Strategic Plan Template

Section 1: Executive Summary

The Executive Summary of your strategic plan should be completed last, a
nd this section merely summarizes each of the other sections of your plan.
The Executive Summary is important since it will help other key constitu
ents, such as employees, advisors, and investors, quickly understand and support
your plan.
Section 2: Elevator Pitch
An elevator pitch is a brief description of your business. Your elevator
pitch is included in your strategic plan since its key to your business success,
and often times should be updated annually. Heres why its important: if your emplo
yees cant clearly and concisely articulate your business to others, you inevitabl
y miss out on tons of sales and other opportunities.
Section 3: Company Mission Statement
Your company mission statement explains what your business is trying to
achieve. While it may seem unimportant, its not. You see, for internal decision-m
aking, your mission statement guides employees to make the right decisions; deci
sions that are in line with helping the company achieve its mission. For externa
l parties, such as investors, partners, and customers, your mission can inspire
them to take the actions you want.
Section 4: SWOT
The reason to include a SWOT analysis (analysis of your Strengths, Weakn
esses, Opportunities and Threats) in your Strategic Plan is to help you determin
e the best opportunities to pursue to achieve your growth goals. It also helps y
ou identify which strengths you must develop in the near future to improve your
company.
Section 5: Goals
Setting and achieving goals is the hallmark of successful companies and
is a critical element of your strategic plan.
They key is to first identify your 5 year or long-term goals. Next, iden
tify your one-year goals; that is, what you must achieve in the next year for it
to be successful and to put your company on the right trajectory to achieving y
our 5 year goals.
Then work backwards two more times to determine your goals for the next
quarter and the next month. Ideally you update you strategic plan monthly to mod
ify this section.
Section 6: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Great businesses understand their metrics and KPIs. By tracking your KPI
s, you know exactly how your business is performing and can adjust as needed.
For example, a basic KPI such as Total Sales is critical for understandi
ng if the company is performing well. Underlying KPIs are equally as important. Fo
r example, if sales are affected by 1) number of visitors to your website, 2) nu
mber of visitors who complete a contact form, 3) number of proposals you issue t
o these leads, and 4) the proposal closing ratio, then each of these KPIs should
be tracked. Then, if for instance, the number of visitors to your website decre
ased, you would know and fix this immediately, rather then waiting until sales p

lummet later.
So, its critical to identify the KPIs you will track in your business and
list them in this section of your strategic plan.
Section 7: Target Customers
In this section of your strategic plan, you will identify the wants and
needs of each of your target customer groups. This is important in focusing your
marketing efforts and getting a higher return on investment on your advertising
expenditures. This is because the more you can speak directly to your target cust
omer wants and needs in your marketing, the better you will attract them.
Section 8: Industry Analysis
Your industry analysis doesnt have to be a comprehensive report on whats g
oing on in your market. However, you should conduct an analysis to ensure the ma
rket size is growing (if not, you might want to diversify), and to help identify
new opportunities for growth.
Section 9: Competitive Analysis & Advantage
Similarly to your industry analysis, your competitive analysis doesnt hav
e to be a thorough report listing every detail about every competitor. Rather, i
n addition to defining who your key competitors are, you should list their stren
gths & weaknesses.
Most importantly, use this analysis to determine your current competitiv
e advantages and ways to develop additional advantages.
Section 10: Marketing Plan
In addition to your strategic plan, I recommend you develop a comprehens
ive marketing plan describing how you will attract prospects, convert them to pa
ying customers and maximize your lifetime customer value.
Section 11: Team
The team section of your strategic plan ensures you have the human resou
rces to execute on the opportunities youve identified and to achieve the goals yo
u established in section 5 of your plan.
Here you should list your current team members and identify the types of
people you need to hire in the next year to achieve your goals.
Section 12: Operations Plan
Your operations plan helps you transform your goals and opportunities in
to reality. In this section of your plan, you will identify each of the individu
al projects that comprise your larger goals and how these projects will be compl
eted. Finally, youll map out each of your initiatives, ideally in a Gantt chart,
so you know when each project will start and who will lead them.
Section 13: Financial Projections
The final section of your strategic plan is your financial projections.
Your financial projections help in multiple ways. First, you can use a financial
model to assess the potential results for each opportunity you consider pursuin
g.

Also, once you determine the opportunities you will pursue, your financi
al projections will map out the goals. For example, youll know exactly how many n
ew customers you must attract in the next month, and at what price point, to ach
ieve next months goal.
You should develop your complete strategic plan each year, and then upda
te it monthly as actual results come in and you gain more clarity and intelligen
ce. While you will rarely achieve the precise goals established in your strategi
c plan, scores of research show that youll come much closer to them versus if you
didnt plan at all. So, develop your strategic plan today, and achieve the goals
you desire.

Marketing Plan Template

Dave Lavinsky , CONTRIBUTOR
I help entrepreneurs become more successful.
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
Play Video
To grow your business, you need a marketing plan. The right marketing pl
an identifies everything from 1) who your target customers are to 2) how you wil
l reach them, to 3) how you will retain your customers so they repeatedly buy fr
om you.
Done properly, your marketing plan will be the roadmap you follow to get
unlimited customers and dramatically improve the success of your organization.
To help you succeed, use this proven marketing plan template, and the informatio
n below details the 15 key sections you must include in your marketing plan.
Section 1: Executive Summary
Complete your Executive Summary last, and, as the name implies, this sec
tion merely summarizes each of the other sections of your marketing plan.
Your Executive Summary will be helpful in giving yourself and other cons
tituents (e.g., employees, advisors, etc.) an overview of your plan.
Section 2: Target Customers
This section describes the customers you are targeting. It defines their
demographic profile (e.g., age, gender), psychographic profile (e.g., their int
erests) and their precise wants and needs as they relate to the products and/or
services you offer.
Being able to more clearly identify your target customers will help you
both pinpoint your advertising (and get a higher return on investment) and bette
r speak the language of prospective customers.
Section 3: Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Having a strong unique selling proposition (USP) is of critical importan
ce as it distinguishes your company from competitors.
The hallmark of several great companies is their USP. For example, FedExs
USP of When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight is well-known and
resonates strongly with customers who desire reliability and quick delivery.
Section 4: Pricing & Positioning Strategy

Your pricing and positioning strategy must be aligned. For example, if y

ou want your company to be known as the premier brand in your industry, having t
oo low a price might dissuade customers from purchasing.
In this section of your marketing plan, detail the positioning you desir
e and how your pricing will support it.
Section 5: Distribution Plan
Your distribution plan details how customers will buy from you. For exam
ple, will customers purchase directly from you on your website? Will they buy fr
om distributors or other retailers? And so on.
Think through different ways in which you might be able to reach custome
rs and document them in this section of your marketing plan.
Section 6: Your Offers
Offers are special deals you put together to secure more new customers a
nd drive past customers back to you.
Offers may include free trials, money-back guarantees, packages (e.g., c
ombining different products and/or services) and discount offers. While your bus
iness doesnt necessarily require offers, using them will generally cause your cus
tomer base to grow more rapidly.
Section 7: Marketing Materials
Your marketing materials are the collateral you use to promote your busi
ness to current and prospective customers. Among others, they include your websi
te, print brochures, business cards, and catalogs.
Identify which marketing materials you have completed and which you need
created or re-done in this section of your plan.
Section 8: Promotions Strategy
The promotions section is one of the most important sections of your mar
keting plan and details how you will reach new customers.
There are numerous promotional tactics, such as television ads, trade sh
ow marketing, press releases, online advertising, and event marketing.
In this section of your marketing plan, consider each of these alternati
ves and decide which ones will most effectively allow you to reach your target c
ustomers.
Section 9: Online Marketing Strategy
Like it or not, most customers go online these days to find and/or revie
w new products and/or services to purchase. As such, having the right online mar
keting strategy can help you secure new customers and gain competitive advantage
.
The four key components to your online marketing strategy are as follows
:
Keyword Strategy: identify what keywords you would like to optimize your
website for.
Search Engine Optimization Strategy: document updates you will make to y

our website so it shows up more prominently for your top keywords.

Paid Online Advertising Strategy: write down the online advertising prog
rams will you use to reach target customers.
Social Media Strategy: document how you will use social media websites t
o attract customers.
Section 10: Conversion Strategy
Conversion strategies refer to the techniques you employ to turn prospec
tive customers into paying customers.
For example, improving your sales scripts can boost conversions. Likewis
e increasing your social proof (e.g., showing testimonials of past clients who w
ere satisfied with your company) will nearly always boost conversions and sales.
In this section of your plan, document which conversion-boosting strateg
ies you will use.
Dave Lavinsky , CONTRIBUTOR
I help entrepreneurs become more successful.
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
Continued from page 2
Section 11: Joint Ventures & Partnerships
Joint ventures and partnerships are agreements you forge with other orga
nizations to help reach new customers or better monetize existing customers. For
example, if you sold replacement guitar strings, it could be quite lucrative to
partner with a guitar manufacturer who had a list of thousands of customers to
whom it sold guitars (and who probably need replacement strings in the future).
Think about what customers buy before, during and/or after they buy from
your company. Many of the companies who sell these products and/or services cou
ld be good partners. Document such companies in this section of your marketing p
lan and then reach out to try to secure them.
Section 12: Referral Strategy
A strong customer referral program could revolutionize your success. For
example, if every one of your customers referred one new customer, your custome
r base would constantly grow.
However, rarely will you get such growth unless you have a formalized re
ferral strategy. For example, you need to determine when you will ask customers
for referrals, what if anything you will give them as a reward, etc. Think throu
gh the best referral strategy for your organization and document it.
Section 13: Strategy for Increasing Transaction Prices
While your primary goal when conversing with prospective customers is of
ten to secure the sale, it is also important to pay attention to the transaction
price.
The transaction price, or amount customers pay when they buy from you, c
an dictate your success. For example, if your average customer transaction is $1
00 but your competitors average customer transaction is $150, they will generate
more revenues, and probably profits, per customer. As a result, they will be abl
e to outspend you on advertising, and continue to gain market share at your expe
nse.

In this section of your plan, think about ways to increase your transact
ion prices such as by increasing prices, creating product or service bundles/pac
kages, and so on.
Section 14: Retention Strategy
Too many organizations spend too much time and energy trying to secure n
ew customers versus investing in getting existing customers to buy more often.
By using retention strategies such as a monthly newsletter or customer l
oyalty program, you can increase revenues and profits by getting customers to pu
rchase from you more frequently over time.
Identify and document ways you can better retain customers here.
Section 15: Financial Projections
The final part of your marketing plan is to create financial projections
. In your projections, include all the information documented in your marketing
plan.
For example, include the promotional expenses you expect to incur and wh
at your expected results will be in terms of new customers, sales and profits. L
ikewise include your expected results from your new retention strategy. And so o
n.
While your financial projections will never be 100% accurate, use them t
o identify which promotional expenses and other strategies should give you the h
ighest return on investment. Also, by completing your financial projections, you
will set goals (e.g., your goals for your referral program) for which your comp
any should strive.

Business Plan Template

1. Cover Page
As simple as this seems, include a cover page with your contact informat
ion so potential investors can easily reach you.
2. Executive Summary
If investors dont like your Executive Summary, they wont read any further,
so this section is critical.
Concisely describe what your business does and what market need it solve
s. Of critical importance, describe your unique success factors, which are the 4-7
reasons why your business will be successful.
Dave Lavinsky , CONTRIBUTOR
I help entrepreneurs become more successful.
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.
All entrepreneurs and business owners should have a business plan. The v
ery process of developing your plan helps you understand they type of business y
ou d like to build, and the action plan which you will need to follow.

However, there s only one time when EVERY entrepreneur and business owne
r develops a business plan. That s when they need to raise funding. Since virtua
lly all lenders and equity investors require a formal business plan.
To help you out, here is my proven business plan template, and the infor
mation below details the 11 key sections to include in your plan.
1. Cover Page
As simple as this seems, include a cover page with your contact informat
ion so potential investors can easily reach you.
2. Executive Summary
If investors dont like your Executive Summary, they wont read any further,
so this section is critical.
Concisely describe what your business does and what market need it solve
s. Of critical importance, describe your unique success factors, which are the 4-7
reasons why your business will be successful.
Recommended by Forbes
Three Steps To A Solid Marketing Budget
Stop SWOT ing The Small Stuff
Are You a Visionary Business Leader?
MOST POPULAR Photos: The Richest Person In Every State
Microsoft Warns Windows 7 Has Serious Problems
Also show your topline financial projections and amount of money you are
seeking to raise here.
3. Company Overview
In this section, give a profile of your company. Answer questions such a
s where you are located, when you were formed, and what is your legal entity for
m.
Also discuss the stage of your company: what successes has your company
already achieved?
4. Industry Analysis
In the Industry Analysis section, you will detail the market in which yo
u are competing, how large it is, and what trends are affecting it.
5. Customer Analysis
Here you will identify who your target customers are and their needs. Ge
t as specific as you can with regards to the demographic and psychographic makeup of your customers.
6. Competitive Analysis
In this section, identify your competitors and their key strengths and w
eaknesses.
Importantly, identify your competitive advantages, that is, why you can
be more successful than the others.

7. Marketing Plan
In this section, you will describe your products and/or services and you
r desired brand positioning.
Importantly, you will also detail your promotions plan, which is how you
will get customers to know about your company (e.g., newspaper ads, direct mail
, etc.).
Finally, if applicable, discuss your distribution plan, which details fr
om where customers can purchase your products and/or services.
8. Operations Plan
Your operations plan should detail the key operational processes your or
ganization needs to accomplish on a daily basis to achieve success. In addition,
it should identify the milestones you need to accomplish over the next 1-3 year
s in order to achieve success.
9. Management Team TISI +%
The Management Team section of the business plan must prove why the key
company personnel are eminently qualified to execute on the business model.
Also mention gaps in your team and who you need to hire.
10. Financial Plan
Your financial plan is critically important to investors. Identify the w
ays in which your company generates revenues. And highlight the key assumptions
which govern your financial projections.
If you are seeking funding, identify how much money you need to start an
d/or run your business, and the primary uses of these funds.
Finally, include a summary of your financial projections.