Sample Business Plans

550+ professional business plan examples

Browse real, downloadable industry-specific business plans across 23 industries — each with market research, an executive summary, and a complete financial forecast. Find the example closest to your idea, see how a finished plan actually reads, then build your own.

Most-requested plans

The examples people search for most — or browse all 23 industries on the left.

Food Truck

Coffee Shop

Cleaning Service

Restaurant

Clothing & Fashion

Daycare

Hair & Beauty Salon

Trucking

Construction

How to use a sample business plan

A good example is a shortcut, not a script. Here's how to get the most from one.

1. 1

   Find the example closest to your business.

   The nearer the match, the more the market data and cost structure will resemble yours. New to all this? Start with our guide to what a business plan is and why it matters.

2. 2

   Read it the way a lender will.

   Notice how the executive summary frames the opportunity, how every market claim is backed by a source, and how the financials connect to the story.

3. 3

   Model it — don't copy it.

   Swap in your own research, numbers, and strategy. A plan about someone else's business won't survive the first question from a banker.

4. 4

   Build yours with a real structure.

   Start from the free business plan template, then build a forecast that turns your assumptions into projections that hold up. You can use our forecast templates to jump-start the process.

What's inside every business plan example

Every plan in this library includes the seven sections lenders and investors look for.

Ready to write your own business plan for funding?

An example shows you the destination. Here's how to get there.

1. 1

   Start from the structure

   Download the free business plan template so you're working from the same sections you just read in the example — you'll never wonder what comes next.

2. 2

   Write the words first, then the numbers

   Draft each section in plain language — what you sell, who buys it, how you'll reach them — then turn those assumptions into a simple forecast of sales, expenses, and cash flow. Our step-by-step guide to writing a business plan covers each section in order.

3. 3

   Pressure-test it before you share it

   Read your draft the way a lender would, and check that your story and your numbers tell the same tale. The gaps you catch now are the questions you won't get blindsided by later. Our guide for writing a business plan that will convince investors goes through this step in detail.

Should you use software to write your business plan?

Not every plan needs software. Here's an honest way to decide.

So why use LivePlan instead of ChatGPT?

When you need to be sure your plan is right, you'll want to use a tool like LivePlan. It combines the speed of a guided draft that AI can create with real research and a grounded, working three-statement financial model backed by industry benchmarks. When you work with LivePlan, you don't just have a plan, you have one you can defend.

	Free Template	AI Chatbot
How you start	Blank document with section prompts	A draft generated from a few prompts	Guided, step by step — from an example or from scratch
The financials	You build every formula yourself	Numbers that look right but aren't connected	A working three-statement model where P&L, cash flow & balance sheet are linked
Market data	You research all of it	May be unsourced or out of date	50+ real, sourced benchmarks by industry and location
Will it hold up with a lender?	Only if you already know what they check	Invented numbers are often spotted fast	Built to the standard lenders expect, with a readiness review
As your business runs	A static file	Re-prompt from scratch each time	Track plan vs. actuals with QuickBooks or Xero
Best for	Simple needs and a quick structure	A fast first draft to build on	Knowing your plan is right before money's on the line