Where to write the conclusion of your business plan?
First of all, is there a conclusion to a business plan?
Do business plans have a conclusion?
Yes, but the conclusion of the business plan is not necessarily where you would expect it to be!
The conclusion of the business plan is not at the end of the plan but in the executive summary. And there are two good reasons for that.
Firstly because the executive summary contains the key points of your business plan - the rest of your plan is only there to reinforce and back the claims advanced in the executive summary - which makes it a natural place to conclude the plan.
Then (and mostly?) because the executive summary is very likely to be the only part that will get fully read in your plan!
That's for the form, now let's look at what goes into the conclusion of your business plan.
What is the content of a business plan's conclusion?
Well... it depends on the purpose of you business plan.
If you are writing a business plan to raise financing, then you need to specify the total funding requirements, the amount you already secured (from existing shareholders, banks, business partners, grants, etc.), and eventually an overview of the key terms you would like to obtain (minimum commitment, duration of the loan, or percentage of equity on offer, etc.).
If you are writing a business plan for a supplier or a key hire, then you can adopt a more traditional type of conclusion that simply reiterates and highlights the key strengths of you project.
What tool can I use to write my business plan?
A good way to write your business plan quickly without having to wonder what goes in each part is to use online business plan software. There are several advantages in doing so:
- You are guided through the writing process by detailed instructions and examples for each part of the plan
- You can be inspired by already-written business plan templates and examples
- You can easily make your financial forecast by letting the software take care of the financial calculations for you, without errors
- You get a professional document, formatted and ready to be sent to your bank or investors
- It’s easy to track your forecast against the actual financial performance of your company, and to keep your plan up to date and relevant
If you're interested in using this type of solution, you can try our software for free by signing up here.
I hope this quick guide helped you to get a better understanding of how to write the conclusion of your business plan. You can find some additional information in our guide to writing a business plan.
Also on The Business Plan Shop
- Free business plan template
- Business plan vs. business model
- How to write a five-year business plan?
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