{"id":1543,"date":"2025-03-13T14:00:53","date_gmt":"2025-03-13T14:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/how-to-write-a-business-plan\/"},"modified":"2025-07-14T14:39:27","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T13:39:27","slug":"how-to-write-a-business-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/how-to-write-a-business-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Free template: How to write a business plan"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/strategy-legal-operations\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Strategy, Legal &amp; Operations<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFree template: How to write a business plan\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-03-13T14:00:53+00:00\">13 March, 2025<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Free template: How to write a business plan\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/how-to-write-a-business-plan\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/keirthomasbryant\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/06\/keir-short-hair-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/06\/keir-short-hair-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/06\/keir-short-hair.jpg 760w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Keir Thomas-Bryant<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you&#8217;re starting a business or planning to expand, having a business plan can help to get you on track and get some detail behind your ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, <a href=\"http:\/\/talkbusinessmagazine.co.uk\/2015\/01\/29\/1-4-uk-smes-dont-use-business-plan\/\" target=\"new\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">research from Barclays<\/a> shows that one in four businesses don&#8217;t have a business plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a number of useful tools worth having at your disposal if you want your business to succeed. While one of those is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accounting-software\/\">accounting software<\/a>, so you can keep track of your business admin (forecast your cash flow, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accounting-software\/invoicing\/\">manage your invoices<\/a>, and more), another is a business plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what are the advantages of business planning and how could it help your business to succeed? Read this article to find out more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s what we cover:<\/p>\n\n\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><ul><li><a href=\"#h-what-is-a-business-plan\" data-level=\"2\">What is a business plan?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-benefits-of-writing-a-business-plan\" data-level=\"2\">Benefits of writing a business plan<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-reasons-people-skip-business-planning\" data-level=\"2\">Reasons people skip business planning<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-best-format-for-your-business-plan\" data-level=\"2\">The best format for your business plan<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-what-to-include-in-your-business-plan\" data-level=\"2\">What to include in your business plan<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-how-to-use-your-business-plan\" data-level=\"2\">How to use your business plan<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-where-to-get-help-with-your-business-plan\" data-level=\"2\">Where to get help with your business plan<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#gate-d27add0e-aae1-4710-b369-918a9b4c1b46\">Download your free business plan template<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-a-business-plan\"><strong>What is a business plan? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are numerous reasons why you might want to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/starting-and-planning\/\">start a business<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You might have a great idea. Perhaps you&#8217;ve always wanted to run your own company. Or maybe you&#8217;ve been made redundant and you&#8217;re ready to take the leap to entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But for your business to be a success, your passion, enthusiasm, hard work and skills should be built on a practical framework.&nbsp;And that&#8217;s the case whether it&#8217;s a new business or an existing one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/cp\/business-planning\/\">business plan<\/a> comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A key part of that practical framework, a business plan is a document that maps out the purpose of your company, what it does and its strategic goals, among other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Creating a business plan for your company will guide you in defining your unique selling proposition (USP), and give you clarity of the marketplace you wish to operate in and the competition your business will be up against.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You&#8217;ll use your business plan to work towards a series of milestones that will help you to grow your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But your business plan shouldn&#8217;t be a static document. You should update it regularly as your company evolves, so you can ensure things are moving in the right direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-benefits-of-writing-a-business-plan\">Benefits of writing a business plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Jennifer O&#8217;Toole, director at accountancy firm Thomas R Dixon, says,&nbsp;&#8220;A business plan is like a flight path. It lets you know where you want to go, what you want to achieve, what you have in order to achieve your goals and probably most importantly what problems you can expect along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Being able to identify potential threats, problem areas that could affect the business, and to be able to develop coping strategies in a proactive manner rather than in a reactive stance, is key to business survival.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s also a great way to share information about your business, to develop your thinking and test scenarios before you make any changes (like leaving your job and going it alone), and it gives you a way to measure how things go when you do start up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you&#8217;re looking for finance, then a business plan can make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rebecca McNeil previously worked as the chief operating officer at Barclays. She&#8217;s now a partner at Manchester Square Partners. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She says, &#8220;A strong plan can help applications for finance from a business loan to alternative forms of finance and investment.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-7959\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1256\" height=\"700\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/08\/business-plan-template-2.png\" alt=\"Projected sales business plan\" class=\"wp-image-7959\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/08\/business-plan-template-2.png 1256w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/08\/business-plan-template-2-768x428.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1256px) 100vw, 1256px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Add projected sales to your business plan for each of your products<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-reasons-people-skip-business-planning\">Reasons people skip business planning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If it&#8217;s so helpful, why don&#8217;t more people choose to have one? Here are some of the common challenges:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Time.<\/strong>&nbsp;If you&#8217;ve thought through your business, it shouldn&#8217;t take long to create your business plan. Keep it short and simple and choose a format that works for you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Uncertainty. <\/strong>It&#8217;s true that you can&#8217;t know what will happen until you start a business but a plan can help you spot potential pitfalls and helps you to understand the finances behind your idea. Read our advice on ways to get <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/how-to-estimate-figures-for-your-business-plan\/\">more accurate figures<\/a> in your business plan.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of agility. <\/strong>Some people think business planning stops businesses evolving, but a good business plan should be current and adapt as you test and learn. It needs to be part of the business, not left in a drawer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read more about business plans<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/business-plan-template-food-and-drink\/\">Business plan template for food and drink companies<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/business-plan-template-shops-and-retail-companies\/\">Business plan template for shops and retail companies<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/business-plan-template-online-retail\/\">Business plan template for online retail and ecommerce companies<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/business-plan-template-professional-services\/\">Business plan template for professional services companies<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-best-format-for-your-business-plan\">The best format for your business plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many people assume that a business plan will be a hefty document containing lots of facts and figures, but it doesn&#8217;t have to be. The key thing is to choose a format that will work for you and your business. That would be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>One you&#8217;ll use.<\/strong>&nbsp;Something that can become part of your day-to-day business rather than something you&#8217;ll never refer to. Have your business plan on the wall as a manifesto or mind map, make a presentation or create a visual guide &#8211; whatever works for you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>One that makes it simple to express your views. <\/strong>If you&#8217;re a writer, you may be happy with a document, a designer might like a more visual medium. Your business plan should excite and inspire, so pick a format that lets you do that.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>One that&#8217;s shareable.<\/strong>&nbsp;A business plan will be seen by lots of people, from your bank manager and accountant to prospective investors or employees, so pick a format that makes it easy to share.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-7958\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1397\" height=\"747\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/08\/business-plan-template-1.png\" alt=\"Costs for business plan\" class=\"wp-image-7958\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/08\/business-plan-template-1.png 1397w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/08\/business-plan-template-1-768x411.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1397px) 100vw, 1397px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Use your business plan to show what your costs will be<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-to-include-in-your-business-plan\">What to include in your business plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>What should a business plan include? Every plan is likely to be different but there are some common pieces of information that are often included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>An overview of the business.<\/strong>&nbsp;What does it do and what makes it different?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Goals.<\/strong>&nbsp;What does the business want to achieve? This should set some SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) objectives that will quickly show if the business is succeeding.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Your audience and the market.<\/strong>&nbsp;Who will your business supply and how will it reach them? How big is the market and who are your key competitors?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Products and pricing.<\/strong>&nbsp;What will you be selling and how will your prices be set? How does this compare with your competitors?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Who is involved.<\/strong>&nbsp;Many investors say they invest as much in the people as they do in the business. Share some information about people&#8217;s roles, experience and passions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Financials.<\/strong>&nbsp;Provide details about sales, costs, break-even points and where investment will come from. If you&#8217;re looking for people to invest, you should include information about likely returns. If you&#8217;re looking for ways to finance your business, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/crowdfunding-tips\/\">crowdfunding<\/a>, alternative finance and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/government-grants-for-small-businesses\/\">government funding<\/a> are a good place to start.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some business plans will include other sections, like a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis or a full marketing plan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You might find these useful for your business, so feel free to include them too if you wish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#gate-d27add0e-aae1-4710-b369-918a9b4c1b46\">Download your free business plan template<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-to-use-your-business-plan\">How to use your business plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many business owners invest time in producing a business plan and then never look at it again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While it&#8217;s valuable to get your ideas clarified and to test your thinking before you launch your business, it&#8217;s even better if it&#8217;s embedded into your day-to-day business too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Jennifer says, &#8220;Business planning is a continuous process\u2014from the initial start up of any business to stage two of developing and growth of existing sales and developing new income streams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;As established businesses mature and diversify, business planning continues to play a fundamental role in ensuring that the company&#8217;s long-term strategies are being met.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some ways your business plan can work for you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Take the sales, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/cash-flow-forecasting-small-businesses\/\">cash flow<\/a> and expense predictions and measure them against your actual figures to improve budgeting and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accounting-software\/spend-management\/\">spend management<\/a>. This helps you spot whether you&#8217;re on track and if things need to be revised.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Revisit your goals every month to see how you&#8217;re progressing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep updating it to include customer input and quotes. Real feedback is essential for keeping a business on track.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Revisit it once a year to see if changes to the market, technology or competition has had an impact. Businesses need to continue to evolve to survive in the longer term.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-full wp-image-7957\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1390\" height=\"708\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/08\/business-plan-template-3.png\" alt=\"Marketing budget business plan template\" class=\"wp-image-7957\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/08\/business-plan-template-3.png 1390w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/08\/business-plan-template-3-768x391.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1390px) 100vw, 1390px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Use your business plan to highlight how you will spend your marketing budget<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-where-to-get-help-with-your-business-plan\">Where to get help with your business plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes you&#8217;ll need additional information to pull together your plan. You could:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Speak to your accountant.<\/strong> They don&#8217;t just help you with financials or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accounting-software\/\">accounting software<\/a>, they can also offer advice about planning your business.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Talk to your bank<\/strong>. Many have small business experts who can help.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use business planning templates.<\/strong> Our free, easy-to-follow Word template will help to make the process easier.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Editor&#8217;s note: This article was first published in October 2017 and has been updated for relevance.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Business plan template<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Thinking of starting a business or looking for investment but need help putting a plan together? Get our free, easy-to-use business plan template.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-d27add0e-aae1-4710-b369-918a9b4c1b46\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download your free business plan template<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__downloads\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t40,303 readers have downloaded this guide\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1215\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1338373163-1215x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1338373163-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b1a63862-3fa0-4a5e-bb67-c76b88bbc6b8\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg\" 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href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/create-business-plan\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCreating a business plan\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/grow-business\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to grow your business\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/start-business\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to start a business\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div 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class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHow small\u00a0start-ups can take shape with little money and a big idea\u00a0\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-7795 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-free-guides-templates category-strategy-legal-operations tag-cash-flow tag-create-business-plan tag-start-business business_type-small-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/how-to-start-a-small-business\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/12\/GettyImages-606923937_super-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Don&#039;t forget about pensions if you&#039;re self-employed\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/12\/GettyImages-606923937_super-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/12\/GettyImages-606923937_super-768x585.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/12\/GettyImages-606923937_super-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" class=\"card-post__meta-icon svg-icon\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\"><path d=\"M11.988 2.989a.75.75 0 0 0-.739.761v10.689l-1.72-1.72a.75.75 0 0 0-.957-.099.75.75 0 0 0-.315.776c.031.146.104.28.211.384l3 3a.75.75 0 0 0 1.06 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read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHow to start a small business in the UK\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-5326 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations tag-start-business business_type-small-business industry-food-beverage\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/opening-a-bar-or-club\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/08\/patrick-tomasso-GXXYkSwndP4-unsplash-1-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/08\/patrick-tomasso-GXXYkSwndP4-unsplash-1-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/08\/patrick-tomasso-GXXYkSwndP4-unsplash-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2018\/08\/patrick-tomasso-GXXYkSwndP4-unsplash-1-1080x810.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-05-20T15:36:17+01:00\">20 May, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min 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Download our business plan template and use it to help you achieve your goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":280,"featured_media":11530,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[139,9],"tags":[191,13,15,12],"business_type":[4],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[73,74],"imagine_tag":[98,254,109],"coauthors":[369],"class_list":["post-1543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-free-guides-templates","category-strategy-legal-operations","tag-business-continuity","tag-create-business-plan","tag-grow-business","tag-start-business","business_type-small-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Keir Thomas-Bryant","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-740534235.jpg","imagine_tags":{"98":"Business continuity","254":"Business reporting","109":"Small business"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/280"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1543"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1543\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/11530"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1543"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=1543"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=1543"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=1543"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=1543"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=1543"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=1543"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=1543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}