A one-page business plan is a short summary of what you sell, who buys it, how you reach them, what it costs to run and how the business brings in money, all on a single sheet. It takes far less time than a traditional plan and is easy to update as you learn. For a side business, a market stall, a small service or the early days of any new idea, it is often all the planning you need.
Table of Contents7 sections
This guide explains the sections to include, walks through writing each one and shows a filled-in example you can copy.
What Is a One-Page Business Plan?
A one-page business plan is what the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) calls a lean startup plan.
The SBA describes two common formats. A traditional plan is detailed, can run to dozens of pages and is the kind lenders and investors commonly ask for. A lean plan focuses on the key points, can take as little as an hour to make and is typically only one page.
The nine headings the SBA lists for a lean plan match the boxes of the Business Model Canvas, a one-page planning tool developed by Alexander Osterwalder and made widely known by the 2010 book Business Model Generation, which he wrote with Yves Pigneur. You do not need to know the canvas to use this format. It simply gives you a tried and tested set of questions.
The Nine Sections of a One-Page Plan
A one-page plan answers nine questions about your business. Here they are, with a short note on what each one means in practice:
| Section | The question it answers |
|---|---|
| Value proposition | What do you offer, and why would someone choose it? |
| Customer segments | Who exactly are your customers? |
| Channels | How will customers find you and buy from you? |
| Customer relationships | How will you keep in touch and get repeat business? |
| Key activities | What must you do well every week to deliver? |
| Key resources | What do you need: equipment, skills, space, people? |
| Key partnerships | Who outside the business do you rely on? |
| Cost structure | What are the main costs of running the business? |
| Revenue streams | How does money come in: sales, bookings, subscriptions? |
You can lay these out as a grid on one sheet, or as nine short paragraphs. The format matters far less than being honest and specific in each box.
How to Write Your One-Page Plan Step by Step
Write the plan in four steps: the offer and the customer first, then how customers will find you, then what you need to deliver, and finally costs and income. Starting with the customer and the offer makes every later section easier, because costs and channels depend on who you serve.
1. Start With the Offer and the Customer
Write one or two sentences on what you offer and who it is for. Be specific. “Cakes” is a product. “Made-to-order birthday cakes for families within ten miles, delivered on the day” is an offer for a clear group of people.
Then describe your customers in a few words: their age group or type of business, where they are and what problem you solve for them. If you have more than one type of customer, list each one.
2. Decide How Customers Will Find You
List the channels you will use to reach customers and take orders. This might be a market stall, a simple website, social media, word of mouth or a listing on a marketplace. Pick two or three you can manage well rather than listing every possibility.
Add a line on how you will keep customers coming back, such as a loyalty card, a short email newsletter or simply following up after each order.
3. List What You Need to Deliver
Write down your key activities, resources and partners. Activities are the jobs you do every week, such as baking, delivering and answering messages. Resources are what you need to do them: an oven, a car, food hygiene training, a few hours each evening. Partners are the people or firms you rely on, like a supplier, a printer or a payment provider.
This section often shows gaps early. If one supplier is essential and has no backup, it is better to find that out on paper than in your first busy week.
4. Write Down Costs and Income
List your main costs and how money will come in. Costs usually include materials, equipment, fees for any platforms you sell through, transport and marketing. For income, note how you charge, such as per item, per hour or per booking, and roughly how many sales a month you are aiming for.
Keep this section simple and realistic. The aim is to see whether the basic idea can cover its costs, not to produce detailed forecasts.
A One-Page Business Plan Example
The example below is a filled-in one-page plan for a small home bakery that sells made-to-order birthday cakes. The business and figures are invented to show the format.
- Value proposition: Made-to-order birthday cakes with custom designs, delivered on the day.
- Customer segments: Parents planning children’s parties within ten miles; small offices celebrating staff birthdays.
- Channels: Instagram page with photos of past cakes, a listing on a local community site and recommendations from past customers.
- Key activities: Baking and decorating, taking orders, deliveries on Fridays and Saturdays.
- Customer relationships: A thank-you card with each cake and a reminder message a year later.
- Key resources: Home kitchen, decorating tools, a car, food hygiene training, evenings and weekends.
- Key partnerships: A wholesale baking supplier and a local printer for cards.
- Cost structure: Ingredients, boxes and boards, fuel, card printing, food hygiene registration where required.
- Revenue streams: Cake sales priced per cake, with extra charges for larger sizes and delivery further afield.
The whole thing fits on one side of A4 and can be read in two minutes, which makes it easy to keep up to date.
When Do You Need a Longer Business Plan?
You need a longer, traditional plan when someone else asks for one, most often a lender or investor. The SBA notes that some lenders and investors may want more information than a lean plan gives. A traditional plan adds sections such as a market analysis, details of the management team and financial projections.
A one-page plan is still a good first step in that case. It forces you to answer the core questions, and each box can later grow into a full section of the longer document.
Tips to Keep Your Plan Useful
Keep the plan where you can see it, review it every month or two, use plain words and test the riskiest box first, because a one-page plan only helps if you use it.
- Keep it where you can see it. Pin it above your desk or save it as the first file in your business folder.
- Review it every month or two. Cross out what turned out to be wrong and write in what you have learned.
- Use plain words. If a friend can’t understand a box in one reading, rewrite it.
- Test the riskiest box first. If you are unsure people will buy, sell a few items to real customers before you spend money on equipment.
Treat the plan as a working document rather than a finished piece. Most small businesses change quite a lot in their first year, and the plan should change with them.
FAQ
Can a business plan be one page?
Yes. The SBA describes lean startup plans as typically only one page. A one-page plan works well for small and new businesses, though lenders and investors often ask for a longer, traditional plan.
What should a one-page business plan include?
Cover your offer, customers, channels, customer relationships, key activities, key resources, key partners, costs and revenue streams. These nine headings match the SBA’s lean plan format.
How long does it take to write a one-page business plan?
The SBA says a lean plan can take as little as an hour. Expect to spend longer if you need to look up costs or talk to suppliers first.