How to write a startup business plan

A business plan explains what your startup does, for whom, how, and how it will make money. Investors now prefer short decks to long plans, but grant and support programmes, technoparks and incubators usually ask for a written plan. A good plan also helps the team clarify its own thinking.

Sections of a business plan

1. Executive summary

Summarise the whole plan on one page: problem, solution, target customer, business model, progress so far and resources needed. Most readers read only this section, so write it last.

2. Problem and solution

Describe the problem from the customer's point of view, with numbers where possible. Show how and why your solution is better.

3. Market

• Total addressable market (TAM), serviceable market (SAM) and obtainable share (SOM)
• Market growth and the trends behind you
• A bottom-up calculation (customers × average revenue) is more convincing.

4. Product

Current status, core features and roadmap. If you have an MVP, include usage data.

5. Business model and pricing

Who pays, how much and how often? See our pricing guide.

6. Go-to-market

How you will reach first customers, sales channels and the marketing plan. See our first 100 customers guide.

7. Competition

List direct and indirect competitors and customers' current alternatives. Do not claim "no competitors"; show your difference concretely.

8. Team

Founders' and key hires' experience, why you can do this, and how you will fill gaps.

9. Financial projections

• Three to five years of revenue, costs and cash flow
• Clearly stated assumptions (customer growth, price, churn, hiring)
• Break-even point and funding need

Projections are not expected to be exact; they are expected to be consistent and defensible.

10. Funding need and use of funds

How much you are asking for and what you will spend it on, and which milestones it gets you to.

Tips

• Keep it short: 10–20 pages plus appendices is usually enough.
• Tailor it: grant bodies care about R&D and innovation; investors care about growth and return potential.
• Visualise: tables and charts read faster than text.
• Keep it current: review it every quarter.

Conclusion

A business plan is the detailed version of your pitch deck. Once it is ready, list your startup on Türkiye Startups for free to become visible to investors.