assess potential mergers or acquisitions to accelerate growth and expand your agency’s market presence.

• Consider forming partnerships with local businesses or startups to enter new markets and gain regional expertise.
• Leverage industry events and conferences to network and explore potential growth opportunities.

Example: “We plan to expand our agency’s reach by partnering with a boutique PR firm to offer integrated branding and communication solutions for our clients, providing a one-stop-shop experience.”

While it may seem premature, having a well-thought-out exit strategy demonstrates your agency’s long-term planning and vision. Outline your objectives for a potential exit, whether it involves selling the agency, merging with another firm, or transitioning ownership to key team members. Develop a succession plan to ensure a smooth transfer of leadership and continuity for your clients.

• Consult with financial advisors or industry experts to determine the most suitable exit strategy for your agency’s long-term goals.
• Ensure all legal agreements and contracts allow for a seamless transfer of ownership or dissolution.

Example: “Our agency’s exit strategy involves grooming internal talent for future leadership positions and maintaining a strong client-centric focus to ensure client retention in the event of an ownership transition.”

The advertising industry is dynamic and competitive, demanding a well-crafted business plan to navigate its complexities successfully. By following this comprehensive guide and creating a detailed advertising agency business plan, you’ll position your agency for growth, profitability, and long-term success. At Stellar Business Plans, we understand the intricacies of developing effective business strategies. Our team of expert consultants is here to guide you through every step, from market analysis to financial projections, to make your advertising agency thrive. Let’s embark on this exciting journey together, making your mark in the advertising world and achieving extraordinary results for your clients.

Start Your Journey With Us

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Updated On : September 1, 2023

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How to Prepare an Advertising Plan [Free Template]

Published: September 21, 2022

Turning an idea for an advertising campaign into reality isn’t exactly simple, but with a concrete and detailed advertising plan , you can go from concept to execution confidently.

An effective campaign plan will help you present a clear path for return on investment (ROI), get buy-in from leadership, and share your proposal with relevant stakeholders.

Follow Along With HubSpot's Free Ad Plan Template

In this post, we’ll explain what an advertising plan is and highlight the major sections you should include in your advertising plan so you can guarantee your next campaign is a success. 

What is an advertising plan?

An advertising plan outlines you strategies to reach your target audience and achieve your advertising goals. In it, you’ll summarize the channels you’ll use, critical messaging, and required budget — all of the elements and information you need to enact your advertising strategy.

Advertising Plan Template

Pro Tip: HubSpot created the following advertising plan template for you to download so you can organize your advertising campaign — it's broken down into relevant sections and can be shared with your stakeholders when it’s completed.

Our Advertising Plan Template will cover:

• Advertising campaign outline
• Advertising campaign timeline
• Advertising budget template

Now let's dive into how you can prep your ad plan. 

How to Prepare an Advertising Plan

Before you jump into your tactical advertising ideas, the first step is to provide those reading your ad plan with a high-level overview of your initiative.

Free Advertising Planning Kit

Plan and launch an effective and profitable advertising campaign with this guide and set of templates.

• An Overview of Popular Advertising Methods
• The Pros, Cons, and Costs of Advertising Types
• A Planning Template to Outline Timeline, Budget, and Goals
• A Project Pitch Presentation Deck to Share With Stakeholders

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

1. Provide an overview of your advertising plan.

By specifying the following elements, anyone reading your plan will have a basic understanding of what your campaign is and what you're trying to accomplish:

• Campaign Name : Make the campaign name catchy, unique, and easily identifiable so your team can get behind it.
• Campaign Description: What is the purpose of your campaign? Explain in 2-3 paragraphs what the inspiration behind your campaign is, how it aligns with your company initiatives, what customer problems you're solving, and what the final deliverables of the campaign will be.
• Target Audience: Ideally, who's on the receiving end of these ads? You can be specific to age, sex, region, or any number of demographics, or name which of your buyer personas you're targeting.
• Advertising Platforms: How will you be getting your message across? Here, identify the platform you'll be using, since you'll get more into the details of what the actual ads will look like in a later section.
• Goals and ROI: Explain what the end goal of your campaign is. Most ad campaigns are intended to produce a direct profit or return on investment, so if that's your goal, identify that number. If your campaign goal is something else — event sign-ups, product awareness, etc. — be sure to identify and quantify it.

Free Advertising Planning Template

Fill out the form to get your free template., 2. choose your platforms..

Here's where you'll provide more detail on the advertisements themselves and on which platform they will be promoted. For each ad you intend to run in this campaign, you should provide the following:

• Platform name
• Description of the ad

For example, your content in this section might look like this:

Platform #1 : YouTube

• Advertisement Type: Video
• Description of Ad: A 15-second pre-video ad. The video will be an animated look at our new app with a link to the app store when someone clicks.
• Timeline: July 1 – July 31
• Budget: $10,000

3. Develop your timeline.

Working on an ad campaign takes time and resources. Everyone involved will want to know what tasks they're responsible for, when they're due, and how long they have to do them. Therefore, it's essential to construct a timeline that outlines all of this information for your team to reference. 

Above is an example of a standard campaign timeline. Of course, your timeline will always depend on your project's depth and breadth, but you can expect to use some of the following steps:

Research and Preparation : This is the beginning stage of your campaign. Perhaps lasting 1-2 weeks, this is where you’ll conduct research to determine your target audience, develop messaging, and set the goals of your campaign. You’ll also be conducting meetings with stakeholders and garnering awareness and buy-in for the campaign amongst all necessary parties.

Creation and Edits : Once you’ve determined your goals and the type of assets you want to create, it’s time to loop in the creative team. Copywriters can begin work on copy for landing pages, emails, etc., while creative directors and designers execute concepts and visual assets. This process can take 2-3 weeks, depending on your goals and the scope of work. You’ll also want to allot time for multiple rounds of edits to ensure everyone is on board with the creative assets.

Distribution : Once all the assets are in order, it's time to launch. Blogs and social media posts should be scheduled for distribution over time, headers and website pages must be updated, and PR materials need to be distributed. During your campaign’s final distribution stage, you must be available to answer questions and make last-minute updates. All of this can take 1-2 weeks or longer, depending on the size of your campaign.

Analysis : The home stretch! The final step of your campaign is to wrap things up by analyzing results and reporting them to benefit future campaigns. The analysis is perhaps the most critical stage, where you can generate valuable insight based on performance. Make sure to note takeaways and lessons to improve your chances of success in future campaigns.

4. Outline your budget.

Because ROI isn't guaranteed, the budget can be the most challenging part of your advertising project to get approved. As a result, breaking up your requests by line item and presenting them in your plan is essential to getting everyone on board.

Rather than simply stating, "We need $65,000 for this project", organize your budget into a detailed visual, like the example below.

Download this Template for Free

Naturally, you can (and should) expect questions and pushback on certain line items.

For example, you may be asked to find another designer or video freelancing team who can complete the job for less money. So, arrive at meetings prepared to defend which costs are necessary for the campaign's success and which costs you can reconsider.

5. Explain your DACI framework.

DACI is a decision-making framework that outlines the key contributors in a project and what each of their responsibilities entails. DACI stands for Driver, Approver, Contributors, and Informed.

Here's how to break down a DACI framework:

• Driver: This person is the project's main driver or directly responsible individual. (Chances are either you or your direct manager.) The driver coordinates all the moving pieces of the project, seeing it through from inception to wrap-up.
• Approver: This is the individual who approves a project. Typically, this will be a director, VP, or manager. They'll give feedback, recommendations, and final approval on the project’s deliverables.
• Contributors: Contributors are the individuals responsible for creating one or more deliverables on the project. In advertising, this can include creatives (art directors and copywriters), video producers, animators, designers, and digital advertising specialists.
• Informed: These team members must be kept in the loop for the project duration. This group can include department heads, account leads, and managers. These people have no direct project-related responsibilities but benefit from knowing about the project and its status.

Your DACI framework should include the name of each stakeholder, their contact information (email, phone, Slack handle, etc.), and their responsibilities or deliverables.

This framework makes project delegation crystal clear for everyone involved.

6. Provide additional resources.

An additional resources section will act as the appendix of your advertising plan. For example, share the ad campaign that inspired this one with your readers, link to the product page you'll be promoting with this initiative, or link to your company's brand style guide — this way, designers and writers get a refresh on how to create externally-facing content.

7. Host a campaign kickoff meeting.

After you complete the outline, hop on a call with your team to explain the campaign concept, timeline, and deliverables. Then, compile all of them in HubSpot's advertising project pitch deck and present your advertising plan. Finally, open up the floor for any questions and suggestions with project contributors.

Advertising Plan Example

It can always be helpful to reference examples; below we’ll go over one.

While this is a high-quality example, be mindful that it is merely an example. You can personalize this template to meet your business goals by inputting what works best for your needs.

Over to You

Now that you know how to write your own advertising plan, download HubSpot’s free template to get your own advertising campaign project plan off the group. 

Editor's note: This post was originally published in August 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

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Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan

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54 & Cloudy

Executive summary executive summary is a brief introduction to your business plan. it describes your business, the problem that it solves, your target market, and financial highlights.">.

54 & Cloudy is a newly formed digital marketing agency that is run by two industry veterans, Tom and Stephen, who collectively have more than two decades of experience running e-commerce sites, working at digital marketing agencies, and helping small to medium size businesses achieve their digital growth goals.

While 54 & Cloudy has been operating as a small consultancy for the past two years, it is now looking to raise some funding and become a full-service digital marketing agency that will need to purchase technology assets and ramp up hiring to meet client demands. Additionally, once the 54 & Cloudy ramps up their marketing efforts, there will be a need for internal resources to manage all the new clients that they will onboard.

54 & Cloudy will operate initially as a fully remote organization with resources across various functional areas of the business including Search Engine Optimization (“SEO”), Conversion Rate Optimization (“CRO”), paid advertising (including social media and search), as well as contractors who will support auxiliary revenue streams such as content writing and design services.

54 & Cloudy is well-positioned to quickly become one of the most trusted digital marketing agencies in the industry given its existing reputation and the plans of building a proprietary technology solution that will bring meaningful value to clients. As 54 & Cloudy furthers their reputation in the market, 54 & Cloudy is poised for long-term success and will be able to increase hiring and expand service offerings to meet client demands with ease.

Service Offerings

After completing their fundraising, 54 & Cloudy will expand their operations to four main revenue streams:

• SEO marketing services include SEO strategy development, technical SEO, keyword targeting, content marketing, and link building
• Includes full-service PPC marketing efforts, including search engine advertising, paid shopping ads, display ads, paid social media ads, retargeting, and more
• eCommerce CRO services will run over thousands of AB tests across a variety of eCommerce platforms with the goal of driving sales. Through targeted user research, a team of UX analysts, and psychological experts, 54 & Cloudy will grow not only transactions but average order and customer lifetime value for clients
• Industry-focused content writers and designers who excel in translating the voice and tone of a client’s business into conversion-driving copy or rich and engaging design

Expectations

Financing needed.

Given the management team’s long-standing success in the industry, 54 & Cloudy will be looking to secure an SBA loan in the amount of $300,000 to finance the acquisition of initial startup technology costs as well as cover initial cash flow needs as 54 & Cloudy ramps up customer acquisition and operates at a loss in Year 1.

Given industry growth and the new technology platform 54 & Cloudy will develop, the projected next five years will see strong growth from DMA as they service new and existing clients while capturing additional wallet share with existing new services as 54 & Cloudy grows to become a one-stop-shop for all types of digital marketing. Across the company, 54 & Cloudy is projecting to ramp up meaningfully after securing their debt capital and hiring several resources to achieve 2022 revenue of $2,535,009, which will grow to $12.6 million by 2026. EBITDA will also grow from $738526 in 2022 to $5,115,174 by 2026.

Financial Highlights by Year

Opportunity

Business overview.

At launch, 54 & Cloudy will operate across four main service categories all focused on digital marketing services for clients. The main categories are outlined below as well as their revenue assumptions used in the financial projections.

• Customers will pay a monthly recurring charge that averages out to $3,000
• Customers pay the agency a fee of 15% of the client’s advertising budget, which was assumed to be an average of $10,000 per month
• Customers will pay a monthly recurring charge that is tiered based on the number of tests and campaigns run per month but will average out to $4,000
• Industry-focused content writers and designers who excel in translating the voice and tone of a client’s business into conversion-driving copy or rich and engaging designs
• Customers will be charged per hour for design and writing services at an average rate of $100 per hour

Growth Strategy

Within the first five years of operations, 54 & Cloudy will look to drive revenue growth by not only acquiring new customers but also expanding their wallet share with existing customers. By reducing the churn rate and upselling customers on additional services, they will enhance the client LTV.

In addition to organic client growth, 54 & Cloudy will also be launching new service offerings, standalone product offerings, and will establish several partnerships for referral revenue. The main inorganic growth avenue is with the development of a proprietary reporting and marketing forecast dashboard. This will become an integral selling point in 54 & Cloudy’s service packages as a way to visualize audits, changes, and provide instant access/feedback to the user. 54 & Cloudy anticipates eventually launching this technology as a standalone product that will further its growth far in excess of the financial projections in this business plan.

Target Market

Market size & segments.

Overall Market

Over the past five years, the Digital Advertising Agencies industry has benefited from the rapid shift from traditional print advertising to digital advertisements. In particular, strong demand for digital advertising services from the retail, financial services, automotive, and telecommunication sectors have bolstered industry revenue. As more consumers generate website traffic through the use of smartphones and tablets, many businesses have purchased digital advertising services to build brand awareness across multiple screens and platforms. Additionally, as more product manufacturers are directly selling their products online, many retailers are demanding industry activities such as search engine visibility services to help them compete. Over the five years to 2019, industry revenue is anticipated to grow at an annualized rate of 17.2%, including a 5.6% jump in 2019 to reach $15.7 billion. Over the five years to 2019 total industry operators are expected to increase at an annualized rate of 16.2% to 4,471.

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Over the five years to 2024, digital advertising agencies that can develop innovative tools such as data mining, with applications for analyzing customer purchasing behavior, will experience strong demand. As online media streaming services and social media continue to generate substantial internet traffic, many businesses will strengthen their investments in digital advertising. As a result, industry revenue is forecast to increase at an annualized rate of 4.4% to $19.5 billion over the five years to 2024.

Key Market Drivers

Internet traffic volume

Internet traffic volumes represent the total data sent over the internet globally per month. As the amount of internet traffic increases due to more consumers accessing websites from their mobile devices, tablets, or computers, many businesses will expand their online presence. As a result, demand for digital advertising services will rise as more businesses use advertising to drive website traffic volumes. Internet traffic volume is expected to increase substantially in 2019, representing a potential opportunity for the industry.

Total advertising expenditure

Total advertising expenditure typically trends in line with corporate profit. When corporate profit rises, businesses are likely to revitalize their advertising budgets. In 2019, total advertising expenditure is expected to increase.

Consumer spending

A rise in consumer spending indicates that more consumers are making discretionary purchases. This trend encourages many businesses to invest in advertising services to boost brand awareness and remain competitive. As a result of these services, businesses benefit from a larger customer base. In 2019, consumer spending is expected to increase.

Corporate profit

As businesses become more profitable, they often expand their advertising budgets, since many digital advertising services result in a strong return on investment. Thus a rise in corporate profitability, particularly in the retail, finance, automotive, and telecommunications sectors, stimulates demand for digital advertising services. Corporate profit is expected to decline in 2019, representing a threat to the industry.

Investor uncertainty

Investor uncertainty is an important indicator of industry performance. The degree to which businesses invest in advertising is related to the confidence that decision-makers have in the market. As uncertainty increases, businesses may decide to reduce or suspend advertising activities. In 2019, investor uncertainty is expected to decline.

Industry Services

Digital display advertising makes up an estimated 50.0% of industry revenue in 2019.

This product segment includes various forms of advertising, including banner, which makes up 12.6% of total revenue, followed by video (10.5%), rich media (8.7%), and sponsorship (1.5%). Over the past five years, as more users have streamed videos online, video advertisements have steadily grown, as many advertising agencies have strategically placed advertisements either before, during, or after a video clip. Furthermore, sponsorship advertising has exhibited growth over the past five years, particularly for digital-only publications.

Search engine optimization

In 2019, search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing services are expected to account for 28.9% of industry revenue.

SEO services help increase a company’s visibility in a search engine, such as Google, Yahoo, or Bing. Typically, websites that have favorably used SEO to appear in search engine result pages for certain keywords are more likely to have high online visitor traffic, which can increase clientele’s sales volumes. Digital advertising agencies that can build website algorithms with the highest relevancy can obtain favorable placing for their clients in search results. Over the past five years, this market has steadily grown, due to many businesses developing their online website presence. However, over the next five years, many clients will expand their online presence through other mediums, particularly video, which will cut into growth for this product segment.

Major End Markets

The industry primarily relies on corporate clients from the retail, finance, automotive, and telecommunications sectors.

Retail and telecommunications

In 2019, retail and telecommunications are expected to account for 21.9% and 10.5% of industry revenue, respectively.

Retail has comprised the largest share of digital advertising spending over the past five years, which can be partly attributed to many consumers making their retail purchasing decisions online. According to eMarketer, while retailers have demanded direct response advertisements over the past five years, many retailers will move toward brand advertising, such as advertisements via video, social display, and hybrid formats.

Comparatively, telecommunication-related advertising has steadily declined over the past five years, due to data privacy laws that have constrained the ability for advertisers to implement digital advertisements using user data from consumers’ mobile phones. Furthermore, consolidation among telecommunication providers has limited their demand for advertising services.

Automotive and financial services

Automotive and financial services are anticipated to make up 12.4% and 12.1% of industry revenue, respectively.

Over the past five years, demand for digital advertising services from the automotive sector has steadily increased, due to the revitalization in consumer demand for automobiles. In particular, many consumers have used the internet to shop for their next vehicle, which has prompted the automotive sector to purchase more digital advertising services. Additionally, demand for digital advertising services from the financial sector has remained relatively stagnant over the past five years, due to many digital advertising services, such as rich media and video formats, not being as effective with driving customer purchasing decisions, compared with other sectors, such as the automotive sector.

Consumer packaged goods and consumer products

In 2019, consumer packaged goods and consumer products are expected to generate 8.8% of industry revenue.

Over the past five years, this product segment has exhibited growth. For bigger brand products within this segment, demand for digital advertising services has increased in line with peak seasons, such as Christmas and the back-to-school period. Comparatively, retailers of lower-priced products within this market segment typically purchase display advertising campaigns to build brand awareness and encourage a strong customer base that makes repeat purchases.

Travel and media

Travel and media comprise an estimated 7.8% and 6.3% of industry revenue in 2019, respectively.

In the past five years, the travel and media sectors have increased their demand for digital advertising services. Over the next five years, the travel sector will demand digital advertising services that integrate well with consumers that access travel websites from their mobile device. Comparatively, media, which includes social media sites, have increasingly used digital advertising services to generate website traffic and monetize their websites.

Computing products and consumer electronics

In 2019, computing products and consumer electronics account for an estimated 8.0% of industry revenue.

Over the next five years, this product segment is expected to account for a larger share of industry revenue. As consumer electronics are expected to exhibit high growth over the next five years, many electronic companies that manufacture devices, such as digital and video cameras, telephones, and TVs, among other products, will increase their demand for digital advertising services.

Other sectors

Other sectors include the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector, as well as the entertainment sector, among others.

Over the next five years, many sectors, such as entertainment, will increasingly demand digital advertising services to attract users that increasingly access websites with their smartphone and tablet.

54 & Cloudy  Initial Target Market

Competition

Competitive landscape.

The digital marketing agency landscape is filled with thousands of small companies that have fewer than ten employees with only a handful of organizations that have reached scale to have more than 50 employees. Additionally, the market is rapidly becoming more reliant on various technology and software providers, who themselves are now some of the biggest competitors in the market. Detailed below are several of the large digital agencies as well as large service providers in the market.

Large Digital Marketing Agencies

• Ignite Visibility is one of the highest awarded digital marketing agency in the industry, specializing in digital marketing strategy, SEO, paid media, social media, email marketing, analytics, Amazon, and CRO.
• WebFX is a performance-focused digital marketing agency with services designed to increase qualified leads, phone calls, and transactions for clients. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Harrisburg, Penn., they have over 250 digital marketing, design, and development experts who serve customers through SEO, PPC, web design, and more.
• Power Digital is a digital marketing agency based in San Diego with an office in New York. The agency, founded in 2012, has more than 300 employees and provides content marketing, email marketing, PPC, SEO, social media marketing, web design, and PR services. Power Digital serves mid-market and other-sized companies in the consumer products & services, advertising & marketing, business services, and retail industries.
• This Utah-based agency has a marketing team of 50+ that has conducted over 2,500 marketing campaign audits since 2011. Disruptive Advertising specializes in traffic, conversion, and analytics to help its clients outperform their competitors.

Service Providers That Displace Agencies

• SEMrush is a leading online visibility management software-as-a-service platform. With over 7 million businesses having used the platform across 50 products, tools, and add-ons including tools for search, content, social media, and market research. The company tracks data from more than 140 countries, seamlessly integrates with Google and task management platforms.
• Ahrefs is a software company that develops online SEO tools and free educational materials for marketing professionals. Ahrefs database has over 11 billion keywords and more than 400 billion indexed pages.
• Both of these companies are best-in-class email marketing and growth marketing platforms that helps deliver more personalized experiences across owned marketing channels like email, SMS, in-app notifications, and web.

54 & Cloudy Advantages

While the market is highly competitive, 54 & Cloudy sets itself apart by leveraging proprietary technology and world-class third-party software. Additionally, 54 & Cloudy will only initially work with clients who operate within specific niches in the e-commerce space and this will allow 54 & Cloudy to develop a sector expertise and reputation for excellence that will drive organic growth.

Some of the key advantages that 54 & Cloudy will have when going head-to-head with competitors includes the following:

• Targeted user segments to conduct market research that is the exact audience of the client
• Relationships with BI data firms that help find the sweet spot in terms of pricing, sales, etc. These kinds of licenses cost nearly 6-figures but 54 & Cloudy has a sweetheart deal
• Custom reporting dashboard that brings in paid, organic and outbound sales touchpoints
• Custom dashboard for A/B split testing, which allows agency and customers to take analysis and turn into immediately actionable copy tests
• Direct integration with eCommerce platforms (WooCommerce, Shopify, Wix) or off-the-shelf CMS platform

Keys to Success

Given the competitive nature of the industry, 54 & Cloudy will need to be aware of the various keys to success that are critical for long-term growth in the market.

• Digital agencies must stay up-to-date with the latest developments in technology, from the newest advertising platform to the latest software used to track and analyze campaigns
• Membership in the American Association of Advertising Agencies may indicate a higher level of professionalism in operations and boost the agency’s credibility and image
• As a highly competitive industry, digital advertising agencies must be able to develop professional proposals for work and accounts to secure contracts
• Digital advertisers that develop a solid brand with a good reputation achieve a greater level of success within the industry
• Building and scaling tools and technology that are proprietary will allow 54 & Cloudy to scale and capture market share with a defensible offering that can increase LTV and reduce long-term churn

Marketing & Sales

Marketing plan.

Like other rapidly growing B2B companies, 54 & Cloudy will focus on targeted digital and print marketing, multiple advertising campaigns, conventions/trade shows, and strategic partnerships. Since 54 & Cloudy has already been offering its services on a consulting basis and has developed a loyal following, organic inbound traffic is already coming in and will continue to create a compounding effect that will propel 54 & Cloudy to strong and sustainable growth.

In order to continue growth and maintain their industry-leading reputation, 54 & Cloudy plans to utilize their own digital marketing knowledge to expand within their core markets, growing into new markets, and increase wallet share with existing customers.

Digital and Print Marketing

54 & Cloudy will launch a robust digital marketing campaign across paid search and through digital publications/blogs specific to their core demographics. With a unique skill set and offers, 54 & Cloudy will be able to gain meaningful momentum through paid search, providing them with business demographic information and contact information for re-targeting and promotional messaging. Additionally, by working with key online and print publications and blogs specific to the company’s various end-markets, 54 & Cloudy will be able to develop a strong industry presence that will be crucial for recurring customer growth. Some of the tactics that 54 & Cloudy will use to attract customers will include free site audits, industry-specific templates, and other free services to capture emails and upsell customers.

Strategic Partners

Relationships will be formed with multiple organizations that are selling to the same end customer including with design agencies, print media groups, traditional advertising agencies, and other non-marketing service providers like bankers, lawyers, and small business associations. By building a large team of strategic partners, 54 & Cloudy will be able to generate a stable and reliable customer base that will ultimately lead to repeat customers and an increased potential for larger contracts.

Customer Re-engagement

As with any business services company, recurring customers are a vital source of income as well as word-of-mouth for a growing business. As 54 & Cloudy continues to sell within their core demographic, they will be using various engagement tactics to drive retention and improve new referrals from existing customers. Through building a strong group of loyal customers, 54 & Cloudy will be able to identify key growth opportunities for the business including new product lines and end markets to work with.

Organic Marketing

As a leading digital marketing agency, 54 & Cloudy will be able to also publish onsite blogs, detailed landing pages, and other relevant content, as they would for any client, in order to drive organic rankings and new customer acquisition. By focusing on long-tail niche content in combination with highly competitive keywords and questions, 54 & Cloudy will generate strong SEO growth and generate meaningful organic traffic.

Trade Shows/Conventions

The business will be based out of the Bay Area where 54 & Cloudy’s two founders are located. Given office rent prices and the plan to hire resources independent of physical location, 54 & Cloudy is planning to operate as a fully remote organization for the near term. There will be a small rent expense to cover the founders’ rent but no other rent or office costs will be incurred by 54 & Cloudy in the projections.

54 & Cloudy will be utilizing many of the industry’s leading automation, data tracking, analytics software for handling client work. This technology will include SEO tools, paid advertising automation platforms, A/B testing systems, and other useful resources that can help clients achieve their growth targets. Additionally, 54 & Cloudy will utilize several internal tools including a CRM, Slack, an email marketing platform, and other services to grow the business and manage operations and a remote workforce at scale.

Milestones & Metrics

Milestones table.

Key Metrics

As with many B2B businesses, 54 & Cloudy will be tracking several key customer acquisition and customer retention metrics that will drive overall profitability and allow for more reliable hiring need forecasting.

The metrics 54 & Cloudy will be tracking include:

• Revenue by Service Line
• Contribution Margin by Service Line
• Cost Per Acquisition (“CPA”)
• Churn Rate by Service Line
• Revenue Per Employee
• MRR and ARR

Ownership & Structure

54 & Cloudy is co-owned by the two founders who each have a 50% ownership in the business. The company is based in the Bay Area and is a California LLC. There are no other ownership interests in the business at this time.

Leadership Team

54 & Cloudy is currently being run as a small agency by the two founders who are looking to secure funding to make additional hiring and take on enterprise-level clients. The two founders, Tom and Stephen, have extensive experience in the market not only as e-commerce digital marketers but also as technical/UX engineers.

Tom was previously a technical/UX engineer at a successful digital marketing agency where he worked on building proprietary dashboards, reporting tools, and advertising automation for both internal and external use cases. Stephen, on the other hand, is 54 & Cloudy’s e-commerce marketing expert with more than a decade working at e-commerce companies including a fashion business in the Bay Area in 2013 that was later sold in 2019. Since the sale of that business, Stephen has worked as a contractor developing his product-side and marketing expertise for small to medium size businesses.

The two founders complement each other’s skillsets and both are looking to move 54 & Cloudy from a small contract consulting business to a full-service digital marketing agency.

Hiring Strategy

In addition to 54 & Cloudy’s leadership team, there will be a strong hiring strategy to handle all the new clients as the business grows over the five-year projection period. With a mix of full-time hires and contractors, the Company will look to scale hiring to meet client demand but not be overstaffed so that people are not fully utilized.

The following roles will be areas 54 & Cloudy will hire to handle client services.

• Acts as primary technical architect and engineer for all development, testing, and product development
• Full-stack in-house marketer that is expert in all services the firm employs. Has extensive background and experience in search engine optimization, conversion rate optimization, paid search marketing, outbound email, and site analytics
• Initially outsourced, this role handles all of the Google / Microsoft / LinkedIn / etc. ad management as well as its reporting
• Liaisons the day-to-day relationships with our clients, working closely with technical and marketing leads to deliver on contract scope and goals. Managers the timelines and execution of all projects to ensure their success
• In-house sales lead that possesses the ability to sell-in and move prospects through the buyer’s journey. Based on our target markets, this role has experience and knowledge specifically to help those business types grow
• Copywriting
• Paid Marketing
• CRO Analyst

54 & Cloudy anticipates growing from 13 resources in Year 1 to more than 45 by Year 5. As outlined in the chart below, this growth will result in Year 5 personnel expenses exceeding $3.8 million, up from $965,000 in Year 1. Revenue per employee will increase from $185,000 in Year 1 to $262,000 in Year 5.

Financial Plan investor-ready personnel plan .">

Key assumptions.

54 & Cloudy developed the following financials utilizing their extensive industry knowledge and relevant historic financial performance.

• Given the long-term nature of SEO, the churn rate is 5%
• Churn rate is slightly higher than SEO at 7.5%
• eCommerce CRO services will run thousands of AB tests across a variety of eCommerce platforms with the goal of driving sales. Through targeted user research, a team of UX analysts, and psychological experts, 54 & Cloudy will grow not only transactions but average order and customer lifetime value for clients
• Churn rate is high at 20% due to the nature of the service line
• This is an ancillary service within 54 & Cloudy’s paid and optimization offerings but can be expanded to help clients develop all onsite and paid messaging

The financial projections assume an SBA loan for $300,000 at 8% over 10 years and those funds will be sufficient to cover all growth and hiring projections outlined in the business plan.

54 & Cloudy believes that the introduction of proprietary reporting and marketing forecast dashboards will help accelerate new customer acquisition and allow churn rates to remain low for existing customers. This will be an integral selling point in 54 & Cloudy’s service packages as a way to visualize audits, changes, and provide instant access/feedback to the user. In the future, 54 & Cloudy may look to offer the reporting and forecasting dashboard as a separate stand-alone service offering.

Revenue by Month

Expenses by Month

Net Profit (or Loss) by Year

Sources of Funds

Given the management team’s long-standing success in the industry, 54 & Cloudy will be looking to secure an SBA loan in the amount of $300,000 to finance the acquisition of initial startup technology costs, as well as cover initial cash flow, needs as they ramp up customer acquisition and operates at a loss in Year 1.

Use of Funds

54 & Cloudy is securing an SBA loan for $300,000 that will be used to fund initial technology asset purchases of $65,000, startup costs including licensing, legal, and other marketing costs of $50,000, as well as cover cash flow needs during Year 1 as 54 & Cloudy, grows from negative operating income to cash flow positive by year-end.

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How To Write a Marketing Agency Business Plan + Template

Creating a business plan is essential for any business, but it can be especially helpful for marketing agency businesses that want to improve their strategy and/or raise funding.

A well-crafted business plan not only outlines the vision for your company, but also documents a step-by-step roadmap of how you are going to accomplish it. In order to create an effective business plan, you must first understand the components that are essential to its success.

This article provides an overview of the key elements that every marketing agency owner should include in their business plan.

Download the Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan Template

What is a Marketing Agency Business Plan?

A marketing agency business plan is a formal written document that describes your company’s business strategy and its feasibility. It documents the reasons you will be successful, your areas of competitive advantage, and it includes information about your team members. Your business plan is a key document that will convince investors and lenders (if needed) that you are positioned to become a successful venture.

Why Write a Marketing Agency Business Plan?

A marketing agency business plan is required for banks and investors. The document is a clear and concise guide of your business idea and the steps you will take to make it profitable.

Entrepreneurs can also use this as a roadmap when starting their new company or venture, especially if they are inexperienced in starting a business.

Writing an Effective Marketing Agency Business Plan

The following are the key components of a successful marketing agency business plan:

Executive Summary

The executive summary of a marketing agency business plan is a one to two page overview of your entire business plan. It should summarize the main points, which will be presented in full in the rest of your business plan.

• Start with a one-line description of your marketing agency
• Provide a short summary of the key points in each section of your business plan, which includes information about your company’s management team, industry analysis, competitive analysis, and financial forecast among others.

Company Description

This section should include a brief history of your company. Include a short description of how your company started, and provide a timeline of milestones your company has achieved.

If you are just starting your marketing agency , you may not have a long company history. Instead, you can include information about your professional experience in this industry and how and why you conceived your new venture. If you have worked for a similar company before or have been involved in an entrepreneurial venture before starting your marketing agency, mention this.

You will also include information about your chosen marketing agency business model and how, if applicable, it is different from other companies in your industry.

Industry Analysis

The industry or market analysis is an important component of a marketing agency business plan. Conduct thorough market research to determine industry trends and document the size of your market. 

Questions to answer include:

• What part of the marketing agency industry are you targeting?
• How big is the market?
• What trends are happening in the industry right now (and if applicable, how do these trends support the success of your company)?

You should also include sources for the information you provide, such as published research reports and expert opinions.

Customer Analysis

This section should include a list of your target audience(s) with demographic and psychographic profiles (e.g., age, gender, income level, profession, job titles, interests). You will need to provide a profile of each customer segment separately, including their needs and wants.

For example, the customers of a marketing agency may include small businesses, non-profit organizations, or even individuals.

You can include information about how your customers make the decision to buy from you as well as what keeps them buying from you.

Develop a strategy for targeting those customers who are most likely to buy from you, as well as those that might be influenced to buy your products or marketing agency services with the right marketing.

Competitive Analysis

The competitive analysis helps you determine how your product or service will be different from competitors, and what your unique selling proposition (USP) might be that will set you apart in this industry.

For each competitor, list their strengths and weaknesses. Next, determine your areas of competitive differentiation and/or advantage; that is, in what ways are you different from and ideally better than your competitors.

Below are sample competitive advantages your marketing agency may have:

• Proven track record of success
• Strong client base
• Robust marketing strategy and execution
• Highly qualified and experienced team
• State-of-the-art technology and tools

Marketing Plan

This part of the business plan is where you determine and document your marketing plan. . Your plan should be clearly laid out, including the following 4 Ps.

• Product/Service : Detail your product/service offerings here. Document their features and benefits.
• Price : Document your pricing strategy here. In addition to stating the prices for your products/services, mention how your pricing compares to your competition.
• Place : Where will your customers find you? What channels of distribution (e.g., partnerships) will you use to reach them if applicable?
• Promotion : How will you reach your target customers? For example, you may use social media, write blog posts, create an email marketing campaign, use pay-per-click advertising, launch a direct mail campaign. Or, you may promote your marketing agency via public relations or word-of-mouth.

Operations Plan

This part of your marketing agency business plan should include the following information:

• How will you deliver your product/service to customers? For example, will you do it in person or over the phone only?
• What infrastructure, equipment, and resources are needed to operate successfully? How can you meet those requirements within budget constraints?

The operations plan is where you also need to include your company’s business policies. You will want to establish policies related to everything from customer service to pricing, to the overall brand image you are trying to present.

Finally, and most importantly, in your Operations Plan, you will lay out the milestones your company hopes to achieve within the next five years. Create a chart that shows the key milestone(s) you hope to achieve each quarter for the next four quarters, and then each year for the following four years. Examples of milestones for a marketing agency include reaching $X in sales. Other examples include adding X new clients or launching a new website.

Management Team

List your team members here including their names and titles, as well as their expertise and experience relevant to your specific marketing agency industry. Include brief biography sketches for each team member.

Particularly if you are seeking funding, the goal of this section is to convince investors and lenders that your team has the expertise and experience to execute on your plan. If you are missing key team members, document the roles and responsibilities you plan to hire for in the future.

Financial Plan

Here you will include a summary of your complete and detailed financial plan (your full financial projections go in the Appendix). 

This includes the following three financial statements:

Income Statement

Your income statement should include:

• Revenue : how much revenue you generate.
• Cost of Goods Sold : These are your direct costs associated with generating revenue. This includes labor costs, as well as the cost of any equipment and supplies used to deliver the product/service offering.
• Net Income (or loss) : Once expenses and revenue are totaled and deducted from each other, this is the net income or loss.

Sample Income Statement for a Startup Marketing Agency

Balance sheet.

Include a balance sheet that shows your assets, liabilities, and equity. Your balance sheet should include:

• Assets : All of the things you own (including cash).
• Liabilities : This is what you owe against your company’s assets, such as accounts payable or loans.
• Equity : The worth of your business after all liabilities and assets are totaled and deducted from each other.

Sample Balance Sheet for a Startup Marketing Agency

Cash flow statement.

Include a cash flow statement showing how much cash comes in, how much cash goes out and a net cash flow for each year. The cash flow statement should include:

• Cash Flow From Operations
• Cash Flow From Investments
• Cash Flow From Financing

Below is a sample of a projected cash flow statement for a startup marketing agency .

Sample Cash Flow Statement for a Startup Marketing Agency

You will also want to include an appendix section which will include:

• Your complete financial projections
• A complete list of your company’s business policies and procedures related to the rest of the business plan (marketing, operations, etc.)
• Any other documentation which supports what you included in the body of your business plan.

Writing a good business plan gives you the advantage of being fully prepared to launch and/or grow your marketing agency . It not only outlines your business vision but also provides a step-by-step process of how you are going to accomplish it.

If you are seeking funding from investors or lenders, it is especially important to have a well-written business plan that demonstrates the expertise and experience of your management team, as well as your company’s potential for financial success. By taking the time to write a detailed and comprehensive business plan, you will give your marketing agency the best chance for success.  

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How to Write a Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan (with PDF Template)

SEOptimer now serves over 2,000 digital agencies around the world and through the years we've had the chance to connect with many of our agency customers to understand their early days in starting their agency. This is incredibly interesting to us because it helps us understand where and how they plan to grow so we can help build the features they need in SEOptimer.

This article is the 3rd in our series focused on starting a new digital agency. For some useful prior reading be sure to check out our previous articles:

• How to Start a Digital Marketing Agency : a comprehensive guide covering typical agency business models, services, hiring, training, new business, day to day management and more!
• Digital Agency Lean Canvas : a digital agency business model on a single page! The lean canvas is a popular documentation methodology borrowed from the tech startup world.

Don't be dismayed if it feels like there's a lot of other competing digital agencies in your city. This is perfectly normal. Digital marketing services like local SEO, for example, are dominated by small agencies. Search Engine Land reported that over 50% of local SEO agencies have 10 or fewer clients. Forbes Council Member Jon Hall says, this keeps the industry "weird" - aka diverse as its not dominated by a small handful of big agencies.

The first step in launching a new digital marketing agency is to write a plan. In this guide, we'll cover two of the more traditional ways to define a business plan document with handy downloadable templates:

• Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan Document (DOCX & PDF) Template
• Creative Agency Business Plan Deck (PPTX) Template

Why do you need a Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan?

The days of mandatory 50+ page business plans are long gone. The choice is now yours as to whether you define your digital agency business plan in an in-depth strategic document or not. Some agency founders find it useful to brainstorm this way and document their thought process in a long-form fashion across many pages. Other founders prefer creating shorter slide decks, others opt for a 1-page lean canvas version or some even write their plan in a wiki or business planning tool.

There is no right or wrong way to document your plan. You need to find the documentation method that suits you best. If you're unsure what suits you best, the following factors may help you decide:

Consideration #1: Who is the audience?

Think about who this document is for. Who will read it? In some cases it will just be you and the founding team. If you are raising money, obviously your investors will be a key audience.

You might also have business partners or board members who may be an audience too. When thnking through all these different groups, work backwards from the most optimal presentation format.

Consideration #2: Seek an unbiased third-party opinion

Devin Schumacher is the Founder of SEO agency SERP and says it's easy to get swept up in your own overly optimistic projections.

"Ask an experienced agency founder you trust or admire to sanity-check your plan. Seeking an objective opinion from a third-party detached from your new business is vital."

Devin makes a great point. This type of peer review methodology is commonplace in other industries but sometimes lacking amongst agency founders. Make sure you get at least 1 other unbiased opinion from someone who has already achieved success in your niche.

Don't fall into the trap of asking a friend or your accountant or someone you know personally to review your plan. Doing so will give you a biased opinion. You need an unbiased opinion from someone willing to give you objective feedback.

Consideration #3: Stand your ground

The whole point of a business plan is to take the time and effort to research the market, your competitors and potential clients. This document will distill all your insights into a strategic plan you can operationalize. As is always the case, unexpected distractions masquerading as opportunities (rightly or wrongly) will pop up in your field of view demanding your attention.

Perhaps it's a new client opportunity with a project slightly adjacent to your niche. Perhpas a hiring opportunity for a role you didn't plan to hire yet. Sometimes the hardest thing is to say no, when you're in the mindset of taking every opportunity for growth.

During these situations, revisit your agency business plan and remind yourself of your focus area niche and how you planned to grow within that niche.

Consideration #4: But, be ok with change

In fact this balance between sticking to the plan and pivoting the plan needs to be navigated by every digital agency founder. It's not easy and often you will be second-guessing yourself.

"Every agency owner I know has had to massively adjust their target audience, pricing structure, competitor analysis, and service offerings based on the way they grow over the first 2-5 years."

Rebekah says that founders need to be prepared for change, afterall, digital marketing is in constant flux and evolution, so change is the norm and we need to write business plans with flexibility in mind.

Trust your performance metrics and continue to do the things that have the biggest quantifiable business impact.

Typical Business Plan structures

We mentioned previously that there's no right or wrong way to document your business plan. So with that said, let's look at some typical marketing agency business plan templates that you can use. After considering all the factors above, choose the structure that works for you and your stakeholders best. We've outlined six of the more common options below:

Option #1: Written business document

This is the more traditional (and still valid) way to describe your business. A written business plan document in MS Word or Google Docs is still the most common way to document your digital marketing agency business plan.

This type of business plan is considered "long-form", ie: longer in length and suited to more descriptive language. Expect to write longer rationales, longer explanations with plenty of space for evidence, research, insights and strategy. This type of plan will likely be 30+ pages and feel comprehensive. This comprehensiveness is especially needed if external investors or business partners are involved who need to be convinced of the robustness of your plan.

Option #2: Slide deck

The PowerPoint Presentation (or Google Slides or Keynote) has become the go-to corporate communication format. Digital agency founders spend most of their time communicating to staff, clients and stakeholders in PowerPoint so it makes sense to use this format for the purposes of communicating the agency's overall business plan.

The fundamental difference between this option and the written document, is that a slide deck is a presentable format. So typically you might be in the room with your business partners, walking through the presentation on the screen. Whereas in option #1, a written document is not a compelling way to present an idea. It's much more suited as a sent document to be consumed in isolation. That's not to say that a slide deck can't be utilized this way, it's just more common that you would be presenting and talking through your plan with the slides serving as a visual backup to what you say.

There's also a good argument for doing both (ie written document AND slide deck). It comes down to who all the stakeholders are (eg investors, business partners or just you) and whether you intend to present your plan or just document your plan.

Option #3: Lean canvas

The Lean Canvas developed by leanstack.com is a business plan on a page split into 10 boxes. This planning document has become very popular in the tech/startup world and has since been adopted in many other industries, including digital agencies. Be sure to check out our previous article explaining how to use a Lean Canvas for your agency .

The entire business plan fits on a single page which means you obviously need to sweat on every single world and ensure only the most important details are included. We are big supporters of this format because this helps you prioritize and focus your efforts down to the fundamental aspects of your new business.

Option #4: Wiki

In the context of a business, a Wiki is usually an internal website with multiple interlinking articles. The biggest Wiki in the world is Wikipedia and if you want to get really meta, check out Wikipedia's wiki about wikis :

"A wiki (/wɪki/ WIK-ee) is a hypertext publication collaboratively edited and managed by its own audience directly using a web browser. A typical wiki contains multiple pages for the subjects or scope of the project."

Wiki's are generally perceived as internal knowledge bases so if your business plan has executional detail, this might be a good format for documenting processes and methodologies for staff.

Option #5: General Planning tool

Tools like Notion and Trello have grown massively in recent years as more people are working remotely and more work in general is being done collaboratively online.

These types of planning tools are designed to be multi-purpose and fall somewhere between a wiki and a specialized business planning tool.

How to construct the business plan

Now that we've covered the typical business plan structures let's look at the specifics of how you actually go about constructing the business plan and each of the main tasks you need to perform and sections of the business plan.

Market research data gathering

Customer/client research.

Rebekah Edwards, who we spoke to previously stresses the importance of market research with as many potential clients as you can. She interviewed several businesses in their target market when developing their service offerings and pricing. Some of the questions she thought were most helpful included:

• With no other information, what do you think X would cost from an agency? (X being the service in question.)
• What is the biggest roadblock for you to accomplish X in-house? (X being basic content/SEO projects, such as article creation/editing/uploading or strategizing new keywords.)
• How would you typically search for a digital marketing agency? (Referrals, social media, Google search, etc. — this helped us understand how to best market our services)
• If you already work with a digital marketing agency of any kind, what stood out? Why did you sign on the dotted line?
• Have there been digital marketing agencies you've specifically decided not to work with for any particular reason? What were the red flags or the issues with a fit that led you to say no?
• What matters most to you when working with a digital marketing agency? (Examples: data/analytics, frequent communication, hitting deadlines every time, price, niche of expertise, etc.)

Answers to these questions are invaluable as they help you position and market your new digital agency based on customer insight.

Competitor research

The importance of competitor research goes without saying. It's vital you have a good understanding of how your competitors are going to market, how they sell, who they target and what their rough price points are. If you have a friend who owns a small business, ask them to mystery shop at a competitor so they can report back to you what the sales process was like.

The way you position and sell your services should be informed by a combination of both customer insights and competitor insights. Addressing client needs whilst maintaining a unique selling proposition will set your new digital agency up for success!

Building out the business plan

Download our template: digital marketing agency business plan document.

To make edits to the document make sure to download our DOCX template which you can edit directly in Microsoft Word. However if you would prefer a printable PDF, we also provide this option too. Use these templates as a starting point to help you draft your digital marketing business plan:

Below are some of the highlight areas of the plan:

Market Research Findings

We suggest conducting three types of research to inform your marketing agency business plan:

• Qualitative research like one-on-one interviews, focus groups and meetings with prospective clients
• Quantitative reserach like online surveys, mass emails and multivariate testing
• Competitor analysis to determine their strengths and weaknesses

Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and Service Offering

Nailing your USP will be tough especially if you are in a competitive industry / city. Use the previous market research tasks to discover where the gaps are in the market and leverage these insights to position your new agency to be competitive AND different. Perform a SWOT analysis based on your new USP. Then you can determine your actual service offerings and pricing strategy.

Go-To-Market (GTM) Plan and Org Structure

Define your target market - the exact client types who you want to sell to and list the marketing and advertising activities that you will perform that would be most effective in reaching these types of people.

Also list your people (this might not be many on day 1!), sources of advice and support as well as the strategies you'll use to retain your staff and build their skills and knowledge.

Goals Sales Forecasting

This marketing agency business plan template includes goal setting for the next year and goal setting for the next 3 years. This page is structured to help you set SMART goals.

SMART goals are:

• Specific : In the '[Enter a goal]' section describe your goal clearly and ensure you attach a person responsible in the 'Who's responsible' section.
• Measureable : Ensure the actions you list in the 'Actions to achieve goal' have an objective outcome
• Achievable : Ensure you sense-check your goals with your team and all agree that they are attainable
• Relevant : Ensure this is a priority goal and will help your new agency grow
• Time-bound : Enter a due date to ensure the goal doesn't get forgotten

Use the Cash flow forecast table as a simple way to visualize cash-on-hand in your first 12 months. Add rows to estimate your monthly expenses like payroll, rent, utilities, subscriptions, insurance, fees and other ongoing costs.

Tools and Tech

Finally, list out all the tools and technology your new agency will likely need to run an efficient operation. We've listed SEOptimer for you already because it's one of the best, low-cost lead generation tools for your agency. Over 2,000 digital agencies use SEOptimer to generate white label site audits and embed an audit form on their agency website to capture new lead details.

Creative Agency Business Plan Slide Deck PPTX Template

If you prefer a slide deck template, use this creative agency business plan example in PowerPoint format:

Tim's background is in digital marketing working for both large and small digital agencies and diverse client types. He has a passion for tech, software and staying up to date on the latest search engine news.

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Advertising Plan: A step-by-step guide

An advertising plan is a comprehensive strategy for promoting a product, service, or brand. It details how a business will communicate with its target audience to influence consumer behavior to increase sales, raise brand awareness, or achieve other defined business objectives.

What is an advertising strategy | Explained with Types

Creating an advertising plan involves several steps. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: define your advertising goals.

Defining your advertising goals is the crucial first step in creating an advertising plan. These goals set the direction for your entire campaign, influencing the strategies you choose and how you measure success.

Here are some key things to consider when defining your advertising goals:

• Identify the Business Objective : Your advertising goals should align with your business objectives. Are you trying to increase overall sales? Do you want to improve brand recognition? Are you launching a new product that needs awareness? A clear understanding of your goals will guide your advertising efforts.
• SMART Goals : Your advertising goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART). This means your goals should be well-defined, quantifiable, realistic, aligned with your business needs, and have a specific timeline for achievement.
• Awareness : This could create awareness about your brand, a new product or service, or a specific event.
• Consideration : You might want to encourage potential customers to consider your product or service, positioning your offering favorably against competitors.
• Conversion : These goals focus on driving specific consumer actions, such as purchasing, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading an app.
• Retention : Advertising is about more than just attracting new customers. It can also be used to retain existing customers by promoting loyalty programs or showcasing new product features.
• Define Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) : These are the metrics you’ll use to measure the success of your advertising campaign. Depending on your goals, KPIs might include things like the number of new customers, website traffic, sales revenue, or social media engagement.

By clearly defining your advertising goals at the outset, you’ll ensure that all your subsequent advertising efforts are strategic, focused, and geared toward achieving these goals.

Step 2: Identify your Target Audience 

Identifying your target audience is a critical step in creating an advertising plan. It helps you understand who you should be communicating with and how to tailor your messages to resonate with them most effectively. Below are some steps to help you define your target audience:

1. Analyze Your Current Customers:  If you have an existing customer base, start by analyzing who they are. Look at demographic information (like age, gender, and location), psychographic information (like interests, attitudes, and values), and purchasing behavior.

2. Create Customer Personas:  Based on your analysis, develop customer personas representing your typical customers. A persona might include details about the person’s lifestyle, career, buying behavior, and challenges your product or service can solve.

3. Understand Your Product or Service:  Think about the unique features and benefits of your product or service. Who is it designed for? Who will get the most value from it? The answers to these questions can help you identify your target audience.

4. Competitor Analysis:  Who are your competitors targeting? While you don’t want to copy your competitors’ strategies, understanding who they’re targeting can provide valuable insights and help you identify potential opportunities.

5. Market Research:  To further understand your target audience, conduct market research. This can involve surveys, focus groups, or interviews with people who fit your customer profile. You can also use online tools like Google Analytics or social media analytics for insights.

6. Test and Refine:  Once you have identified your target audience, you may need to test and refine it over time. Monitor the results of your marketing efforts and be willing to adjust your target audience if you find that a different group is responding more positively to your advertisements.

By identifying your target audience, you can tailor your advertising message and choose advertising mediums that will most effectively reach and engage these individuals. This increases the chances of successful advertising and can result in a more efficient use of your advertising budget.

Step 3: Set a Budget

Setting a budget for your advertising plan is essential to your campaign development. This budget represents the financial investment you’re willing to make to meet your advertising goals. Here are some steps to help you determine an appropriate budget:

1. Define your goals:  Your objectives should guide your budgeting decisions. For instance, a goal to raise brand awareness might involve more widespread and costly advertising strategies than a goal to retain current customers.

2. Understand your finances:  Look at your business’s financial situation. What can you realistically afford to spend on advertising without risking your business’s stability?

3. Consider the customer lifetime value (CLV):  This is the total revenue you expect to earn from a customer over the length of their relationship with your business. Understanding this value can help you determine how much you’re willing to spend to acquire a new customer.

4. Factor in production costs:  These are costs related to creating the advertisement itself, such as design, copywriting, and production of video, audio, or graphic content.

5. Include media placement costs:  These are the costs to distribute your ads across different media channels. Costs will vary depending on the medium, audience size, time of placement, and geographic location.

6. Include costs for testing and evaluation:  Part of your budget should be allocated to testing different ads and evaluating their effectiveness. This might involve A/B testing, consumer surveys, or digital analytics.

7. Assess previous campaigns (if applicable):  If you have run advertising campaigns before, looking at the return on investment (ROI) from those campaigns can give you insights into how to budget for the future.

8. Plan for adjustments:  It’s wise to set aside a portion of your budget for unexpected changes or opportunities that arise during the campaign.

Remember, the goal is to spend your advertising budget in a way that maximizes the return on your investment. It’s not about spending the most money but about spending your money most effectively. This requires ongoing monitoring and adjustments to optimize your advertising efforts.

Step 4: Develop your Advertising Message

Developing your advertising message is a pivotal step in crafting your advertising plan. This message communicates your brand’s value to your audience, outlining why they should choose your product or service over others. Here’s how you can develop a compelling advertising message:

1. Understand Your Target Audience:  Your message should be tailored to your target audience’s needs, wants, and preferences. Understanding their lifestyle, challenges, motivations, and behaviors is vital to crafting a message that will resonate with them.

2. Define Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP):  Your USP distinguishes you from your competitors. It’s the unique value or benefit that customers can only get from your product or service. This USP should form the core of your advertising message.

3. Be Clear and Concise:  Your message must be concise and understandable. Avoid using complex language or industry jargon. The aim is to convey the benefits of your product or service in a simple, memorable way.

4. Evoke Emotion:  Emotion often plays a significant role in purchasing decisions. Tapping into your audience’s emotions can make your message more impactful. Whether it’s joy, excitement, nostalgia, or even fear, identifying and using the right emotional trigger can help your message resonate more deeply with your audience.

5. Be Consistent:  Consistency is key in advertising. Your message should align with your brand voice and image across all advertising channels. This creates a unified brand perception and reinforces brand recognition.

6. Include a Call to Action (CTA):  A CTA prompts your audience to take a specific action after viewing your ad, like visiting your website, calling a phone number, or making a purchase. An effective CTA is compelling and clear about the next step the viewer should take.

7. Test and Refine:  Your first message may not be your final one. It’s essential to test different messages, gather feedback, and refine your message based on your audience’s response.

Remember, a compelling advertising message is not just about showcasing your product or service. It’s about connecting with your audience, solving their problems, and offering them value.

Step 5: Choose your advertising media 

Choosing the right advertising media for your campaign is essential to reach your target audience and achieve your advertising goals effectively. Here’s how you can make this decision:

1. Understand Your Target Audience:  Where does your target audience spend most of their time? What platforms and channels do they use most frequently? Understanding your audience’s habits will help you select the most effective media for reaching them. For instance, younger audiences might be more reachable via social media, while older audiences might respond better to traditional print ads or television.

2. Consider Your Budget:  Different media platforms come with different costs. For example, TV and radio ads can be expensive, while social media or online advertising can be more cost-effective. Choose platforms that will give you the best return on your investment, considering both the costs and potential reach.

3. Evaluate the Nature of Your Product or Service:  Some products or services lend themselves better to certain media types than others. For example, a visually appealing product might benefit from image-heavy platforms like Instagram, while a complex service might be better explained through video content on YouTube or Facebook.

4. Examine Your Message:  The message you want to convey can also influence the choice of media. Some messages might require a more detailed explanation and are better suited to long-form content, while others can be effectively communicated with short, snappy ads.

5. Analyze Your Competitors:  Understanding where and how your competitors advertise can give you insights into effective strategies for your industry. However, be sure to also look for gaps or unique opportunities where you can differentiate your brand.

6. Test and Refine:  Consider testing your ads on different platforms to see which gives you the best results. Use metrics like engagement rates, click-through rates, and conversions to evaluate performance and refine your media choices over time.

Standard advertising media platforms include:

• Digital Media:  Websites, email marketing, social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.), search engines, mobile apps.
• Traditional Media:  Newspapers, magazines, radio, television, direct mail.
• Outdoor Media:  Billboards, transit ads, digital signage.

By choosing the right media mix, you can reach your target audience more effectively, maximizing the impact of your advertising efforts and increasing your return on investment.

Step 6: Create Your Advertisements

Creating your advertisements is the process of bringing your advertising plan to life. This phase involves developing the actual content and design that will be shown to your target audience. Here’s how to proceed:

1. Align with Your Strategy:  The content, design, and format of your ads should be aligned with the overall strategy, goals, and message of your advertising plan. It should also reflect your brand’s identity and voice, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints.

2. Consider Your Target Audience:  The design and content should resonate with your target audience’s preferences, interests, and needs. For instance, if your target audience is younger, more vibrant and modern designs may appeal to them. A more formal tone and sleek design might be more appropriate for your professional audience.

3. Define the Ad Format:  Your ad format largely depends on your chosen media platforms. For example, social media ads may be image-based or short videos, email marketing could involve newsletters or promotional offers, while TV or radio ads would require scripts and production.

4. Develop the Creative Elements:  This involves crafting the copy (the written part of the ad) and visual elements (photos, graphics, videos). The copy should effectively communicate your message and include a clear call to action, while the visuals should be engaging and relevant.

5. Create Variations:  It’s often useful to create multiple versions of an ad to test which performs best. This could mean different headlines, images, or call-to-action statements.

6. Ensure Legal Compliance:  Ensure your advertisements comply with all relevant advertising standards and regulations. This includes truth in advertising laws, privacy regulations, and platform-specific rules.

7. Review and Refine:  Get feedback on your advertisements before you launch. This could be from colleagues, focus groups, or industry professionals. Use their feedback to refine and improve your ads.

Remember, creating effective advertisements is both an art and a science. It involves creativity and design skills but also relies on understanding your audience, having a clear strategy, and making data-driven decisions. Testing, learning, and refining should be ongoing parts of the process.

Step 7: Plan Your Media Schedule

Planning your media schedule is a key aspect of your advertising plan. It involves deciding when and where your ads will run to maximize their impact. The goal is to expose your ads to your target audience at the right time and context to drive engagement and action. Here’s how to plan your media schedule:

1. Align with Your Strategy and Goals:  Your media schedule should support your advertising goals. For instance, if you aim to raise awareness for a new product launch, you might schedule heavy advertising leading up to and immediately following the launch.

2. Understand Your Audience:  Consider when and where your audience will most likely be receptive to your message. For example, if you’re targeting working professionals, running ads during their commute or in the evening might be effective. Use insights about your audience’s behaviors and media consumption habits to guide your schedule.

3. Choose the Right Timing:  The timing of your ads can significantly impact their effectiveness. This includes the time of day, day of the week, and season. For example, retailers often increase advertising during the holiday shopping season.

4. Determine Frequency and Reach:  Decide how often your audience should see your ads (frequency) and how many people you want to reach. These decisions will depend on your goals and budget. Remember, reaching a smaller audience multiple times may be more effective than reaching a larger audience just once.

5. Optimize for Each Platform:  Different media platforms may require different scheduling strategies. For example, prime time for TV ads is usually in the evening, while social media ads might perform best at other times.

6. Plan for Flexibility:  Keep some flexibility in your schedule to allow for adjustments based on performance, changes in your business, or external factors like news events.

7. Monitor and Adjust:  Once your campaign is live, monitor its performance closely. Are you reaching your target audience? Are your ads driving the desired actions? Use this data to adjust your schedule if needed.

By planning your media schedule strategically, you can ensure that your advertisements reach your target audience effectively, maximizing the return on your advertising investment.

Step 8: Implement Your Advertising Campaign

Once you set your advertising plan, goals, and strategies, the next step is to implement your advertising campaign. This stage involves the actual rollout of your advertisements across the chosen media channels. Here’s how you can proceed:

1. Finalize Your Advertisements:  Make sure all your advertisements, whether for print, digital, TV, or other media, are completed, approved, and ready to go live. Double-check all the creative elements, including images, videos, and text, for accuracy and alignment with your overall campaign strategy.

2. Set Up Tracking:  Implement systems to track the performance of your ads. This can include tools like Google Analytics for digital ads, CRM systems for lead tracking, or specialized marketing analytics software. Be sure you’re prepared to capture data on key metrics that align with your campaign goals.

3. Coordinate Your Launch:  Decide your campaign’s launch date and time. Coordinate your launch across all channels to ensure consistency. Remember, your campaign should present a consistent message across all channels, so coordinating the launch is critical to maintaining this consistency.

4. Run Your Ads:  Release your advertisements as planned in your media schedule. This could mean posting social media ads, email newsletters, running TV or radio spots, or any other ad placements you’ve planned.

5. Monitor Performance:  Once your campaign is live, closely monitor its performance. Keep track of your key metrics and watch for immediate issues or opportunities.

6. Make Adjustments:  Based on the performance data you’re tracking, be prepared to adjust your campaign as necessary. This could mean changing ad placements, tweaking your message, or altering the media schedule.

7. Communicate Internally:  Keep all relevant team members informed about the campaign’s progress. Regularly share performance updates and discuss necessary adjustments.

Implementation is where all the planning and strategy become a reality. However, it’s important to note that implementation isn’t just a “set it and forget it” phase. Active monitoring and willingness to adapt based on the campaign’s performance are crucial to ensuring your campaign’s success.

Step 9: Monitor and Evaluate Your Campaign 

Monitoring and evaluating your advertising campaign is crucial to determine its effectiveness and guide future strategies. It involves tracking, analyzing, and interpreting your campaign’s performance data. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Track Key Metrics:  Various metrics can be important depending on your campaign goals. These could include impressions (how many times your ad was shown), click-through rates (how many people clicked on your ad), conversions (how many people took the desired action, such as making a purchase), and return on investment (how much revenue the campaign generated compared to its cost). Use analytics tools to track these metrics.

2. Analyze Data:  Look at your collected data and try to understand what it means for your campaign. Are certain ads performing better than others? Is one platform more effective than another? Is your target audience responding as expected?

3. Compare Results to Goals:  Evaluate how well your campaign meets its goals. If your goal was to increase brand awareness, look at metrics like reach and impressions. If your goal was to drive sales, look at conversion rates and revenue generated.

4. Understand the Customer Journey:  Try to understand customers’ path from seeing your ad to purchasing (or whatever your desired action is). This can help you identify any bottlenecks or points where customers are dropping off and provide insight into potential improvements.

5. Test and Learn:  Consider running A/B tests to compare the effectiveness of different campaign elements. This could involve testing other headlines, images, or call-to-actions to see which performs better.

6. Get Feedback:  Gather feedback directly from your audience if possible. This could be through surveys, social media comments, or customer service interactions.

7. Make Adjustments:  Use the insights you’ve gained from your evaluation to adjust and improve your current and future campaigns. This could involve changing your message, targeting a different audience, or using different media platforms.

8. Create a Report:  Summarize your findings in a report. This should include your campaign results compared to your goals, insights gained, and recommendations for future campaigns.

Remember, the purpose of the evaluation is not just to judge the success or failure of a campaign but to learn. The insights you gain should help you improve future advertising efforts, making them more effective and providing a better return on your advertising investment.

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How to Write a Business Plan in 9 Steps (+ Template and Examples)

Every successful business has one thing in common, a good and well-executed business plan. A business plan is more than a document, it is a complete guide that outlines the goals your business wants to achieve, including its financial goals . It helps you analyze results, make strategic decisions, show your business operations and growth.

If you want to start a business or already have one and need to pitch it to investors for funding, writing a good business plan improves your chances of attracting financiers. As a startup, if you want to secure loans from financial institutions, part of the requirements involve submitting your business plan.

Writing a business plan does not have to be a complicated or time-consuming process. In this article, you will learn the step-by-step process for writing a successful business plan.

You will also learn what you need a business plan for, tips and strategies for writing a convincing business plan, business plan examples and templates that will save you tons of time, and the alternatives to the traditional business plan.

Let’s get started.

What Do You Need A Business Plan For?

Businesses create business plans for different purposes such as to secure funds, monitor business growth, measure your marketing strategies, and measure your business success.

1. Secure Funds

One of the primary reasons for writing a business plan is to secure funds, either from financial institutions/agencies or investors.

For you to effectively acquire funds, your business plan must contain the key elements of your business plan . For example, your business plan should include your growth plans, goals you want to achieve, and milestones you have recorded.

A business plan can also attract new business partners that are willing to contribute financially and intellectually. If you are writing a business plan to a bank, your project must show your traction , that is, the proof that you can pay back any loan borrowed.

Also, if you are writing to an investor, your plan must contain evidence that you can effectively utilize the funds you want them to invest in your business. Here, you are using your business plan to persuade a group or an individual that your business is a source of a good investment.

2. Monitor Business Growth

A business plan can help you track cash flows in your business. It steers your business to greater heights. A business plan capable of tracking business growth should contain:

• The business goals
• Methods to achieve the goals
• Time-frame for attaining those goals

A good business plan should guide you through every step in achieving your goals. It can also track the allocation of assets to every aspect of the business. You can tell when you are spending more than you should on a project.

You can compare a business plan to a written GPS. It helps you manage your business and hints at the right time to expand your business.

3. Measure Business Success

A business plan can help you measure your business success rate. Some small-scale businesses are thriving better than more prominent companies because of their track record of success.

Right from the onset of your business operation, set goals and work towards them. Write a plan to guide you through your procedures. Use your plan to measure how much you have achieved and how much is left to attain.

You can also weigh your success by monitoring the position of your brand relative to competitors. On the other hand, a business plan can also show you why you have not achieved a goal. It can tell if you have elapsed the time frame you set to attain a goal.

4. Document Your Marketing Strategies

You can use a business plan to document your marketing plans. Every business should have an effective marketing plan.

Competition mandates every business owner to go the extraordinary mile to remain relevant in the market. Your business plan should contain your marketing strategies that work. You can measure the success rate of your marketing plans.

In your business plan, your marketing strategy must answer the questions:

• How do you want to reach your target audience?
• How do you plan to retain your customers?
• What is/are your pricing plans?
• What is your budget for marketing?

How to Write a Business Plan Step-by-Step

1. create your executive summary.

The executive summary is a snapshot of your business or a high-level overview of your business purposes and plans . Although the executive summary is the first section in your business plan, most people write it last. The length of the executive summary is not more than two pages.

Generally, there are nine sections in a business plan, the executive summary should condense essential ideas from the other eight sections.

A good executive summary should do the following:

• A Snapshot of Growth Potential. Briefly inform the reader about your company and why it will be successful)
• Contain your Mission Statement which explains what the main objective or focus of your business is.
• Product Description and Differentiation. Brief description of your products or services and why it is different from other solutions in the market.
• The Team. Basic information about your company’s leadership team and employees
• Business Concept. A solid description of what your business does.
• Target Market. The customers you plan to sell to.
• Marketing Strategy. Your plans on reaching and selling to your customers
• Current Financial State. Brief information about what revenue your business currently generates.
• Projected Financial State. Brief information about what you foresee your business revenue to be in the future.

The executive summary is the make-or-break section of your business plan. If your summary cannot in less than two pages cannot clearly describe how your business will solve a particular problem of your target audience and make a profit, your business plan is set on a faulty foundation.

Avoid using the executive summary to hype your business, instead, focus on helping the reader understand the what and how of your plan.

View the executive summary as an opportunity to introduce your vision for your company. You know your executive summary is powerful when it can answer these key questions:

• Who is your target audience?
• What sector or industry are you in?
• What are your products and services?
• What is the future of your industry?
• Is your company scaleable?
• Who are the owners and leaders of your company? What are their backgrounds and experience levels?
• What is the motivation for starting your company?
• What are the next steps?

Writing the executive summary last although it is the most important section of your business plan is an excellent idea. The reason why is because it is a high-level overview of your business plan. It is the section that determines whether potential investors and lenders will read further or not.

The executive summary can be a stand-alone document that covers everything in your business plan. It is not uncommon for investors to request only the executive summary when evaluating your business. If the information in the executive summary impresses them, they will ask for the complete business plan.

If you are writing your business plan for your planning purposes, you do not need to write the executive summary.

2. Add Your Company Overview

The company overview or description is the next section in your business plan after the executive summary. It describes what your business does.

Adding your company overview can be tricky especially when your business is still in the planning stages. Existing businesses can easily summarize their current operations but may encounter difficulties trying to explain what they plan to become.

Your company overview should contain the following:

• What products and services you will provide
• Geographical markets and locations your company have a presence
• What you need to run your business
• Who your target audience or customers are
• Who will service your customers
• Your company’s purpose, mission, and vision
• Information about your company’s founders
• Who the founders are
• Notable achievements of your company so far

When creating a company overview, you have to focus on three basics: identifying your industry, identifying your customer, and explaining the problem you solve.

If you are stuck when creating your company overview, try to answer some of these questions that pertain to you.

• Who are you targeting? (The answer is not everyone)
• What pain point does your product or service solve for your customers that they will be willing to spend money on resolving?
• How does your product or service overcome that pain point?
• Where is the location of your business?
• What products, equipment, and services do you need to run your business?
• How is your company’s product or service different from your competition in the eyes of your customers?
• How many employees do you need and what skills do you require them to have?

After answering some or all of these questions, you will get more than enough information you need to write your company overview or description section. When writing this section, describe what your company does for your customers.

The company description or overview section contains three elements: mission statement, history, and objectives.

• Mission Statement

The mission statement refers to the reason why your business or company is existing. It goes beyond what you do or sell, it is about the ‘why’. A good mission statement should be emotional and inspirational.

Your mission statement should follow the KISS rule (Keep It Simple, Stupid). For example, Shopify’s mission statement is “Make commerce better for everyone.”

When describing your company’s history, make it simple and avoid the temptation of tying it to a defensive narrative. Write it in the manner you would a profile. Your company’s history should include the following information:

• Founding Date
• Major Milestones
• Location(s)
• Flagship Products or Services
• Number of Employees
• Executive Leadership Roles

When you fill in this information, you use it to write one or two paragraphs about your company’s history.

Business Objectives

Your business objective must be SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.) Failure to clearly identify your business objectives does not inspire confidence and makes it hard for your team members to work towards a common purpose.

3. Perform Market and Competitive Analyses to Proof a Big Enough Business Opportunity

The third step in writing a business plan is the market and competitive analysis section. Every business, no matter the size, needs to perform comprehensive market and competitive analyses before it enters into a market.

Performing market and competitive analyses are critical for the success of your business. It helps you avoid entering the right market with the wrong product, or vice versa. Anyone reading your business plans, especially financiers and financial institutions will want to see proof that there is a big enough business opportunity you are targeting.

This section is where you describe the market and industry you want to operate in and show the big opportunities in the market that your business can leverage to make a profit. If you noticed any unique trends when doing your research, show them in this section.

Market analysis alone is not enough, you have to add competitive analysis to strengthen this section. There are already businesses in the industry or market, how do you plan to take a share of the market from them?

You have to clearly illustrate the competitive landscape in your business plan. Are there areas your competitors are doing well? Are there areas where they are not doing so well? Show it.

Make it clear in this section why you are moving into the industry and what weaknesses are present there that you plan to explain. How are your competitors going to react to your market entry? How do you plan to get customers? Do you plan on taking your competitors' competitors, tap into other sources for customers, or both?

Illustrate the competitive landscape as well. What are your competitors doing well and not so well?

Answering these questions and thoughts will aid your market and competitive analysis of the opportunities in your space. Depending on how sophisticated your industry is, or the expectations of your financiers, you may need to carry out a more comprehensive market and competitive analysis to prove that big business opportunity.

Instead of looking at the market and competitive analyses as one entity, separating them will make the research even more comprehensive.

Market Analysis

Market analysis, boarding speaking, refers to research a business carried out on its industry, market, and competitors. It helps businesses gain a good understanding of their target market and the outlook of their industry. Before starting a company, it is vital to carry out market research to find out if the market is viable.

The market analysis section is a key part of the business plan. It is the section where you identify who your best clients or customers are. You cannot omit this section, without it your business plan is incomplete.

A good market analysis will tell your readers how you fit into the existing market and what makes you stand out. This section requires in-depth research, it will probably be the most time-consuming part of the business plan to write.

• Market Research

To create a compelling market analysis that will win over investors and financial institutions, you have to carry out thorough market research . Your market research should be targeted at your primary target market for your products or services. Here is what you want to find out about your target market.

• Your target market’s needs or pain points
• The existing solutions for their pain points
• Geographic Location
• Demographics

The purpose of carrying out a marketing analysis is to get all the information you need to show that you have a solid and thorough understanding of your target audience.

Only after you have fully understood the people you plan to sell your products or services to, can you evaluate correctly if your target market will be interested in your products or services.

You can easily convince interested parties to invest in your business if you can show them you thoroughly understand the market and show them that there is a market for your products or services.

How to Quantify Your Target Market

One of the goals of your marketing research is to understand who your ideal customers are and their purchasing power. To quantify your target market, you have to determine the following:

• Your Potential Customers: They are the people you plan to target. For example, if you sell accounting software for small businesses , then anyone who runs an enterprise or large business is unlikely to be your customers. Also, individuals who do not have a business will most likely not be interested in your product.
• Total Households: If you are selling household products such as heating and air conditioning systems, determining the number of total households is more important than finding out the total population in the area you want to sell to. The logic is simple, people buy the product but it is the household that uses it.
• Median Income: You need to know the median income of your target market. If you target a market that cannot afford to buy your products and services, your business will not last long.
• Income by Demographics: If your potential customers belong to a certain age group or gender, determining income levels by demographics is necessary. For example, if you sell men's clothes, your target audience is men.

What Does a Good Market Analysis Entail?

Your business does not exist on its own, it can only flourish within an industry and alongside competitors. Market analysis takes into consideration your industry, target market, and competitors. Understanding these three entities will drastically improve your company’s chances of success.

You can view your market analysis as an examination of the market you want to break into and an education on the emerging trends and themes in that market. Good market analyses include the following:

• Industry Description. You find out about the history of your industry, the current and future market size, and who the largest players/companies are in your industry.
• Overview of Target Market. You research your target market and its characteristics. Who are you targeting? Note, it cannot be everyone, it has to be a specific group. You also have to find out all information possible about your customers that can help you understand how and why they make buying decisions.
• Size of Target Market: You need to know the size of your target market, how frequently they buy, and the expected quantity they buy so you do not risk overproducing and having lots of bad inventory. Researching the size of your target market will help you determine if it is big enough for sustained business or not.
• Growth Potential: Before picking a target market, you want to be sure there are lots of potential for future growth. You want to avoid going for an industry that is declining slowly or rapidly with almost zero growth potential.
• Market Share Potential: Does your business stand a good chance of taking a good share of the market?
• Market Pricing and Promotional Strategies: Your market analysis should give you an idea of the price point you can expect to charge for your products and services. Researching your target market will also give you ideas of pricing strategies you can implement to break into the market or to enjoy maximum profits.
• Potential Barriers to Entry: One of the biggest benefits of conducting market analysis is that it shows you every potential barrier to entry your business will likely encounter. It is a good idea to discuss potential barriers to entry such as changing technology. It informs readers of your business plan that you understand the market.
• Research on Competitors: You need to know the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors and how you can exploit them for the benefit of your business. Find patterns and trends among your competitors that make them successful, discover what works and what doesn’t, and see what you can do better.

The market analysis section is not just for talking about your target market, industry, and competitors. You also have to explain how your company can fill the hole you have identified in the market.

Here are some questions you can answer that can help you position your product or service in a positive light to your readers.

• Is your product or service of superior quality?
• What additional features do you offer that your competitors do not offer?
• Are you targeting a ‘new’ market?

Basically, your market analysis should include an analysis of what already exists in the market and an explanation of how your company fits into the market.

Competitive Analysis

In the competitive analysis section, y ou have to understand who your direct and indirect competitions are, and how successful they are in the marketplace. It is the section where you assess the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors, the advantage(s) they possess in the market and show the unique features or qualities that make you different from your competitors.

Many businesses do market analysis and competitive analysis together. However, to fully understand what the competitive analysis entails, it is essential to separate it from the market analysis.

Competitive analysis for your business can also include analysis on how to overcome barriers to entry in your target market.

The primary goal of conducting a competitive analysis is to distinguish your business from your competitors. A strong competitive analysis is essential if you want to convince potential funding sources to invest in your business. You have to show potential investors and lenders that your business has what it takes to compete in the marketplace successfully.

Competitive analysis will s how you what the strengths of your competition are and what they are doing to maintain that advantage.

When doing your competitive research, you first have to identify your competitor and then get all the information you can about them. The idea of spending time to identify your competitor and learn everything about them may seem daunting but it is well worth it.

Find answers to the following questions after you have identified who your competitors are.

• What are your successful competitors doing?
• Why is what they are doing working?
• Can your business do it better?
• What are the weaknesses of your successful competitors?
• What are they not doing well?
• Can your business turn its weaknesses into strengths?
• How good is your competitors’ customer service?
• Where do your competitors invest in advertising?
• What sales and pricing strategies are they using?
• What marketing strategies are they using?
• What kind of press coverage do they get?
• What are their customers saying about your competitors (both the positive and negative)?

If your competitors have a website, it is a good idea to visit their websites for more competitors’ research. Check their “About Us” page for more information.

If you are presenting your business plan to investors, you need to clearly distinguish yourself from your competitors. Investors can easily tell when you have not properly researched your competitors.

Take time to think about what unique qualities or features set you apart from your competitors. If you do not have any direct competition offering your product to the market, it does not mean you leave out the competitor analysis section blank. Instead research on other companies that are providing a similar product, or whose product is solving the problem your product solves.

The next step is to create a table listing the top competitors you want to include in your business plan. Ensure you list your business as the last and on the right. What you just created is known as the competitor analysis table.

Direct vs Indirect Competition

You cannot know if your product or service will be a fit for your target market if you have not understood your business and the competitive landscape.

There is no market you want to target where you will not encounter competition, even if your product is innovative. Including competitive analysis in your business plan is essential.

If you are entering an established market, you need to explain how you plan to differentiate your products from the available options in the market. Also, include a list of few companies that you view as your direct competitors The competition you face in an established market is your direct competition.

In situations where you are entering a market with no direct competition, it does not mean there is no competition there. Consider your indirect competition that offers substitutes for the products or services you offer.

For example, if you sell an innovative SaaS product, let us say a project management software , a company offering time management software is your indirect competition.

There is an easy way to find out who your indirect competitors are in the absence of no direct competitors. You simply have to research how your potential customers are solving the problems that your product or service seeks to solve. That is your direct competition.

Factors that Differentiate Your Business from the Competition

There are three main factors that any business can use to differentiate itself from its competition. They are cost leadership, product differentiation, and market segmentation.

1. Cost Leadership

A strategy you can impose to maximize your profits and gain an edge over your competitors. It involves offering lower prices than what the majority of your competitors are offering.

A common practice among businesses looking to enter into a market where there are dominant players is to use free trials or pricing to attract as many customers as possible to their offer.

2. Product Differentiation

Your product or service should have a unique selling proposition (USP) that your competitors do not have or do not stress in their marketing.

Part of the marketing strategy should involve making your products unique and different from your competitors. It does not have to be different from your competitors, it can be the addition to a feature or benefit that your competitors do not currently have.

3. Market Segmentation

As a new business seeking to break into an industry, you will gain more success from focusing on a specific niche or target market, and not the whole industry.

If your competitors are focused on a general need or target market, you can differentiate yourself from them by having a small and hyper-targeted audience. For example, if your competitors are selling men’s clothes in their online stores , you can sell hoodies for men.

4. Define Your Business and Management Structure

The next step in your business plan is your business and management structure. It is the section where you describe the legal structure of your business and the team running it.

Your business is only as good as the management team that runs it, while the management team can only strive when there is a proper business and management structure in place.

If your company is a sole proprietor or a limited liability company (LLC), a general or limited partnership, or a C or an S corporation, state it clearly in this section.

Use an organizational chart to show the management structure in your business. Clearly show who is in charge of what area in your company. It is where you show how each key manager or team leader’s unique experience can contribute immensely to the success of your company. You can also opt to add the resumes and CVs of the key players in your company.

The business and management structure section should show who the owner is, and other owners of the businesses (if the business has other owners). For businesses or companies with multiple owners, include the percent ownership of the various owners and clearly show the extent of each others’ involvement in the company.

Investors want to know who is behind the company and the team running it to determine if it has the right management to achieve its set goals.

Management Team

The management team section is where you show that you have the right team in place to successfully execute the business operations and ideas. Take time to create the management structure for your business. Think about all the important roles and responsibilities that you need managers for to grow your business.

Include brief bios of each key team member and ensure you highlight only the relevant information that is needed. If your team members have background industry experience or have held top positions for other companies and achieved success while filling that role, highlight it in this section.

A common mistake that many startups make is assigning C-level titles such as (CMO and CEO) to everyone on their team. It is unrealistic for a small business to have those titles. While it may look good on paper for the ego of your team members, it can prevent investors from investing in your business.

Instead of building an unrealistic management structure that does not fit your business reality, it is best to allow business titles to grow as the business grows. Starting everyone at the top leaves no room for future change or growth, which is bad for productivity.

Your management team does not have to be complete before you start writing your business plan. You can have a complete business plan even when there are managerial positions that are empty and need filling.

If you have management gaps in your team, simply show the gaps and indicate you are searching for the right candidates for the role(s). Investors do not expect you to have a full management team when you are just starting your business.

Key Questions to Answer When Structuring Your Management Team

• Who are the key leaders?
• What experiences, skills, and educational backgrounds do you expect your key leaders to have?
• Do your key leaders have industry experience?
• What positions will they fill and what duties will they perform in those positions?
• What level of authority do the key leaders have and what are their responsibilities?
• What is the salary for the various management positions that will attract the ideal candidates?

Additional Tips for Writing the Management Structure Section

1. Avoid Adding ‘Ghost’ Names to Your Management Team

There is always that temptation to include a ‘ghost’ name to your management team to attract and influence investors to invest in your business. Although the presence of these celebrity management team members may attract the attention of investors, it can cause your business to lose any credibility if you get found out.

Seasoned investors will investigate further the members of your management team before committing fully to your business If they find out that the celebrity name used does not play any actual role in your business, they will not invest and may write you off as dishonest.

2. Focus on Credentials But Pay Extra Attention to the Roles

Investors want to know the experience that your key team members have to determine if they can successfully reach the company’s growth and financial goals.

While it is an excellent boost for your key management team to have the right credentials, you also want to pay extra attention to the roles they will play in your company.

Organizational Chart

Adding an organizational chart in this section of your business plan is not necessary, you can do it in your business plan’s appendix.

If you are exploring funding options, it is not uncommon to get asked for your organizational chart. The function of an organizational chart goes beyond raising money, you can also use it as a useful planning tool for your business.

An organizational chart can help you identify how best to structure your management team for maximum productivity and point you towards key roles you need to fill in the future.

You can use the organizational chart to show your company’s internal management structure such as the roles and responsibilities of your management team, and relationships that exist between them.

5. Describe Your Product and Service Offering

In your business plan, you have to describe what you sell or the service you plan to offer. It is the next step after defining your business and management structure. The products and services section is where you sell the benefits of your business.

Here you have to explain how your product or service will benefit your customers and describe your product lifecycle. It is also the section where you write down your plans for intellectual property like patent filings and copyrighting.

The research and development that you are undertaking for your product or service need to be explained in detail in this section. However, do not get too technical, sell the general idea and its benefits.

If you have any diagrams or intricate designs of your product or service, do not include them in the products and services section. Instead, leave them for the addendum page. Also, if you are leaving out diagrams or designs for the addendum, ensure you add this phrase “For more detail, visit the addendum Page #.”

Your product and service section in your business plan should include the following:

• A detailed explanation that clearly shows how your product or service works.
• The pricing model for your product or service.
• Your business’ sales and distribution strategy.
• The ideal customers that want your product or service.
• The benefits of your products and services.
• Reason(s) why your product or service is a better alternative to what your competitors are currently offering in the market.
• Plans for filling the orders you receive
• If you have current or pending patents, copyrights, and trademarks for your product or service, you can also discuss them in this section.

What to Focus On When Describing the Benefits, Lifecycle, and Production Process of Your Products or Services

In the products and services section, you have to distill the benefits, lifecycle, and production process of your products and services.

When describing the benefits of your products or services, here are some key factors to focus on.

• Unique features
• Translating the unique features into benefits
• The emotional, psychological, and practical payoffs to attract customers
• Intellectual property rights or any patents

When describing the product life cycle of your products or services, here are some key factors to focus on.

• Upsells, cross-sells, and down-sells
• Time between purchases
• Plans for research and development.

When describing the production process for your products or services, you need to think about the following:

• The creation of new or existing products and services.
• The sources for the raw materials or components you need for production.
• Assembling the products
• Maintaining quality control
• Supply-chain logistics (receiving the raw materials and delivering the finished products)
• The day-to-day management of the production processes, bookkeeping, and inventory.

Tips for Writing the Products or Services Section of Your Business Plan

1. Avoid Technical Descriptions and Industry Buzzwords

The products and services section of your business plan should clearly describe the products and services that your company provides. However, it is not a section to include technical jargons that anyone outside your industry will not understand.

A good practice is to remove highly detailed or technical descriptions in favor of simple terms. Industry buzzwords are not necessary, if there are simpler terms you can use, then use them. If you plan to use your business plan to source funds, making the product or service section so technical will do you no favors.

2. Describe How Your Products or Services Differ from Your Competitors

When potential investors look at your business plan, they want to know how the products and services you are offering differ from that of your competition. Differentiating your products or services from your competition in a way that makes your solution more attractive is critical.

If you are going the innovative path and there is no market currently for your product or service, you need to describe in this section why the market needs your product or service.

For example, overnight delivery was a niche business that only a few companies were participating in. Federal Express (FedEx) had to show in its business plan that there was a large opportunity for that service and they justified why the market needed that service.

3. Long or Short Products or Services Section

Should your products or services section be short? Does the long products or services section attract more investors?

There are no straightforward answers to these questions. Whether your products or services section should be long or relatively short depends on the nature of your business.

If your business is product-focused, then automatically you need to use more space to describe the details of your products. However, if the product your business sells is a commodity item that relies on competitive pricing or other pricing strategies, you do not have to use up so much space to provide significant details about the product.

Likewise, if you are selling a commodity that is available in numerous outlets, then you do not have to spend time on writing a long products or services section.

The key to the success of your business is most likely the effectiveness of your marketing strategies compared to your competitors. Use more space to address that section.

If you are creating a new product or service that the market does not know about, your products or services section can be lengthy. The reason why is because you need to explain everything about the product or service such as the nature of the product, its use case, and values.

A short products or services section for an innovative product or service will not give the readers enough information to properly evaluate your business.

4. Describe Your Relationships with Vendors or Suppliers

Your business will rely on vendors or suppliers to supply raw materials or the components needed to make your products. In your products and services section, describe your relationships with your vendors and suppliers fully.

Avoid the mistake of relying on only one supplier or vendor. If that supplier or vendor fails to supply or goes out of business, you can easily face supply problems and struggle to meet your demands. Plan to set up multiple vendor or supplier relationships for better business stability.

5. Your Primary Goal Is to Convince Your Readers

The primary goal of your business plan is to convince your readers that your business is viable and to create a guide for your business to follow. It applies to the products and services section.

When drafting this section, think like the reader. See your reader as someone who has no idea about your products and services. You are using the products and services section to provide the needed information to help your reader understand your products and services. As a result, you have to be clear and to the point.

While you want to educate your readers about your products or services, you also do not want to bore them with lots of technical details. Show your products and services and not your fancy choice of words.

Your products and services section should provide the answer to the “what” question for your business. You and your management team may run the business, but it is your products and services that are the lifeblood of the business.

Key Questions to Answer When Writing your Products and Services Section

Answering these questions can help you write your products and services section quickly and in a way that will appeal to your readers.

• Are your products existing on the market or are they still in the development stage?
• What is your timeline for adding new products and services to the market?
• What are the positives that make your products and services different from your competitors?
• Do your products and services have any competitive advantage that your competitors’ products and services do not currently have?
• Do your products or services have any competitive disadvantages that you need to overcome to compete with your competitors? If your answer is yes, state how you plan to overcome them,
• How much does it cost to produce your products or services? How much do you plan to sell it for?
• What is the price for your products and services compared to your competitors? Is pricing an issue?
• What are your operating costs and will it be low enough for you to compete with your competitors and still take home a reasonable profit margin?
• What is your plan for acquiring your products? Are you involved in the production of your products or services?
• Are you the manufacturer and produce all the components you need to create your products? Do you assemble your products by using components supplied by other manufacturers? Do you purchase your products directly from suppliers or wholesalers?
• Do you have a steady supply of products that you need to start your business? (If your business is yet to kick-off)
• How do you plan to distribute your products or services to the market?

You can also hint at the marketing or promotion plans you have for your products or services such as how you plan to build awareness or retain customers. The next section is where you can go fully into details about your business’s marketing and sales plan.

6. Show and Explain Your Marketing and Sales Plan

Providing great products and services is wonderful, but it means nothing if you do not have a marketing and sales plan to inform your customers about them. Your marketing and sales plan is critical to the success of your business.

The sales and marketing section is where you show and offer a detailed explanation of your marketing and sales plan and how you plan to execute it. It covers your pricing plan, proposed advertising and promotion activities, activities and partnerships you need to make your business a success, and the benefits of your products and services.

There are several ways you can approach your marketing and sales strategy. Ideally, your marketing and sales strategy has to fit the unique needs of your business.

In this section, you describe how the plans your business has for attracting and retaining customers, and the exact process for making a sale happen. It is essential to thoroughly describe your complete marketing and sales plans because you are still going to reference this section when you are making financial projections for your business.

Outline Your Business’ Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

The sales and marketing section is where you outline your business’s unique selling proposition (USP). When you are developing your unique selling proposition, think about the strongest reasons why people should buy from you over your competition. That reason(s) is most likely a good fit to serve as your unique selling proposition (USP).

Target Market and Target Audience

Plans on how to get your products or services to your target market and how to get your target audience to buy them go into this section. You also highlight the strengths of your business here, particularly what sets them apart from your competition.

Before you start writing your marketing and sales plan, you need to have properly defined your target audience and fleshed out your buyer persona. If you do not first understand the individual you are marketing to, your marketing and sales plan will lack any substance and easily fall.

Creating a Smart Marketing and Sales Plan

Marketing your products and services is an investment that requires you to spend money. Like any other investment, you have to generate a good return on investment (ROI) to justify using that marketing and sales plan. Good marketing and sales plans bring in high sales and profits to your company.

Avoid spending money on unproductive marketing channels. Do your research and find out the best marketing and sales plan that works best for your company.

Your marketing and sales plan can be broken into different parts: your positioning statement, pricing, promotion, packaging, advertising, public relations, content marketing, social media, and strategic alliances.

Your Positioning Statement

Your positioning statement is the first part of your marketing and sales plan. It refers to the way you present your company to your customers.

Are you the premium solution, the low-price solution, or are you the intermediary between the two extremes in the market? What do you offer that your competitors do not that can give you leverage in the market?

Before you start writing your positioning statement, you need to spend some time evaluating the current market conditions. Here are some questions that can help you to evaluate the market

• What are the unique features or benefits that you offer that your competitors lack?
• What are your customers’ primary needs and wants?
• Why should a customer choose you over your competition? How do you plan to differentiate yourself from the competition?
• How does your company’s solution compare with other solutions in the market?

After answering these questions, then you can start writing your positioning statement. Your positioning statement does not have to be in-depth or too long.

All you need to explain with your positioning statement are two focus areas. The first is the position of your company within the competitive landscape. The other focus area is the core value proposition that sets your company apart from other alternatives that your ideal customer might consider.

Here is a simple template you can use to develop a positioning statement.

For [description of target market] who [need of target market], [product or service] [how it meets the need]. Unlike [top competition], it [most essential distinguishing feature].

For example, let’s create the positioning statement for fictional accounting software and QuickBooks alternative , TBooks.

“For small business owners who need accounting services, TBooks is an accounting software that helps small businesses handle their small business bookkeeping basics quickly and easily. Unlike Wave, TBooks gives small businesses access to live sessions with top accountants.”

You can edit this positioning statement sample and fill it with your business details.

After writing your positioning statement, the next step is the pricing of your offerings. The overall positioning strategy you set in your positioning statement will often determine how you price your products or services.

Pricing is a powerful tool that sends a strong message to your customers. Failure to get your pricing strategy right can make or mar your business. If you are targeting a low-income audience, setting a premium price can result in low sales.

You can use pricing to communicate your positioning to your customers. For example, if you are offering a product at a premium price, you are sending a message to your customers that the product belongs to the premium category.

Basic Rules to Follow When Pricing Your Offering

Setting a price for your offering involves more than just putting a price tag on it. Deciding on the right pricing for your offering requires following some basic rules. They include covering your costs, primary and secondary profit center pricing, and matching the market rate.

• Covering Your Costs: The price you set for your products or service should be more than it costs you to produce and deliver them. Every business has the same goal, to make a profit. Depending on the strategy you want to use, there are exceptions to this rule. However, the vast majority of businesses follow this rule.
• Primary and Secondary Profit Center Pricing: When a company sets its price above the cost of production, it is making that product its primary profit center. A company can also decide not to make its initial price its primary profit center by selling below or at even with its production cost. It rather depends on the support product or even maintenance that is associated with the initial purchase to make its profit. The initial price thus became its secondary profit center.
• Matching the Market Rate: A good rule to follow when pricing your products or services is to match your pricing with consumer demand and expectations. If you price your products or services beyond the price your customer perceives as the ideal price range, you may end up with no customers. Pricing your products too low below what your customer perceives as the ideal price range may lead to them undervaluing your offering.

Pricing Strategy

Your pricing strategy influences the price of your offering. There are several pricing strategies available for you to choose from when examining the right pricing strategy for your business. They include cost-plus pricing, market-based pricing, value pricing, and more.

• Cost-plus Pricing: This strategy is one of the simplest and oldest pricing strategies. Here you consider the cost of producing a unit of your product and then add a profit to it to arrive at your market price. It is an effective pricing strategy for manufacturers because it helps them cover their initial costs. Another name for the cost-plus pricing strategy is the markup pricing strategy.
• Market-based Pricing: This pricing strategy analyses the market including competitors’ pricing and then sets a price based on what the market is expecting. With this pricing strategy, you can either set your price at the low-end or high-end of the market.
• Value Pricing: This pricing strategy involves setting a price based on the value you are providing to your customer. When adopting a value-based pricing strategy, you have to set a price that your customers are willing to pay. Service-based businesses such as small business insurance providers , luxury goods sellers, and the fashion industry use this pricing strategy.

After carefully sorting out your positioning statement and pricing, the next item to look at is your promotional strategy. Your promotional strategy explains how you plan on communicating with your customers and prospects.

As a business, you must measure all your costs, including the cost of your promotions. You also want to measure how much sales your promotions bring for your business to determine its usefulness. Promotional strategies or programs that do not lead to profit need to be removed.

There are different types of promotional strategies you can adopt for your business, they include advertising, public relations, and content marketing.

Advertising

Your business plan should include your advertising plan which can be found in the marketing and sales plan section. You need to include an overview of your advertising plans such as the areas you plan to spend money on to advertise your business and offers.

Ensure that you make it clear in this section if your business will be advertising online or using the more traditional offline media, or the combination of both online and offline media. You can also include the advertising medium you want to use to raise awareness about your business and offers.

Some common online advertising mediums you can use include social media ads, landing pages, sales pages, SEO, Pay-Per-Click, emails, Google Ads, and others. Some common traditional and offline advertising mediums include word of mouth, radios, direct mail, televisions, flyers, billboards, posters, and others.

A key component of your advertising strategy is how you plan to measure the effectiveness and success of your advertising campaign. There is no point in sticking with an advertising plan or medium that does not produce results for your business in the long run.

Public Relations

A great way to reach your customers is to get the media to cover your business or product. Publicity, especially good ones, should be a part of your marketing and sales plan. In this section, show your plans for getting prominent reviews of your product from reputable publications and sources.

Your business needs that exposure to grow. If public relations is a crucial part of your promotional strategy, provide details about your public relations plan here.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is a popular promotional strategy used by businesses to inform and attract their customers. It is about teaching and educating your prospects on various topics of interest in your niche, it does not just involve informing them about the benefits and features of the products and services you have,

Businesses publish content usually for free where they provide useful information, tips, and advice so that their target market can be made aware of the importance of their products and services. Content marketing strategies seek to nurture prospects into buyers over time by simply providing value.

Your company can create a blog where it will be publishing content for its target market. You will need to use the best website builder such as Wix and Squarespace and the best web hosting services such as Bluehost, Hostinger, and other Bluehost alternatives to create a functional blog or website.

If content marketing is a crucial part of your promotional strategy (as it should be), detail your plans under promotions.

Including high-quality images of the packaging of your product in your business plan is a lovely idea. You can add the images of the packaging of that product in the marketing and sales plan section. If you are not selling a product, then you do not need to include any worry about the physical packaging of your product.

When organizing the packaging section of your business plan, you can answer the following questions to make maximum use of this section.

• Is your choice of packaging consistent with your positioning strategy?
• What key value proposition does your packaging communicate? (It should reflect the key value proposition of your business)
• How does your packaging compare to that of your competitors?

Social Media

Your 21st-century business needs to have a good social media presence. Not having one is leaving out opportunities for growth and reaching out to your prospect.

You do not have to join the thousands of social media platforms out there. What you need to do is join the ones that your customers are active on and be active there.

Businesses use social media to provide information about their products such as promotions, discounts, the benefits of their products, and content on their blogs.

Social media is also a platform for engaging with your customers and getting feedback about your products or services. Make no mistake, more and more of your prospects are using social media channels to find more information about companies.

You need to consider the social media channels you want to prioritize your business (prioritize the ones your customers are active in) and your branding plans in this section.

Strategic Alliances

If your company plans to work closely with other companies as part of your sales and marketing plan, include it in this section. Prove details about those partnerships in your business plan if you have already established them.

Strategic alliances can be beneficial for all parties involved including your company. Working closely with another company in the form of a partnership can provide access to a different target market segment for your company.

The company you are partnering with may also gain access to your target market or simply offer a new product or service (that of your company) to its customers.

Mutually beneficial partnerships can cover the weaknesses of one company with the strength of another. You should consider strategic alliances with companies that sell complimentary products to yours. For example, if you provide printers, you can partner with a company that produces ink since the customers that buy printers from you will also need inks for printing.

Steps Involved in Creating a Marketing and Sales Plan

1. Focus on Your Target Market

Identify who your customers are, the market you want to target. Then determine the best ways to get your products or services to your potential customers.

2. Evaluate Your Competition

One of the goals of having a marketing plan is to distinguish yourself from your competition. You cannot stand out from them without first knowing them in and out.

You can know your competitors by gathering information about their products, pricing, service, and advertising campaigns.

These questions can help you know your competition.

• What makes your competition successful?
• What are their weaknesses?
• What are customers saying about your competition?

3. Consider Your Brand

Customers' perception of your brand has a strong impact on your sales. Your marketing and sales plan should seek to bolster the image of your brand. Before you start marketing your business, think about the message you want to pass across about your business and your products and services.

4. Focus on Benefits

The majority of your customers do not view your product in terms of features, what they want to know is the benefits and solutions your product offers. Think about the problems your product solves and the benefits it delivers, and use it to create the right sales and marketing message.

Your marketing plan should focus on what you want your customer to get instead of what you provide. Identify those benefits in your marketing and sales plan.

5. Focus on Differentiation

Your marketing and sales plan should look for a unique angle they can take that differentiates your business from the competition, even if the products offered are similar. Some good areas of differentiation you can use are your benefits, pricing, and features.

Key Questions to Answer When Writing Your Marketing and Sales Plan

• What is your company’s budget for sales and marketing campaigns?
• What key metrics will you use to determine if your marketing plans are successful?
• What are your alternatives if your initial marketing efforts do not succeed?
• Who are the sales representatives you need to promote your products or services?
• What are the marketing and sales channels you plan to use? How do you plan to get your products in front of your ideal customers?
• Where will you sell your products?

You may want to include samples of marketing materials you plan to use such as print ads, website descriptions, and social media ads. While it is not compulsory to include these samples, it can help you better communicate your marketing and sales plan and objectives.

The purpose of the marketing and sales section is to answer this question “How will you reach your customers?” If you cannot convincingly provide an answer to this question, you need to rework your marketing and sales section.

7. Clearly Show Your Funding Request

If you are writing your business plan to ask for funding from investors or financial institutions, the funding request section is where you will outline your funding requirements. The funding request section should answer the question ‘How much money will your business need in the near future (3 to 5 years)?’

A good funding request section will clearly outline and explain the amount of funding your business needs over the next five years. You need to know the amount of money your business needs to make an accurate funding request.

Also, when writing your funding request, provide details of how the funds will be used over the period. Specify if you want to use the funds to buy raw materials or machinery, pay salaries, pay for advertisements, and cover specific bills such as rent and electricity.

In addition to explaining what you want to use the funds requested for, you need to clearly state the projected return on investment (ROI) . Investors and creditors want to know if your business can generate profit for them if they put funds into it.

Ensure you do not inflate the figures and stay as realistic as possible. Investors and financial institutions you are seeking funds from will do their research before investing money in your business.

If you are not sure of an exact number to request from, you can use some range of numbers as rough estimates. Add a best-case scenario and a work-case scenario to your funding request. Also, include a description of your strategic future financial plans such as selling your business or paying off debts.

Funding Request: Debt or Equity?

When making your funding request, specify the type of funding you want. Do you want debt or equity? Draw out the terms that will be applicable for the funding, and the length of time the funding request will cover.

Case for Equity

If your new business has not yet started generating profits, you are most likely preparing to sell equity in your business to raise capital at the early stage. Equity here refers to ownership. In this case, you are selling a portion of your company to raise capital.

Although this method of raising capital for your business does not put your business in debt, keep in mind that an equity owner may expect to play a key role in company decisions even if he does not hold a major stake in the company.

Most equity sales for startups are usually private transactions . If you are making a funding request by offering equity in exchange for funding, let the investor know that they will be paid a dividend (a share of the company’s profit). Also, let the investor know the process for selling their equity in your business.

Case for Debt

You may decide not to offer equity in exchange for funds, instead, you make a funding request with the promise to pay back the money borrowed at the agreed time frame.

When making a funding request with an agreement to pay back, note that you will have to repay your creditors both the principal amount borrowed and the interest on it. Financial institutions offer this type of funding for businesses.

Large companies combine both equity and debt in their capital structure. When drafting your business plan, decide if you want to offer both or one over the other.

Before you sell equity in exchange for funding in your business, consider if you are willing to accept not being in total control of your business. Also, before you seek loans in your funding request section, ensure that the terms of repayment are favorable.

You should set a clear timeline in your funding request so that potential investors and creditors can know what you are expecting. Some investors and creditors may agree to your funding request and then delay payment for longer than 30 days, meanwhile, your business needs an immediate cash injection to operate efficiently.

Additional Tips for Writing the Funding Request Section of your Business Plan

The funding request section is not necessary for every business, it is only needed by businesses who plan to use their business plan to secure funding.

If you are adding the funding request section to your business plan, provide an itemized summary of how you plan to use the funds requested. Hiring a lawyer, accountant, or other professionals may be necessary for the proper development of this section.

You should also gather and use financial statements that add credibility and support to your funding requests. Ensure that the financial statements you use should include your projected financial data such as projected cash flows, forecast statements, and expenditure budgets.

If you are an existing business, include all historical financial statements such as cash flow statements, balance sheets and income statements .

Provide monthly and quarterly financial statements for a year. If your business has records that date back beyond the one-year mark, add the yearly statements of those years. These documents are for the appendix section of your business plan.

8. Detail Your Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projections

If you used the funding request section in your business plan, supplement it with a financial plan, metrics, and projections. This section paints a picture of the past performance of your business and then goes ahead to make an informed projection about its future.

The goal of this section is to convince readers that your business is going to be a financial success. It outlines your business plan to generate enough profit to repay the loan (with interest if applicable) and to generate a decent return on investment for investors.

If you have an existing business already in operation, use this section to demonstrate stability through finance. This section should include your cash flow statements, balance sheets, and income statements covering the last three to five years. If your business has some acceptable collateral that you can use to acquire loans, list it in the financial plan, metrics, and projection section.

Apart from current financial statements, this section should also contain a prospective financial outlook that spans the next five years. Include forecasted income statements, cash flow statements, balance sheets, and capital expenditure budget.

If your business is new and is not yet generating profit, use clear and realistic projections to show the potentials of your business.

When drafting this section, research industry norms and the performance of comparable businesses. Your financial projections should cover at least five years. State the logic behind your financial projections. Remember you can always make adjustments to this section as the variables change.

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section create a baseline which your business can either exceed or fail to reach. If your business fails to reach your projections in this section, you need to understand why it failed.

Investors and loan managers spend a lot of time going through the financial plan, metrics, and projection section compared to other parts of the business plan. Ensure you spend time creating credible financial analyses for your business in this section.

Many entrepreneurs find this section daunting to write. You do not need a business degree to create a solid financial forecast for your business. Business finances, especially for startups, are not as complicated as they seem. There are several online tools and templates that make writing this section so much easier.

Use Graphs and Charts

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section is a great place to use graphs and charts to tell the financial story of your business. Charts and images make it easier to communicate your finances.

Accuracy in this section is key, ensure you carefully analyze your past financial statements properly before making financial projects.

Address the Risk Factors and Show Realistic Financial Projections

Keep your financial plan, metrics, and projection realistic. It is okay to be optimistic in your financial projection, however, you have to justify it.

You should also address the various risk factors associated with your business in this section. Investors want to know the potential risks involved, show them. You should also show your plans for mitigating those risks.

What You Should In The Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projection Section of Your Business Plan

The financial plan, metrics, and projection section of your business plan should have monthly sales and revenue forecasts for the first year. It should also include annual projections that cover 3 to 5 years.

A three-year projection is a basic requirement to have in your business plan. However, some investors may request a five-year forecast.

Your business plan should include the following financial statements: sales forecast, personnel plan, income statement, income statement, cash flow statement, balance sheet, and an exit strategy.

1. Sales Forecast

Sales forecast refers to your projections about the number of sales your business is going to record over the next few years. It is typically broken into several rows, with each row assigned to a core product or service that your business is offering.

One common mistake people make in their business plan is to break down the sales forecast section into long details. A sales forecast should forecast the high-level details.

For example, if you are forecasting sales for a payroll software provider, you could break down your forecast into target market segments or subscription categories.

Your sales forecast section should also have a corresponding row for each sales row to cover the direct cost or Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). The objective of these rows is to show the expenses that your business incurs in making and delivering your product or service.

Note that your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) should only cover those direct costs incurred when making your products. Other indirect expenses such as insurance, salaries, payroll tax, and rent should not be included.

For example, the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) for a restaurant is the cost of ingredients while for a consulting company it will be the cost of paper and other presentation materials.

2. Personnel Plan

The personnel plan section is where you provide details about the payment plan for your employees. For a small business, you can easily list every position in your company and how much you plan to pay in the personnel plan.

However, for larger businesses, you have to break the personnel plan into functional groups such as sales and marketing.

The personnel plan will also include the cost of an employee beyond salary, commonly referred to as the employee burden. These costs include insurance, payroll taxes , and other essential costs incurred monthly as a result of having employees on your payroll.

3. Income Statement

The income statement section shows if your business is making a profit or taking a loss. Another name for the income statement is the profit and loss (P&L). It takes data from your sales forecast and personnel plan and adds other ongoing expenses you incur while running your business.

Every business plan should have an income statement. It subtracts your business expenses from its earnings to show if your business is generating profit or incurring losses.

The income statement has the following items: sales, Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), gross margin, operating expenses, total operating expenses, operating income , total expenses, and net profit.

• Sales refer to the revenue your business generates from selling its products or services. Other names for sales are income or revenue.
• Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) refers to the total cost of selling your products. Other names for COGS are direct costs or cost of sales. Manufacturing businesses use the Costs of Goods Manufactured (COGM) .
• Gross Margin is the figure you get when you subtract your COGS from your sales. In your income statement, you can express it as a percentage of total sales (Gross margin / Sales = Gross Margin Percent).
• Operating Expenses refer to all the expenses you incur from running your business. It exempts the COGS because it stands alone as a core part of your income statement. You also have to exclude taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Your operating expenses include salaries, marketing expenses, research and development (R&D) expenses, and other expenses.
• Total Operating Expenses refers to the sum of all your operating expenses including those exemptions named above under operating expenses.
• Operating Income refers to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. It is simply known as the acronym EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization). Calculating your operating income is simple, all you need to do is to subtract your COGS and total operating expenses from your sales.
• Total Expenses refer to the sum of your operating expenses and your business’ interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.
• Net profit shows whether your business has made a profit or taken a loss during a given timeframe.

4. Cash Flow Statement

The cash flow statement tracks the money you have in the bank at any given point. It is often confused with the income statement or the profit and loss statement. They are both different types of financial statements. The income statement calculates your profits and losses while the cash flow statement shows you how much you have in the bank.

5. Balance Sheet

The balance sheet is a financial statement that provides an overview of the financial health of your business. It contains information about the assets and liabilities of your company, and owner’s or shareholders’ equity.

You can get the net worth of your company by subtracting your company’s liabilities from its assets.

6. Exit Strategy

The exit strategy refers to a probable plan for selling your business either to the public in an IPO or to another company. It is the last thing you include in the financial plan, metrics, and projection section.

You can choose to omit the exit strategy from your business plan if you plan to maintain full ownership of your business and do not plan on seeking angel investment or virtual capitalist (VC) funding.

Investors may want to know what your exit plan is. They invest in your business to get a good return on investment.

Your exit strategy does not have to include long and boring details. Ensure you identify some interested parties who may be interested in buying the company if it becomes a success.

Key Questions to Answer with Your Financial Plan, Metrics, and Projection

Your financial plan, metrics, and projection section helps investors, creditors, or your internal managers to understand what your expenses are, the amount of cash you need, and what it takes to make your company profitable. It also shows what you will be doing with any funding.

You do not need to show actual financial data if you do not have one. Adding forecasts and projections to your financial statements is added proof that your strategy is feasible and shows investors you have planned properly.

Here are some key questions to answer to help you develop this section.

• What is your sales forecast for the next year?
• When will your company achieve a positive cash flow?
• What are the core expenses you need to operate?
• How much money do you need upfront to operate or grow your company?
• How will you use the loans or investments?

9. Add an Appendix to Your Business Plan

Adding an appendix to your business plan is optional. It is a useful place to put any charts, tables, legal notes, definitions, permits, résumés, and other critical information that do not fit into other sections of your business plan.

The appendix section is where you would want to include details of a patent or patent-pending if you have one. You can always add illustrations or images of your products here. It is the last section of your business plan.

When writing your business plan, there are details you cut short or remove to prevent the entire section from becoming too lengthy. There are also details you want to include in the business plan but are not a good fit for any of the previous sections. You can add that additional information to the appendix section.

Businesses also use the appendix section to include supporting documents or other materials specially requested by investors or lenders.

You can include just about any information that supports the assumptions and statements you made in the business plan under the appendix. It is the one place in the business plan where unrelated data and information can coexist amicably.

If your appendix section is lengthy, try organizing it by adding a table of contents at the beginning of the appendix section. It is also advisable to group similar information to make it easier for the reader to access them.

A well-organized appendix section makes it easier to share your information clearly and concisely. Add footnotes throughout the rest of the business plan or make references in the plan to the documents in the appendix.

The appendix section is usually only necessary if you are seeking funding from investors or lenders, or hoping to attract partners.

People reading business plans do not want to spend time going through a heap of backup information, numbers, and charts. Keep these documents or information in the Appendix section in case the reader wants to dig deeper.

Common Items to Include in the Appendix Section of Your Business Plan

The appendix section includes documents that supplement or support the information or claims given in other sections of the business plans. Common items you can include in the appendix section include:

• Additional data about the process of manufacturing or creation
• Additional description of products or services such as product schematics
• Additional financial documents or projections
• Articles of incorporation and status
• Backup for market research or competitive analysis
• Bank statements
• Business registries
• Client testimonials (if your business is already running)
• Copies of insurances
• Credit histories (personal or/and business)
• Deeds and permits
• Equipment leases
• Examples of marketing and advertising collateral
• Industry associations and memberships
• Images of product
• Intellectual property
• Key customer contracts
• Legal documents and other contracts
• Letters of reference
• Links to references
• Market research data
• Organizational charts
• Photographs of potential facilities
• Professional licenses pertaining to your legal structure or type of business
• Purchase orders
• Resumes of the founder(s) and key managers
• State and federal identification numbers or codes
• Trademarks or patents’ registrations

Avoid using the appendix section as a place to dump any document or information you feel like adding. Only add documents or information that you support or increase the credibility of your business plan.

Tips and Strategies for Writing a Convincing Business Plan

To achieve a perfect business plan, you need to consider some key tips and strategies. These tips will raise the efficiency of your business plan above average.

1. Know Your Audience

When writing a business plan, you need to know your audience . Business owners write business plans for different reasons. Your business plan has to be specific. For example, you can write business plans to potential investors, banks, and even fellow board members of the company.

The audience you are writing to determines the structure of the business plan. As a business owner, you have to know your audience. Not everyone will be your audience. Knowing your audience will help you to narrow the scope of your business plan.

Consider what your audience wants to see in your projects, the likely questions they might ask, and what interests them.

• A business plan used to address a company's board members will center on its employment schemes, internal affairs, projects, stakeholders, etc.
• A business plan for financial institutions will talk about the size of your market and the chances for you to pay back any loans you demand.
• A business plan for investors will show proof that you can return the investment capital within a specific time. In addition, it discusses your financial projections, tractions, and market size.

2. Get Inspiration from People

Writing a business plan from scratch as an entrepreneur can be daunting. That is why you need the right inspiration to push you to write one. You can gain inspiration from the successful business plans of other businesses. Look at their business plans, the style they use, the structure of the project, etc.

To make your business plan easier to create, search companies related to your business to get an exact copy of what you need to create an effective business plan. You can also make references while citing examples in your business plans.

When drafting your business plan, get as much help from others as you possibly can. By getting inspiration from people, you can create something better than what they have.

3. Avoid Being Over Optimistic

Many business owners make use of strong adjectives to qualify their content. One of the big mistakes entrepreneurs make when preparing a business plan is promising too much.

The use of superlatives and over-optimistic claims can prepare the audience for more than you can offer. In the end, you disappoint the confidence they have in you.

In most cases, the best option is to be realistic with your claims and statistics. Most of the investors can sense a bit of incompetency from the overuse of superlatives. As a new entrepreneur, do not be tempted to over-promise to get the interests of investors.

The concept of entrepreneurship centers on risks, nothing is certain when you make future analyses. What separates the best is the ability to do careful research and work towards achieving that, not promising more than you can achieve.

To make an excellent first impression as an entrepreneur, replace superlatives with compelling data-driven content. In this way, you are more specific than someone promising a huge ROI from an investment.

4. Keep it Simple and Short

When writing business plans, ensure you keep them simple throughout. Irrespective of the purpose of the business plan, your goal is to convince the audience.

One way to achieve this goal is to make them understand your proposal. Therefore, it would be best if you avoid the use of complex grammar to express yourself. It would be a huge turn-off if the people you want to convince are not familiar with your use of words.

Another thing to note is the length of your business plan. It would be best if you made it as brief as possible.

You hardly see investors or agencies that read through an extremely long document. In that case, if your first few pages can’t convince them, then you have lost it. The more pages you write, the higher the chances of you derailing from the essential contents.

To ensure your business plan has a high conversion rate, you need to dispose of every unnecessary information. For example, if you have a strategy that you are not sure of, it would be best to leave it out of the plan.

5. Make an Outline and Follow Through

A perfect business plan must have touched every part needed to convince the audience. Business owners get easily tempted to concentrate more on their products than on other sections. Doing this can be detrimental to the efficiency of the business plan.

For example, imagine you talking about a product but omitting or providing very little information about the target audience. You will leave your clients confused.

To ensure that your business plan communicates your full business model to readers, you have to input all the necessary information in it. One of the best ways to achieve this is to design a structure and stick to it.

This structure is what guides you throughout the writing. To make your work easier, you can assign an estimated word count or page limit to every section to avoid making it too bulky for easy reading. As a guide, the necessary things your business plan must contain are:

• Table of contents
• Introduction
• Product or service description
• Target audience
• Market size
• Competition analysis
• Financial projections

Some specific businesses can include some other essential sections, but these are the key sections that must be in every business plan.

6. Ask a Professional to Proofread

When writing a business plan, you must tie all loose ends to get a perfect result. When you are done with writing, call a professional to go through the document for you. You are bound to make mistakes, and the way to correct them is to get external help.

You should get a professional in your field who can relate to every section of your business plan. It would be easier for the professional to notice the inner flaws in the document than an editor with no knowledge of your business.

In addition to getting a professional to proofread, get an editor to proofread and edit your document. The editor will help you identify grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and inappropriate writing styles.

Writing a business plan can be daunting, but you can surmount that obstacle and get the best out of it with these tips.

Business Plan Examples and Templates That’ll Save You Tons of Time

1. hubspot's one-page business plan.

The one-page business plan template by HubSpot is the perfect guide for businesses of any size, irrespective of their business strategy. Although the template is condensed into a page, your final business plan should not be a page long! The template is designed to ask helpful questions that can help you develop your business plan.

Hubspot’s one-page business plan template is divided into nine fields:

• Business opportunity
• Company description
• Industry analysis
• Target market
• Implementation timeline
• Marketing plan
• Financial summary
• Funding required

2. Bplan’s Free Business Plan Template

Bplans' free business plan template is investor-approved. It is a rich template used by prestigious educational institutions such as Babson College and Princeton University to teach entrepreneurs how to create a business plan.

The template has six sections: the executive summary, opportunity, execution, company, financial plan, and appendix. There is a step-by-step guide for writing every little detail in the business plan. Follow the instructions each step of the way and you will create a business plan that impresses investors or lenders easily.

3. HubSpot's Downloadable Business Plan Template

HubSpot’s downloadable business plan template is a more comprehensive option compared to the one-page business template by HubSpot. This free and downloadable business plan template is designed for entrepreneurs.

The template is a comprehensive guide and checklist for business owners just starting their businesses. It tells you everything you need to fill in each section of the business plan and how to do it.

There are nine sections in this business plan template: an executive summary, company and business description, product and services line, market analysis, marketing plan, sales plan, legal notes, financial considerations, and appendix.

4. Business Plan by My Own Business Institute

My Own Business Institute (MOBI) which is a part of Santa Clara University's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship offers a free business plan template. You can either copy the free business template from the link provided above or download it as a Word document.

The comprehensive template consists of a whopping 15 sections.

• The Business Profile
• The Vision and the People
• Home-Based Business and Freelance Business Opportunities
• Organization
• Licenses and Permits
• Business Insurance
• Communication Tools
• Acquisitions
• Location and Leasing
• Accounting and Cash Flow
• Opening and Marketing
• Managing Employees
• Expanding and Handling Problems

There are lots of helpful tips on how to fill each section in the free business plan template by MOBI.

5. Score's Business Plan Template for Startups

Score is an American nonprofit organization that helps entrepreneurs build successful companies. This business plan template for startups by Score is available for free download. The business plan template asks a whooping 150 generic questions that help entrepreneurs from different fields to set up the perfect business plan.

The business plan template for startups contains clear instructions and worksheets, all you have to do is answer the questions and fill the worksheets.

There are nine sections in the business plan template: executive summary, company description, products and services, marketing plan, operational plan, management and organization, startup expenses and capitalization, financial plan, and appendices.

The ‘refining the plan’ resource contains instructions that help you modify your business plan to suit your specific needs, industry, and target audience. After you have completed Score’s business plan template, you can work with a SCORE mentor for expert advice in business planning.

6. Minimalist Architecture Business Plan Template by Venngage

The minimalist architecture business plan template is a simple template by Venngage that you can customize to suit your business needs .

There are five sections in the template: an executive summary, statement of problem, approach and methodology, qualifications, and schedule and benchmark. The business plan template has instructions that guide users on what to fill in each section.

7. Small Business Administration Free Business Plan Template

The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers two free business plan templates, filled with practical real-life examples that you can model to create your business plan. Both free business plan templates are written by fictional business owners: Rebecca who owns a consulting firm, and Andrew who owns a toy company.

There are five sections in the two SBA’s free business plan templates.

• Executive Summary
• Company Description
• Service Line
• Marketing and Sales

8. The $100 Startup's One-Page Business Plan

The one-page business plan by the $100 startup is a simple business plan template for entrepreneurs who do not want to create a long and complicated plan . You can include more details in the appendices for funders who want more information beyond what you can put in the one-page business plan.

There are five sections in the one-page business plan such as overview, ka-ching, hustling, success, and obstacles or challenges or open questions. You can answer all the questions using one or two sentences.

9. PandaDoc’s Free Business Plan Template

The free business plan template by PandaDoc is a comprehensive 15-page document that describes the information you should include in every section.

There are 11 sections in PandaDoc’s free business plan template.

• Executive summary
• Business description
• Products and services
• Operations plan
• Management organization
• Financial plan
• Conclusion / Call to action
• Confidentiality statement

You have to sign up for its 14-day free trial to access the template. You will find different business plan templates on PandaDoc once you sign up (including templates for general businesses and specific businesses such as bakeries, startups, restaurants, salons, hotels, and coffee shops)

PandaDoc allows you to customize its business plan templates to fit the needs of your business. After editing the template, you can send it to interested parties and track opens and views through PandaDoc.

10. Invoiceberry Templates for Word, Open Office, Excel, or PPT

InvoiceBerry is a U.K based online invoicing and tracking platform that offers free business plan templates in .docx, .odt, .xlsx, and .pptx formats for freelancers and small businesses.

Before you can download the free business plan template, it will ask you to give it your email address. After you complete the little task, it will send the download link to your inbox for you to download. It also provides a business plan checklist in .xlsx file format that ensures you add the right information to the business plan.

Alternatives to the Traditional Business Plan

A business plan is very important in mapping out how one expects their business to grow over a set number of years, particularly when they need external investment in their business. However, many investors do not have the time to watch you present your business plan. It is a long and boring read.

Luckily, there are three alternatives to the traditional business plan (the Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas, and Startup Pitch Deck). These alternatives are less laborious and easier and quicker to present to investors.

Business Model Canvas (BMC)

The business model canvas is a business tool used to present all the important components of setting up a business, such as customers, route to market, value proposition, and finance in a single sheet. It provides a very focused blueprint that defines your business initially which you can later expand on if needed.

The sheet is divided mainly into company, industry, and consumer models that are interconnected in how they find problems and proffer solutions.

Segments of the Business Model Canvas

The business model canvas was developed by founder Alexander Osterwalder to answer important business questions. It contains nine segments.

• Key Partners: Who will be occupying important executive positions in your business? What do they bring to the table? Will there be a third party involved with the company?
• Key Activities: What important activities will production entail? What activities will be carried out to ensure the smooth running of the company?
• The Product’s Value Propositions: What does your product do? How will it be different from other products?
• Customer Segments: What demography of consumers are you targeting? What are the habits of these consumers? Who are the MVPs of your target consumers?
• Customer Relationships: How will the team support and work with its customer base? How do you intend to build and maintain trust with the customer?
• Key Resources: What type of personnel and tools will be needed? What size of the budget will they need access to?
• Channels: How do you plan to create awareness of your products? How do you intend to transport your product to the customer?
• Cost Structure: What is the estimated cost of production? How much will distribution cost?
• Revenue Streams: For what value are customers willing to pay? How do they prefer to pay for the product? Are there any external revenues attached apart from the main source? How do the revenue streams contribute to the overall revenue?

Lean Canvas

The lean canvas is a problem-oriented alternative to the standard business model canvas. It was proposed by Ash Maurya, creator of Lean Stack as a development of the business model generation. It uses a more problem-focused approach and it majorly targets entrepreneurs and startup businesses.

Lean Canvas uses the same 9 blocks concept as the business model canvas, however, they have been modified slightly to suit the needs and purpose of a small startup. The key partners, key activities, customer relationships, and key resources are replaced by new segments which are:

• Problem: Simple and straightforward number of problems you have identified, ideally three.
• Solution: The solutions to each problem.
• Unfair Advantage: Something you possess that can't be easily bought or replicated.
• Key Metrics: Important numbers that will tell how your business is doing.

Startup Pitch Deck

While the business model canvas compresses into a factual sheet, startup pitch decks expand flamboyantly.

Pitch decks, through slides, convey your business plan, often through graphs and images used to emphasize estimations and observations in your presentation. Entrepreneurs often use pitch decks to fully convince their target audience of their plans before discussing funding arrangements.

Considering the likelihood of it being used in a small time frame, a good startup pitch deck should ideally contain 20 slides or less to have enough time to answer questions from the audience.

Unlike the standard and lean business model canvases, a pitch deck doesn't have a set template on how to present your business plan but there are still important components to it. These components often mirror those of the business model canvas except that they are in slide form and contain more details.

Using Airbnb (one of the most successful start-ups in recent history) for reference, the important components of a good slide are listed below.

• Cover/Introduction Slide: Here, you should include your company's name and mission statement. Your mission statement should be a very catchy tagline. Also, include personal information and contact details to provide an easy link for potential investors.
• Problem Slide: This slide requires you to create a connection with the audience or the investor that you are pitching. For example in their pitch, Airbnb summarized the most important problems it would solve in three brief points – pricing of hotels, disconnection from city culture, and connection problems for local bookings.
• Solution Slide: This slide includes your core value proposition. List simple and direct solutions to the problems you have mentioned
• Customer Analysis: Here you will provide information on the customers you will be offering your service to. The identity of your customers plays an important part in fundraising as well as the long-run viability of the business.
• Market Validation: Use competitive analysis to show numbers that prove the presence of a market for your product, industry behavior in the present and the long run, as well as the percentage of the market you aim to attract. It shows that you understand your competitors and customers and convinces investors of the opportunities presented in the market.
• Business Model: Your business model is the hook of your presentation. It may vary in complexity but it should generally include a pricing system informed by your market analysis. The goal of the slide is to confirm your business model is easy to implement.
• Marketing Strategy: This slide should summarize a few customer acquisition methods that you plan to use to grow the business.
• Competitive Advantage: What this slide will do is provide information on what will set you apart and make you a more attractive option to customers. It could be the possession of technology that is not widely known in the market.
• Team Slide: Here you will give a brief description of your team. Include your key management personnel here and their specific roles in the company. Include their educational background, job history, and skillsets. Also, talk about their accomplishments in their careers so far to build investors' confidence in members of your team.
• Traction Slide: This validates the company’s business model by showing growth through early sales and support. The slide aims to reduce any lingering fears in potential investors by showing realistic periodic milestones and profit margins. It can include current sales, growth, valuable customers, pre-orders, or data from surveys outlining current consumer interest.
• Funding Slide: This slide is popularly referred to as ‘the ask'. Here you will include important details like how much is needed to get your business off the ground and how the funding will be spent to help the company reach its goals.
• Appendix Slides: Your pitch deck appendix should always be included alongside a standard pitch presentation. It consists of additional slides you could not show in the pitch deck but you need to complement your presentation.

It is important to support your calculations with pictorial renditions. Infographics, such as pie charts or bar graphs, will be more effective in presenting the information than just listing numbers. For example, a six-month graph that shows rising profit margins will easily look more impressive than merely writing it.

Lastly, since a pitch deck is primarily used to secure meetings and you may be sharing your pitch with several investors, it is advisable to keep a separate public version that doesn't include financials. Only disclose the one with projections once you have secured a link with an investor.

Advantages of the Business Model Canvas, Lean Canvas, and Startup Pitch Deck over the Traditional Business Plan

• Time-Saving: Writing a detailed traditional business plan could take weeks or months. On the other hand, all three alternatives can be done in a few days or even one night of brainstorming if you have a comprehensive understanding of your business.
• Easier to Understand: Since the information presented is almost entirely factual, it puts focus on what is most important in running the business. They cut away the excess pages of fillers in a traditional business plan and allow investors to see what is driving the business and what is getting in the way.
• Easy to Update: Businesses typically present their business plans to many potential investors before they secure funding. What this means is that you may regularly have to amend your presentation to update statistics or adjust to audience-specific needs. For a traditional business plan, this could mean rewriting a whole section of your plan. For the three alternatives, updating is much easier because they are not voluminous.
• Guide for a More In-depth Business Plan: All three alternatives have the added benefit of being able to double as a sketch of your business plan if the need to create one arises in the future.

Business Plan FAQ

Business plans are important for any entrepreneur who is looking for a framework to run their company over some time or seeking external support. Although they are essential for new businesses, every company should ideally have a business plan to track their growth from time to time.  They can be used by startups seeking investments or loans to convey their business ideas or an employee to convince his boss of the feasibility of starting a new project. They can also be used by companies seeking to recruit high-profile employee targets into key positions or trying to secure partnerships with other firms.

Business plans often vary depending on your target audience, the scope, and the goals for the plan. Startup plans are the most common among the different types of business plans.  A start-up plan is used by a new business to present all the necessary information to help get the business up and running. They are usually used by entrepreneurs who are seeking funding from investors or bank loans. The established company alternative to a start-up plan is a feasibility plan. A feasibility plan is often used by an established company looking for new business opportunities. They are used to show the upsides of creating a new product for a consumer base. Because the audience is usually company people, it requires less company analysis. The third type of business plan is the lean business plan. A lean business plan is a brief, straight-to-the-point breakdown of your ideas and analysis for your business. It does not contain details of your proposal and can be written on one page. Finally, you have the what-if plan. As it implies, a what-if plan is a preparation for the worst-case scenario. You must always be prepared for the possibility of your original plan being rejected. A good what-if plan will serve as a good plan B to the original.

A good business plan has 10 key components. They include an executive plan, product analysis, desired customer base, company analysis, industry analysis, marketing strategy, sales strategy, financial projection, funding, and appendix. Executive Plan Your business should begin with your executive plan. An executive plan will provide early insight into what you are planning to achieve with your business. It should include your mission statement and highlight some of the important points which you will explain later. Product Analysis The next component of your business plan is your product analysis. A key part of this section is explaining the type of item or service you are going to offer as well as the market problems your product will solve. Desired Consumer Base Your product analysis should be supplemented with a detailed breakdown of your desired consumer base. Investors are always interested in knowing the economic power of your market as well as potential MVP customers. Company Analysis The next component of your business plan is your company analysis. Here, you explain how you want to run your business. It will include your operational strategy, an insight into the workforce needed to keep the company running, and important executive positions. It will also provide a calculation of expected operational costs.  Industry Analysis A good business plan should also contain well laid out industry analysis. It is important to convince potential investors you know the companies you will be competing with, as well as your plans to gain an edge on the competition. Marketing Strategy Your business plan should also include your marketing strategy. This is how you intend to spread awareness of your product. It should include a detailed explanation of the company brand as well as your advertising methods. Sales Strategy Your sales strategy comes after the market strategy. Here you give an overview of your company's pricing strategy and how you aim to maximize profits. You can also explain how your prices will adapt to market behaviors. Financial Projection The financial projection is the next component of your business plan. It explains your company's expected running cost and revenue earned during the tenure of the business plan. Financial projection gives a clear idea of how your company will develop in the future. Funding The next component of your business plan is funding. You have to detail how much external investment you need to get your business idea off the ground here. Appendix The last component of your plan is the appendix. This is where you put licenses, graphs, or key information that does not fit in any of the other components.

The business model canvas is a business management tool used to quickly define your business idea and model. It is often used when investors need you to pitch your business idea during a brief window.

A pitch deck is similar to a business model canvas except that it makes use of slides in its presentation. A pitch is not primarily used to secure funding, rather its main purpose is to entice potential investors by selling a very optimistic outlook on the business.

Business plan competitions help you evaluate the strength of your business plan. By participating in business plan competitions, you are improving your experience. The experience provides you with a degree of validation while practicing important skills. The main motivation for entering into the competitions is often to secure funding by finishing in podium positions. There is also the chance that you may catch the eye of a casual observer outside of the competition. These competitions also provide good networking opportunities. You could meet mentors who will take a keen interest in guiding you in your business journey. You also have the opportunity to meet other entrepreneurs whose ideas can complement yours.

Exlore Further

• 12 Key Elements of a Business Plan (Top Components Explained)
• 13 Sources of Business Finance For Companies & Sole Traders
• 5 Common Types of Business Structures (+ Pros & Cons)
• How to Buy a Business in 8 Steps (+ Due Diligence Checklist)

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Martin luenendonk.

Martin loves entrepreneurship and has helped dozens of entrepreneurs by validating the business idea, finding scalable customer acquisition channels, and building a data-driven organization. During his time working in investment banking, tech startups, and industry-leading companies he gained extensive knowledge in using different software tools to optimize business processes.

This insights and his love for researching SaaS products enables him to provide in-depth, fact-based software reviews to enable software buyers make better decisions.

BUSINESS STRATEGIES

How to create a defensible eCommerce business plan

• Allison Lee
• 15 hours ago

In order for your online business to survive its first precarious years—and to thrive beyond them—you need a solid ecommerce business plan.

Most eCommerce websites  are built on a dream, a passion or a noble goal of fixing something that lacks a proper solution.

But unfortunately, many businesses don’t last more than a few months. A discouraging truth about eCommerce is that 90% of startups fail  in the first 120 days.

After all, some of the most common reasons why businesses fail include lack of capital, inadequate management, and a faulty business model. Much of this is a symptom of poor planning. Here’s how you can better plan for your brand’s future and create a strong eCommerce business  plan in order to bring your eCommerce business ideas  to life.

What is an eCommerce business plan?

A business plan  is a roadmap for how to structure, operate, and manage your business. It includes the important elements that define your company—such as your name, description, capital needs, product categories, target market characteristics, and business goals.

A thoughtful ecommerce business plan can prepare your store for a successful launch and/or help it to scale in the right ways. In the latter case, an annual business plan review and revision can help you adapt to industry changes and anticipate new trends or consumer behaviors.

In a nutshell, an ecommerce business plan helps you to:

Secure funding: By having a business plan that details the who, what, where, when, and hows of your business—you’ll enjoy an easier time building trust with investors and piquing their interest.

Filter distractions: New trends and distractions crop up all the time in eCommerce, making it especially important to have a plan that holds your business accountable to (read: focused on) particular goals.

Do your due diligence: When you’re first figuring out how to start a business , it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and act on gut feelings. But building a business plan requires you to slow down and perform more thorough research on your target market, product(s), financial plan, and more.

Plan for the long term: Your business plan will help you to better gauge where your business should be in both the short and long terms. It can also act as a compass, estimating the steps you need to take to get from where you are today to where you want to go.   

Grow your team: An ecommerce business plan not only gives you a sense of who to hire and when, but serves as the glue binding your team to one, clearly defined vision.

Grow your operations: Between your tech stack, staff, supply chain, website, and more—there’s a lot that needs to be put into motion before your eCommerce business can take off. Your business plan should outline all of these moving parts, helping you strategically build out your operations.

How to create an eCommerce business plan

An eCommerce business plan is structured similarly to a traditional business plan. However, it will detail things like your website builder, sales channels, fulfillment process, and goals that are distinct to building an online store  and running it successfully.

Here’s a breakdown of what you should include in your plan and how to create it:

Write your executive summary  

Include your company name, description, and domain  

Perform eCommerce market analysis  

List the products you’re selling and why  

Plot your operations plan  

Set out your marketing and advertising plan  

Lay out your financial plan  

01. Write your executive summary

Though this is published at the beginning of your business plan, your executive summary should be written last.

This summary is exactly as it sounds. It connects and introduces all the components of your document for readers who want a brief overview of what your business is all about. It’s similar to a hook or an elevator pitch that compels readers to continue scrolling.

Keep this summary short. Do not exceed one page, and include a brief description of your product or service, growth opportunities, and why your business is set up for success. What do investors or teammates need to know right off the bat?

02. Include your company name and description

In this section, you’ll want to outline the who, what and why of your business. Rather than going into details about the products you plan to sell (this comes later), talk about your vision for the company. Share your motivations, values and problems that you plan to solve.

Your description can include things like:

Brand name: Selecting a meaningful name is particularly important for eCommerce businesses since your website domain will be closely associated with your brand. Jeff Bezos famously named Amazon after the world’s largest river because his goal was to create the world’s largest bookstore, but also didn’t want to be tied to books. Similarly, you’ll want to pick a name that you won’t outgrow. If you need some inspiration, give Wix’s store name generator  a whirl or check out this guide to eCommerce business names .

Domain name : At this point, you’ll want to have registered a domain name. Use Wix’s domain name search  to check if your preferred domain is available. If the domain is taken, you can take one of several steps: contact the site owner directly, tweak your domain (e.g., add a verb like “get” to the front of your name), use a different TLD than .com, or use an abbreviated form of your name.

Background: Your description is a great place to share why you started your ecommerce business in the first place. What inspired you to create your brand? Who do you plan to serve? What do you plan to accomplish? While you want to avoid waxing poetic here, it’s worth giving your readers an inside look into the history of your company.

Vision: Your vision statement  should capture the ideal state of your business. In other words, what is the future that you’re building towards—not just now, but five or 10 years from now?

Mission: Your mission statement , on the other hand, should express what you’re striving and able to achieve now. While your vision statement provides the 30,000 foot view of your company, your mission statement acts as a compass for your team and keeps them motivated to do their best.

Business structure: Be clear about whether your company is a sole proprietorship, an LLC , s-corporation, c-corporation or partnership . If you’re not sure which applies to you or which one to pursue, consult a lawyer or accountant.

Key personnel: Name key team members like your cofounders, CEO, partners, and upper management. There should be no question about who owns the company and who is responsible for managing what. This is not something just meant for appearances—your team should be well-structured to ensure efficiency and growth.

Core values: Your values should represent how you plan to run your ecommerce business. Investors and employees will want to know that they’re backing the right horse, not just from a financial perspective but from a human perspective. Your values will naturally make an appearance in your vision, mission, and background, but make sure that your values are clearly stated for readers to refer back to.

03. Perform eCommerce market analysis

Your ecommerce business plan should include extensive information about your industry and the people you plan to serve. The last thing you want to do is enter the ring blindly or operate based on assumptions alone.

This section should describe everything from the barriers to entry, to how your business fits into the existing landscape, to how much opportunity exists. Remember that you’re the expert here. Not everyone who gets their hands on this doc will have as much insight into the industry—nor the time to research it on their own—so you’ll want to provide all the essential information up front.

Target market: Estimate the number of consumers who need your product (based on real independent research) and how often they may make a purchase. Revisit your buyer personas  and describe who you’re planning to target. Is the need for your product growing, based on the climate of your industry? What consumer behaviors have you observed? Are there any doubts or questions that you should address?

Competitive analysis: Identify your top competitors and perform a deep dive into their strengths, weaknesses, top products, pricing strategies, and more. You should know how your business stacks up against these players. For example, many companies manufacture and sell hair and body care products but Lush built its reputation by taking a stand against animal testing, over packaging and harsh synthetic ingredients. The company has a clear niche within the cosmetics and bath products industry. They create unique, memorable products that are easy to differentiate from competitors (and fuel brand loyalty). The most important thing at this stage is to be honest in your assessment. Don’t turn a blind eye to areas where your company needs to improve or any risks that you run. At the same time, zero in on any product gaps or niches that your company can effectively target to get ahead of competitors.

Special considerations: As an eCommerce business, you may not simply sell D2C  from your branded site. You may also choose to sell on third-party marketplaces like Amazon, sell wholesale, or open brick-and-mortar locations. Each of these may involve a different set of competitors and buyers. Take the time to look into each of these channels separately. Understand how you plan to compete on all of these different fronts (or perhaps now is a good time to define which is most important to start off with).

04. List the products you’re selling and why you’re selling them

By now, you’ve likely mentioned your product several times within your ecommerce business plan. Still, you’ll want to have a section that clearly lists out your products.

In this section, describe your pricing, product positioning , margins, product life cycle , and key differentiators. You can include pictures and product reviews if you’ve already tested your items in the market. Or, if you’re still in the research and development phase, describe your timeline and progress in detail.

It should be clear whether your products are private label  or sourced elsewhere. If you only sell a few items, provide a more detailed description of each. Alternatively, if your catalog is too large to list out, give a more general overview of each product type, plus the strategy behind them.

05. Plot your operations plan

If your ecommerce business plan is meant to serve as an internal doc for your team to use (or even if you want investors to see where your capital is going), include a section that describes how you plan on tackling logistics and operations. There are tons of things to keep track of on this front, from the suppliers you’ll need to work with to the storage space you’ll require.

Here’s a breakdown of information you can include.

Suppliers: List out your suppliers for raw and/or finished goods. Where are they located? How do you plan on connecting with and managing them?

Production: Are you dropshipping , manufacturing, hand-crafting, or buying your products wholesale? Include details like lead time, contingency plans (for when demand spikes), and other essential details about your supply chain.

Equipment: What hardware and software will you need to conduct business? Include your website builder and other subscription-based tools that you’ll need.

Warehousing: Explain where you plan on storing your products—whether that be your own warehouse or a third-party logistics (3PL) provider.

Facilities: Do you plan on opening a brick-and-mortar location or will you have a designated office space? Include where your team members will be operating out of and how that might change as you grow.

Personnel: You’ll want to be clear about the chain of command and which roles are filled or need to be filled. Don’t forget to think about any legal or accounting needs, in addition to board members, consultants, and employees.

Inventory: How do you plan on handling inventory management ? This is an area where lots of ecommerce businesses stumble, so you’ll want to have a clear strategy (and the necessary technology) to keep this in check across all of your sales channels.

Shipping and fulfillment: Do you plan on fulfilling orders on your own or will you outsource this responsibility? Moreover, how will you handle international shipping if your brand plans on selling overseas?

06. Set out your marketing and advertising plan

It’s no secret that you need a good marketing and advertising plan to grow your eCommerce business .

But you may be surprised to know that a staggering 37% of surveyed startup owners  said that poor online marketing caused their businesses to fail. Of this cohort, 35% said that a lack of online search visibility was the top reason.

That’s why you don’t want to haphazardly build your eCommerce marketing strategy . Think of—and document—the various components of your strategy:

Social media ads

Content marketing/SEO

Organic social media

Email marketing

Influencer marketing

Promos/discounts

Affiliate marketing

Loyalty programs

Events/pop-ups/trade shows

Radio or TV

Brand partnerships

A strong marketing plan  doesn’t necessarily require a big advertising budget. But you’ll want to name your top channels upfront and specify whether these things will be handled in-house or with an agency’s help.

07. Lay out your financial plan

So you’ve got big plans for your ecommerce business. How will you fund them?

This is where you reassure readers that your head isn’t just in the clouds. While this is probably the least fun to write, the viability of your online business (and your reader’s confidence in you) relies on having a firm grasp of the numbers.

If you plan to seek financing, then investors and lenders will want a sales forecast along with your list of expenses (this includes both fixed costs and variable costs) to ultimately ensure that they’re making a sound investment.

Or, if you don’t plan on seeking third-party funding, a financial plan still tells you how much money you’ll need to run your business and helps to protect you from unwelcome surprises. The last thing you want is to run out of money before you can establish yourself—which is one of the top five reasons that eCommerce startups failed in the same survey mentioned above.

Consider including theses elements within your ecommerce financial plan:

Startup cost

Income and expenses

Balance sheet

Cash flow statement

Break even point

Customer acquisition cost

Key assumptions

Financial projects for next five years

Whether you’ve just dipped your foot in eCommerce or have been in business for years now, you’ll need an up-to-date business plan to run a tight ship. Download our free business plan template  today and build a solid foundation for your brand.

eCommerce business plan FAQ

Why do i need an ecommerce business plan.

Having an eCommerce business plan is essential for several reasons. It serves as a roadmap that outlines your business goals, strategies, and tactics, helping you navigate the complexities of starting and running an online store.

What are the main steps included in an eCommerce business plan?

Related posts.

7 types of eCommerce you need to know to succeed

What are eCommerce KPIs and how to track them?

28 best eCommerce tools to power your online store’s growth

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Sample Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan

Writing a business plan is a crucial step in starting a digital marketing agency. Not only does it provide structure and guidance for the future, but it also helps to create funding opportunities and attract potential investors. For aspiring digital marketing agency owners, having access to a sample digital marketing agency business plan can be especially helpful in providing direction and gaining insight into how to draft their own digital marketing agency business plan.

Download our Ultimate Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan Template

Having a thorough business plan in place is critical for any successful digital marketing agency venture. It will serve as the foundation for your operations, setting out the goals and objectives that will help guide your decisions and actions. A well-written business plan can give you clarity on realistic financial projections and help you secure financing from lenders or investors. A digital marketing agency business plan example can be a great resource to draw upon when creating your own plan, making sure that all the key components are included in your document.

The digital marketing agency business plan sample below will give you an idea of what one should look like. It is not as comprehensive and successful in raising capital for your digital marketing agency as Growthink’s Ultimate Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan Template , but it can help you write a digital marketing agency business plan of your own.

Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan Example – ClickPulse Strategies

Table of contents, executive summary, company overview, industry analysis, customer analysis, competitive analysis, marketing plan, operations plan, management team, financial plan.

Welcome to ClickPulse Strategies, our innovative digital marketing agency based in the heart of Washington, DC. We identified a niche in the local market for premium digital marketing services and have positioned ourselves to meet this demand. Our mission is to amplify our clients’ online presence through a comprehensive suite of services including Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Marketing (SMM), and Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC). We are dedicated to providing tailored strategies and personalized attention to our clients, ensuring they achieve their digital marketing goals. With our strategic location in Washington, DC, we have a unique insight into the local market dynamics, which enables us to serve our clients with the understanding and efficiency they deserve.

Our foundation is solidly built on the rich experience of our founder, who previously led a successful digital marketing agency. This experience is crucial to our confidence in steering our clients towards success. Since our inception on January 5, 2024, we have achieved significant milestones including the development of our unique company logo, securing a prime office location, and crafting a distinct company name. These accomplishments, though early in our journey, have laid a strong foundation for our future growth. Our comprehensive range of services, coupled with our commitment to excellence, sets us apart from competitors, making us the preferred choice for businesses seeking to enhance their digital presence.

The Digital Marketing Agency industry in the United States is valued at over $50 billion, reflecting the critical role of digital marketing in today’s business landscape. With a projected compound annual growth rate of 10% over the next five years, the industry is on a steady trajectory of growth, driven by the widespread adoption of digital technologies, the rise of social media, and the emphasis on data-driven marketing strategies. Trends such as personalized marketing campaigns, artificial intelligence, and mobile marketing align well with our services at ClickPulse Strategies. Located in Washington, DC, we are perfectly positioned to leverage these industry trends to offer innovative solutions to businesses aiming to enhance their online visibility and engagement.

At ClickPulse Strategies, we target a diverse clientele including local residents of Washington, DC, small to mid-sized businesses, non-profit organizations, and educational institutions. Our tailored services are designed to meet the unique digital marketing needs of each group, ensuring high engagement and satisfaction. By focusing on the specific goals and audiences of our clients, we provide customized digital marketing solutions that significantly improve their online presence and customer engagement, making digital marketing accessible and effective for everyone.

Our main competitors in the Washington, DC area include Alliance Interactive, Elevation, and Capital Practice Consulting, each offering specialized digital marketing services. Despite their strengths, ClickPulse Strategies differentiates itself through a comprehensive suite of services, expertise in the latest digital trends, and a commitment to delivering measurable results. Our wide array of services, from SEO to PPC and content marketing, enables us to serve a broad range of clients, ensuring their digital marketing needs are met efficiently and effectively. Our approach is holistic and integrated, setting us apart as a leader in the digital marketing domain.

ClickPulse Strategies offers a range of digital marketing services including SEO, SMM, and PPC, tailored to enhance our clients’ online presence. Our pricing is transparent, with services such as SEO ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 per month, SMM from $500 to $1,500 per month, and PPC from $1,000 to $2,000 per month, excluding ad spend. We are committed to delivering measurable results and helping our clients succeed in the competitive digital landscape. To attract customers, we will leverage online marketing strategies including SEO, PPC, social media, content marketing, and email marketing. We will also engage in networking events and workshops in Washington, DC, to showcase our expertise and build personal relationships with potential clients. Our promotional efforts are designed to build a community around our brand, establish ClickPulse Strategies as a thought leader, and drive profitable customer action.

Our operational processes are designed to ensure the smooth running of ClickPulse Strategies and include maintaining constant communication with clients, conducting market research, developing and executing campaigns, analyzing data, and managing finances. We will focus on building a talented team, developing strategic partnerships, and implementing scalable processes. Our milestones for the coming months include launching our business, securing initial client contracts, developing a skilled team, forming partnerships, and achieving operational profitability. These steps will help us build a strong foundation, mitigate startup risks, and position ourselves for sustainable growth and success.

Under the leadership of Harper Lewis, our President, ClickPulse Strategies boasts a management team with a wealth of experience and a proven track record in digital marketing. Lewis’s extensive background in leading a successful digital marketing agency equips him with the expertise necessary to navigate the complexities of the industry. His leadership ensures that we are well-positioned to achieve our long-term business objectives and sustain success in the competitive digital marketing landscape.

Welcome to ClickPulse Strategies, a fresh face in the digital marketing landscape stationed right here in Washington, DC. As a local digital marketing agency, we’ve observed a gap in the market for high-quality services within our area, and we’re here to fill that void. Our mission is to elevate our clients’ online presence, ensuring they stand out in today’s competitive digital world.

At ClickPulse Strategies, our offerings are designed to cover all the bases of digital marketing. Our services include Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to ensure your website ranks high in search results, Social Media Marketing (SMM) to engage and grow your audience on platforms where they spend their time, and Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC) to give you an immediate boost in visibility. We understand that each client has unique needs, and we’re prepared to cater to those with our comprehensive range of services.

Our home and heart lie in Washington, DC. This strategic location allows us to serve customers right here in the nation’s capital, providing us with a unique understanding of the local market dynamics. Our proximity to our clients ensures we can offer them the personalized attention and tailored strategies they deserve.

Why are we uniquely qualified to steer your digital marketing efforts towards success? Firstly, our founder brings invaluable experience from previously running a successful digital marketing agency. This experience is the cornerstone upon which ClickPulse Strategies is built. Furthermore, we pride ourselves on offering superior marketing services compared to our competitors. Our wide array of services ensures we can meet the diverse needs of our clients, setting us apart as a versatile and competent agency.

ClickPulse Strategies officially came into existence on January 5, 2024, adopting the legal structure of an S Corporation. Since our inception, we’ve hit several key milestones, including the development of our distinct company logo, the creation of our unique company name, and securing a prime location for our operations. These accomplishments, though early in our journey, lay a solid foundation for our future endeavors.

The Digital Marketing Agency industry in the United States is currently estimated to be worth over $50 billion. This figure reflects the growing importance of digital marketing in reaching and engaging with consumers in today’s digital age. With businesses increasingly shifting their advertising budgets towards online platforms, the demand for digital marketing services continues to rise.

Market research projects that the Digital Marketing Agency industry in the United States is expected to experience steady growth in the coming years. Forecasts suggest that the industry will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10% over the next five years, reaching a value of over $80 billion by 2025. This growth is driven by factors such as the increasing adoption of digital technologies by businesses, the rise of social media platforms, and the growing importance of data-driven marketing strategies.

Recent trends in the Digital Marketing Agency industry, such as the focus on personalized marketing campaigns, the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, and the emphasis on mobile marketing, all bode well for ClickPulse Strategies. As a new Digital Marketing Agency serving customers in Washington, DC, ClickPulse Strategies is well-positioned to capitalize on these trends and offer innovative digital marketing solutions to businesses looking to enhance their online presence and reach their target audience effectively.

Below is a description of our target customers and their core needs.

Target Customers

ClickPulse Strategies will target a diverse range of customers, with local residents of Washington, DC being a primary focus. These residents are often looking for reliable and easily accessible digital marketing solutions to promote personal projects, small businesses, or events. ClickPulse Strategies will tailor its services to meet the unique needs of this demographic, ensuring high engagement and satisfaction.

In addition to local residents, ClickPulse Strategies will also serve small to mid-sized businesses operating within the Washington, DC area. These businesses, ranging from startups to more established companies, require sophisticated digital marketing strategies to compete effectively in their respective markets. The agency will offer customized digital marketing solutions that align with their specific business goals and target audience, ensuring a significant improvement in their online presence and customer engagement.

Furthermore, ClickPulse Strategies will target non-profit organizations and educational institutions in Washington, DC. These entities are in constant need of digital marketing services to boost their fundraising campaigns, promote events, and increase overall awareness. The agency will provide specialized services that not only cater to their unique needs but also fit their often limited budgets, making digital marketing accessible and effective for them.

Customer Needs

ClickPulse Strategies recognizes the increasing demand for high-quality digital marketing services among businesses looking to stand out in the competitive Washington, DC market. Clients can expect a comprehensive suite of services tailored to elevate their online presence, from cutting-edge SEO strategies to impactful social media campaigns. This approach ensures that businesses not only reach but engage their target audience effectively, driving growth and increasing visibility.

In addition to providing top-tier digital marketing solutions, ClickPulse Strategies understands the importance of data-driven decision-making. Clients have access to detailed analytics and reporting tools, enabling them to make informed choices about their marketing strategies. This level of insight helps businesses optimize their campaigns for better performance, ensuring a higher return on investment and a deeper understanding of their customer base.

Moreover, ClickPulse Strategies places a significant emphasis on customer service and collaboration. Clients can expect personalized support tailored to their specific needs and goals, ensuring a partnership that feels both empowering and productive. This focus on building strong, communicative relationships helps ensure that each marketing initiative is aligned with the client’s vision, fostering innovation and creativity in every campaign.

ClickPulse Strategies’s competitors include the following companies.

Alliance Interactive offers a comprehensive range of digital marketing services, including website design and development, SEO, content marketing, and brand strategy. Their price points vary depending on the complexity and scope of the project, with custom solutions tailored to meet the needs of each client. They generate revenue by offering these bespoke services, focusing on delivering high-quality, results-driven solutions. Alliance Interactive is headquartered in Washington, DC, and serves clients globally, with a strong presence in the North American market. Their customer segments include small to medium-sized businesses, non-profits, and large enterprises across various industries. A key strength of Alliance Interactive is their emphasis on creating engaging digital experiences that drive user engagement and conversion. However, their bespoke approach might be perceived as a weakness by clients looking for more standardized, cost-effective solutions.

Elevation specializes in web design, digital marketing, and branding services for non-profits and social enterprises. They offer a sliding scale pricing model to accommodate the budget constraints of their target clients, making their services accessible to organizations of different sizes. Elevation’s revenue comes from a mix of project-based work and ongoing support services. Located in Washington, DC, Elevation has carved out a niche for itself by serving non-profits and social enterprises both locally and across the United States. Their key strength lies in their deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within the non-profit sector. However, their niche focus might limit their appeal to a broader range of potential clients outside the non-profit and social enterprise sectors.

Capital Practice Consulting focuses on digital marketing solutions for healthcare providers and medical practices. Their services include SEO, social media marketing, website design, and online reputation management. Pricing is project-based, with options for ongoing management services, allowing for flexibility based on the specific needs of healthcare professionals. They generate revenue through a combination of upfront project fees and recurring management fees. The company operates primarily in the Washington, DC area but serves clients across the United States. Their customer segments include individual healthcare practitioners, small to medium-sized medical practices, and healthcare organizations. Capital Practice Consulting’s strength lies in their specialized knowledge of the healthcare industry, which enables them to provide tailored marketing solutions that adhere to industry regulations. A potential weakness is their industry-specific focus, which might not appeal to clients outside the healthcare sector looking for more generalized digital marketing services.

Competitive Advantages

At ClickPulse Strategies, we pride ourselves on delivering unparalleled marketing services that distinctly set us apart from our competitors. Our proficiency stems from a deep understanding of the dynamic digital landscape and an unwavering commitment to staying ahead of industry trends. This expertise allows us to craft innovative, results-driven strategies tailored to each client’s unique needs. We believe that our ability to generate measurable outcomes, from increased brand visibility to substantial growth in customer engagement and conversion rates, stands as a testament to the superiority of our services. Our team’s dedication to excellence ensures that we not only meet but exceed client expectations, establishing us as a leader in the digital marketing domain.

Moreover, our comprehensive suite of services encompasses everything from search engine optimization and social media marketing to email marketing and content creation. This versatility enables us to serve a diverse range of clients, from startups seeking to establish their online presence to established brands aiming to enhance their digital footprint. Our approach is holistic; we consider every facet of digital marketing to ensure a cohesive and integrated strategy that amplifies our clients’ online influence. By offering such a wide array of services, we eliminate the need for businesses to juggle multiple agencies, providing a streamlined, efficient, and more effective marketing solution. Our commitment to innovation, coupled with our broad service offering, positions ClickPulse Strategies as a premier choice for businesses aiming to achieve unparalleled digital success.

Our marketing plan, included below, details our products/services, pricing and promotions plan.

Products and Services

At ClickPulse Strategies, we specialize in providing comprehensive digital marketing services designed to enhance our clients’ online presence and drive their business growth. Our core offerings encompass Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Marketing (SMM), and Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC), each tailored to meet the unique needs and objectives of our customers.

Our Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services are essential for businesses aiming to increase their visibility in search engine results, attract more website traffic, and improve their online authority. We employ the latest SEO strategies and practices to ensure that our clients’ websites rank highly for relevant keywords and phrases. Clients can expect to invest an average of $1,000 to $2,500 per month for our SEO services, depending on the scope and complexity of their project.

Social Media Marketing (SMM) is another key service we offer, designed to help businesses expand their reach, engage with their audience, and build their brand across various social media platforms. Our team crafts customized social media strategies that align with our clients’ brand values and business goals, ensuring a cohesive and effective online presence. For our SMM services, clients can anticipate an average cost of $500 to $1,500 per month, based on the extent of the campaign and the number of platforms managed.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising (PPC) is a powerful tool for driving targeted traffic to our clients’ websites and generating leads or sales in a cost-effective manner. We manage every aspect of our clients’ PPC campaigns, from keyword research and ad creation to optimization and analytics. Our expertise in PPC ensures that our clients achieve a high return on investment. The average price for our PPC services ranges from $1,000 to $2,000 per month, excluding ad spend, which varies based on the campaign’s scale and objectives.

At ClickPulse Strategies, we pride ourselves on offering transparent pricing and customized digital marketing solutions that cater to the specific needs of our clients. We are dedicated to delivering measurable results and helping our clients succeed in the competitive digital landscape.

Promotions Plan

ClickPulse Strategies embarks on a dynamic journey to attract customers through a comprehensive suite of promotional methods tailored to highlight its expertise in the digital realm. Central to its strategy, online marketing emerges as a pivotal tool, leveraging the vast potential of the internet to reach a broad audience with precision and efficiency. This agency understands the power of digital visibility and will employ a multi-faceted online marketing approach to ensure its message resonates with its target market.

At the heart of its online marketing endeavors, ClickPulse Strategies will harness the capabilities of search engine optimization (SEO) to improve its website’s ranking on search engines like Google. This ensures that when potential clients search for digital marketing services in Washington, DC, ClickPulse Strategies appears prominently in their search results. Additionally, the agency will utilize pay-per-click (PPC) advertising to instantly increase its visibility online. By carefully selecting relevant keywords, ClickPulse Strategies aims to appear at the top of search results, driving targeted traffic to its website efficiently.

Social media marketing will play a crucial role in ClickPulse Strategies’ promotional efforts. By actively engaging with its audience on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter, the agency will build a community around its brand. This not only enhances brand awareness but also fosters trust and loyalty among potential clients. Content marketing, through the creation and distribution of valuable, relevant, and consistent content, will further establish ClickPulse Strategies as a thought leader in the digital marketing space. This approach will attract and retain a clearly defined audience, ultimately driving profitable customer action.

Email marketing will serve as another vital component of ClickPulse Strategies’ promotional toolkit. By developing personalized email campaigns, the agency will maintain regular contact with its prospects and clients, keeping them informed about the latest digital marketing trends, services, and special offers. This direct line of communication will nurture leads and encourage repeat business, contributing to the agency’s growth.

In addition to these online marketing strategies, ClickPulse Strategies will also explore opportunities in networking events and local workshops. Participating in industry conferences and seminars in Washington, DC, allows the agency to connect with potential clients face-to-face, showcasing its expertise and building personal relationships. Hosting workshops on digital marketing topics will position ClickPulse Strategies as an authority in the field, attracting businesses looking for guidance in navigating the digital landscape.

By integrating these promotional methods into a cohesive strategy, ClickPulse Strategies expects to attract a diverse clientele, ranging from startups to established businesses seeking to enhance their digital presence. With a focus on delivering measurable results and fostering long-term partnerships, ClickPulse Strategies is poised to make a significant impact in the digital marketing arena.

Our Operations Plan details:

• The key day-to-day processes that our business performs to serve our customers
• The key business milestones that our company expects to accomplish as we grow

Key Operational Processes

To ensure the success of ClickPulse Strategies, there are several key day-to-day operational processes that we will perform.

• Client Communication: Maintain constant communication with clients to understand their needs, expectations, and to keep them updated on campaign progress. This includes scheduling regular meetings, sending updates, and being available for queries.
• Market Research: Conduct ongoing market research to stay ahead of digital marketing trends, understand the competitive landscape in Washington, DC, and identify new opportunities for client campaigns.
• Campaign Development and Execution: Design and implement digital marketing campaigns tailored to the specific needs of each client. This involves brainstorming creative ideas, selecting appropriate digital platforms, and utilizing SEO, content marketing, social media, and paid advertising strategies.
• Data Analysis and Reporting: Collect and analyze data from ongoing campaigns to measure their effectiveness. Use analytics tools to track performance indicators such as website traffic, conversion rates, and engagement levels. Prepare comprehensive reports to share with clients.
• Financial Management: Manage the agency’s finances, including budgeting for campaigns, invoicing clients, and ensuring that expenses stay within budget. Monitor cash flow and make adjustments as necessary to maintain financial health.
• Team Collaboration: Facilitate collaboration among team members to ensure that all projects are progressing smoothly. Hold regular team meetings to discuss campaign strategies, delegate tasks, and address any challenges.
• Professional Development: Encourage continuous learning and professional growth within the team. Stay updated with the latest digital marketing tools and techniques, and invest in training and development opportunities for staff.
• Quality Control: Implement quality control measures to ensure that all work produced meets the high standards expected by clients. This includes reviewing campaign materials, monitoring ongoing campaigns for issues, and making necessary adjustments to strategies.
• Client Acquisition and Retention: Work on expanding the client base through networking, marketing efforts, and referrals. Also, focus on retaining existing clients by delivering exceptional service and demonstrating the value of ongoing investment in digital marketing.
• Compliance and Legal Considerations: Ensure that all marketing campaigns comply with legal requirements and industry standards, including data protection laws and advertising regulations. Stay informed about changes in legislation that could affect digital marketing strategies.

ClickPulse Strategies expects to complete the following milestones in the coming months in order to ensure its success:

• Launch our Digital Marketing Agency: Officially opening our doors for business is the first critical milestone. This involves setting up the legal structure of the business, creating a brand identity, developing a company website, and establishing our presence on social media platforms.
• Secure Initial Client Contracts: Signing on a certain number of clients, for instance, 5 to 10, depending on the project size, within the first three months. This validates our business model and provides initial revenue and case studies for future marketing efforts.
• Build a Talented Team: Recruiting and hiring a skilled team with expertise in various digital marketing disciplines (e.g., SEO, PPC, content marketing, social media) within the first six months. This includes both full-time employees and freelancers or contractors as needed.
• Develop Strategic Partnerships: Forming partnerships with non-competing businesses in the digital and broader marketing ecosystem within the first nine months. These partnerships can provide referral business and enhance service offerings.
• Implement Scalable Processes and Tools: Establishing efficient, scalable processes and implementing necessary digital tools for project management, client reporting, and other operations within the first year. This foundation is critical for handling growth without sacrificing service quality.
• Achieve $15,000/month in Revenue: Reaching this revenue milestone within the first 12 to 18 months. This involves not only acquiring new clients but also retaining existing clients and possibly increasing the services provided to them.
• Expand Service Offerings: Based on market demand and the team’s expertise, gradually introducing additional services or specialized offerings within the first 18 months. This could include branching out into emerging digital marketing channels or technologies.
• Establish a Strong Brand Reputation: Earning positive client testimonials, case studies, and industry recognition within the first 24 months. This could involve winning awards, securing speaking engagements for team members at industry events, or earning certifications that demonstrate expertise.
• Reach Operational Profitability: Ensuring that monthly revenue exceeds operational costs by the end of the second year. This includes costs such as salaries, marketing, tools, and office space if applicable.
• Develop a Client Retention Strategy: Implementing a client retention program by the end of the second year to maintain a steady revenue stream. This could include loyalty discounts, referral programs, or regular strategy review meetings to ensure client satisfaction and identify upselling opportunities. These milestones are designed to build a solid foundation for ClickPulse Strategies, mitigate risks associated with starting a new business, and position the company for sustainable growth and success.

ClickPulse Strategies management team, which includes the following members, has the experience and expertise to successfully execute on our business plan:

Harper Lewis, President

With a proven track record of achievement, Harper Lewis brings a wealth of experience to ClickPulse Strategies. Having previously helmed a Digital Marketing Agency, Lewis’s leadership skills are well-tested and proven in the realm of digital marketing. This background has endowed him with a deep understanding of the digital landscape, including the nuances of SEO, content marketing, and social media strategies. His expertise not only lies in crafting compelling digital marketing strategies but also in his ability to steer a team towards achieving long-term business objectives. Lewis’s experience is a cornerstone for ClickPulse Strategies, ensuring the company is well-positioned to navigate the complexities of the digital marketing industry and achieve sustained success.

To achieve our growth goals, ClickPulse Strategies requires $234,000 in funding. This investment will cover capital investments such as location buildout, furniture, and equipment, along with non-capital investments including working capital, initial rent, staff salaries, marketing, supplies, and insurance. This funding is crucial for establishing our operations, building our team, and launching our marketing efforts, setting the stage for our success in the digital marketing industry.

Financial Statements

Balance sheet.

[insert balance sheet]

Income Statement

[insert income statement]

Cash Flow Statement

[insert cash flow statement]

Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan Example PDF

Download our Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan PDF here. This is a free digital marketing agency business plan example to help you get started on your own digital marketing agency plan.  

How to Finish Your Digital Marketing Agency Business Plan in 1 Day!

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your digital marketing agency business plan?

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Netflix ad-supported tier has 40 million monthly users, nearly double previous count

Netflix ’s cheaper, ad-supported tier has amassed 40 million global monthly active users, the company said Wednesday.

That’s nearly double the 23 million figure the streaming giant shared in January.

Separately, Netflix announced it would launch its own advertising platform and no longer  partner with Microsoft  for that technology. The tech giant will remain a programmatic advertising partner.

Netflix introduced the ad-supported plan in November 2022 as part of a wider effort to drive revenue  amid slowing subscriber growth . That strategy included last year’s  password-sharing crackdown .

The company said Wednesday that 40% of all signups in countries that have the ad tier available are for that cheaper plan. Netflix now has 270 million total subscribers.

The monthly active ad-tier user figures come just a month after Netflix told investors it would no longer be providing quarterly subscriber number updates. The company said at the time that it was generating substantial profit and free cash flow and that its membership numbers were not the only factor in the company’s growth. It said the metric lost significance after it started to offer multiple price points for memberships.

The surge in ad-tier users comes as linear TV audiences shrink and traditional media companies seek to gain a foothold in the streaming realm. Netflix has established itself as the leader in the segment as many other companies struggle to make their streaming platforms profitable.

Key competitors have far fewer subscribers than Netflix does. In its first-quarter earnings report, Comcast said its streaming platform Peacock had 34 million subscribers.

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Whitten is a social media writer for CNBC.

Alex Sherman covers media for CNBC.