Business plan:
template, structure & checklist
An actionable guide to write a compelling business plan: complete structure, key steps and checklist. Optimized for startups, SMEs, investors and banks.
The essentials in 30 seconds
Build your business plan module by module
Ember structures your entrepreneurial thinking with AI-guided modules. Each module feeds into the next.
WHY — Purpose
AI coach with 13 guided questions across 7 phases: values, vision, differentiators, impact. Generates your unique WHY Signature.
ICP — Ideal Customer Profile
Adaptive intelligence across 16 dimensions: pain points, objections, motivations, jobs-to-be-done, decision criteria. Confidence scoring per segment.
MARKET — Market Analysis
Automatic TAM/SAM/SOM calculation with sources. Priority segments, buying cycle, AI-identified opportunities and threats.
COMPETITORS — Competition
AI-generated comparison matrices, differentiated positioning, competitive advantages, Go-to-Market recommendations.
INTERVIEWS — Field Validation
Contextual interview questions, automated outreach emails, transcript analysis with Say/Think/Do synthesis.
PROMISE — Value Proposition
SoonYour clear, differentiated promise. What you bring that no one else offers.
OFFER — Product/Service Offering
SoonDetails of your offering, pricing, packaging and price positioning.
FINANCE — Financial Projections
SoonP&L, cash flow, unit economics, scenarios and documented assumptions.
Checklist before sharing
Frequently asked questions about business plans
Clear answers to the most common questions from entrepreneurs.
01What is a business plan?
A business plan is a strategic document that presents your entrepreneurial project: vision, target market, business model, acquisition strategy and financial projections. It's used to make decisions, convince stakeholders (investors, banks, partners) and guide execution.
02What structure should a business plan follow?
Recommended structure: executive summary, problem/solution, market analysis (TAM/SAM/SOM), product/service, traction and proof, go-to-market, business model and pricing, financial projections (P&L, cash flow), founding team, risks and mitigation.
03How long should a business plan be?
An effective business plan is 15–25 pages (excluding appendices). Prioritize clarity: verifiable numbers, explicit assumptions, visuals (charts, tables). For an initial pitch, a one-pager or 2-page executive summary may suffice.
04What mistakes should I avoid in a business plan?
Common mistakes: vague ICP (ideal customer profile), unjustified assumptions, projections without unit economics, acquisition plan without channels or metrics, underestimated costs, ignoring competition, team not credible for execution.
05How does Ember help create a business plan?
Ember isn't a generic AI: it's an entrepreneurial sparring partner. Each AI module uses your data to enrich the next (WHY → ICP → Market → Competition → Interviews). The WHY module guides you with 13 questions across 7 phases. ICP analyzes 16 dimensions with confidence scoring. Market automatically calculates TAM/SAM/SOM. Competition generates comparison matrices and GTM recommendations. Interviews create questions, emails and Say/Think/Do syntheses. Result: a coherent business plan, not a generic document.
06What is the difference between a business plan and a business model canvas?
The business model canvas is a visual tool (1 page, 9 blocks) to quickly explore and iterate on your model. The business plan is a detailed document to convince and execute. Both are complementary: canvas for thinking, plan for action.
07Why use Ember instead of ChatGPT or a generic AI?
A generic AI like ChatGPT generates content without context or memory of your project. Ember is different: it's an entrepreneurial cockpit where each AI module uses your previous data. Your WHY feeds your ICP, which feeds your Market analysis, then Competition, then Interviews. This vertical approach ensures consistency and relevance. Ember is a sparring partner, not a text generator.
08What AI features does Ember offer for business plans?
Ember offers several specialized AI coaches: WhyCoach (13 guided questions on vision/mission/values), ICP Intelligence (16 persona dimensions with confidence scoring), Market Analysis (automatic TAM/SAM/SOM with sources), Competition Matrix (positioning and competitive advantages), Interview AI (question generation, emails, Say/Think/Do transcript analysis). Each module enriches the next.
Ready to create your business plan?
Ember guides you step by step with AI modules to structure your ideas and convince investors and banks.
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