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The point of a business plan is not the document. The point is the seven conversations it forces — customer, offer, revenue, economics, channel, risk, plan. Have those conversations in this order, write the answers down, and you'll leave the workshop with a plan you can defend and execute.
- 1
Define the customer and their problem
Name a specific segment, the job they're trying to do, and the cost of the status quo. Generic 'small businesses' or 'consumers' is not a segment.
- 2
Describe the offer
One sentence: what you sell, who it's for, what changes for them. Include the form factor (product, service, marketplace, software) and the unit being sold.
- 3
Choose the revenue model
Subscription, transactional, marketplace take rate, licensing, ads, services. Pick one primary and at most one secondary; multi-engine startups die.
- 4
Map the unit economics
Cost to acquire one customer (CAC), revenue per customer per year (ARPU), gross margin, payback period. If you don't know, write the assumption and a way to test it.
- 5
Identify the wedge and the channel
Which 100 customers will you reach first, and through which single channel (cold outbound, content/SEO, partner, paid ads, community)? Channels compound; pick one and commit for 90 days.
- 6
List the top 5 risks and the next test for each
Demand, willingness to pay, channel, team, regulation. For each, write what you'd run this month to reduce uncertainty.
- 7
Build the 90-day operating plan
Three milestones, an owner for each, weekly metrics, and the decision you'll make at day 90 (double down, pivot, kill). Calendar review meetings before you leave the workshop.
Business Plan Workshop - FAQ
- Is a 30-page business plan ever needed?
- Rarely. SBA loans and some grants require a longer format. For investors, operators, and partners, a one-page plan with appendices wins every time.
- What should the appendices contain?
- Financial model, market sizing detail, competitive landscape, team bios, and any signed letters of intent or pilot results. Keep the plan itself short; let appendices carry the weight.
- How often should I rewrite the plan?
- Every 90 days, after the operating plan's decision point. The plan is a working document, not a museum piece.
Sources & further reading
- Business Model Generation — Osterwalder & Pigneur
- Lean Canvas — Ash Maurya / Leanstack
- SBA - Write your business plan — U.S. Small Business Administration