business plan checklist excel

Create a business plan

You've been dreaming of starting your own business. You've started with some concrete steps, and you're ready to put your proposal together. But how do you start, and how do you know when you have the right information?

How to get it done

Create a business plan with templates in Word:

Start with a template

Download these templates from the Office Templates site to create your plan:

Fill in your Business plan .

Analyze your market with the Business market analysis template .

Detail your financials in a Financial plan .

Divide up the work and track deliverables with this Business plan checklist .

Wrap up with this Business startup checklist .

Need a little help?

Learn how to:

Start a document from a template .

Apply themes to change your plan's look.

Related resources

Related article

Must follow steps for starting a successful business

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Home » Budget » Business Plan

Download Business Plan Template In Excel

• Budget , Business management , Excel Templates

Kickstart Your Business Success with Our Free Excel Business Plan Template

Charting a path to success for your business can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to organizing and managing the myriad elements that constitute a business plan. That’s why we’re thrilled to introduce our free, comprehensive Business Plan Excel template. With multiple, integrated sheets for every facet of your planning needs, this template streamlines your strategic process, saving you time and effort.

What Is Included in Our Sample Business Plan Template in Excel?

Our Excel business plan template is meticulously designed and includes the following components:

• Sales Planning / Forecasting Template : This template enables you to plan product-wise and year-wise sales. By analyzing trends over the previous two years, you can forecast sales for the coming year and make informed business decisions.
• Profit and Loss Template : This sheet will help you track your revenues, costs, and expenses to determine your business’s profitability over a period of time.
• Balance Sheet Template : It provides a snapshot of your company’s financial position at a particular moment, illustrating what the company owns (assets) and owes (liabilities), and the amount invested by shareholders (equity).
• Cash Flow Template : With this, you can manage your cash position by tracking the inflow and outflow of cash in your business. This template helps in monitoring your liquidity and understanding if you have enough cash to cover your expenses.
• Budget Template : This facilitates the allocation and tracking of financial resources, ensuring you don’t overspend and stay on the right financial track.
• Break-Even Analysis Template : This crucial template calculates the point where your total cost equals your total revenue. Understanding your break-even point can help guide pricing strategy, monitor efficiency, and make profitable business decisions.

How to Use the Excel Business Plan Template?

Using our comprehensive Excel business plan template is simple:

• Download the Template : Start by downloading our free Business Plan Excel template.
• Input Your Data : Enter your business data into each sheet. Each section comes with clear instructions on what information is needed.
• Analyze and Plan : Use the data you’ve entered to analyze your current business situation, make projections, and develop strategic plans.
• Update Regularly : As your business evolves, so should your business plan. Regularly update the data in the template to keep your plan relevant and responsive to your business’s changing circumstances.

Why Use the Excel Business Plan Template?

Our Excel business plan template offers a host of benefits:

• Comprehensive : It covers every aspect of your business plan, eliminating the need for multiple documents or programs.
• Easy to Use : The template is designed to be user-friendly, making it easy for anyone, regardless of their familiarity with Excel.
• Customizable : The template can be modified to suit the specific needs and nature of your business.
• Effective Visualization : The template includes graphs and charts, transforming your data into a visual format that’s easier to understand and present.
• Free : Our template is completely free, making it a cost-effective solution for business planning.

In conclusion, our Excel business plan template simplifies the planning process by consolidating all elements of a business plan into a single, comprehensive document. Whether you’re drafting your first business plan or refining an existing one, this template can be an invaluable tool. So, download our free Excel business plan template today and embark on a strategic journey to business success!

Users of This Free Business Plan Template

The Excel Business Plan Template is designed for a wide variety of users who need to develop a structured and strategic approach to their business planning. Here’s a list of individuals and entities who could greatly benefit from using this template:

• Entrepreneurs and Startups : If you’re in the initial stages of starting a business, this template can help you plan, analyze, and forecast various aspects of your business such as sales, finances, and cash flow.
• Small Business Owners : For existing small businesses, this template can help monitor performance, manage finances, and plan for future growth.
• Financial Analysts and Managers : These professionals can use this template to gain insights into the financial health of a business, plan budgets, and conduct break-even analysis.
• Freelancers and Solopreneurs : Even if you’re a one-person business, this template can help keep track of your finances, forecast your revenue, and manage your cash flow efficiently.
• Consultants and Business Advisors : These individuals can utilize the template to assist their clients in developing business plans, improving financial management, and setting strategic goals.
• Non-profit Organizations : Even though their goals might not be profit-oriented, non-profit organizations can also benefit from this template to manage their finances, plan budgets, and conduct break-even analysis for their fundraising events or projects.

Remember, the key to leveraging this tool effectively is to customize it to the unique needs and circumstances of your business or project. No matter your industry or the size of your business, our Excel Business Plan Template can be a valuable tool in your strategic planning toolkit.

Download this Business Plan template in Excel Format

Our easy to use editable Excel templates and save your significant amount of time and effort. Here’s how to download and use one of our templates:

Download this free Excel Template : Once you’ve browsed through our collection of templates and find the one that best fits your needs. Once you’ve found the template you want, click on the download button.

Replace sample data with your actual data: Once the template is downloaded, open it in Excel. You’ll see that it is already set up with sample data. To start analyzing your own data, simply replace the sample data with your actual data.

Customize the template: Our templates are completely editable, which means you can customize them to fit your specific needs. For example, you can change the formatting, add or remove columns, or create new charts and graphs.

Use the Excel template: Once you’ve fed in your data and customized the template, you’re ready to start using it for data analysis. Use the various tools and features of Excel to analyze and visualize your data, and make informed business decisions.

Save and share: Once you’ve finished working on the template, save it to your computer and share it with other members of your team or stakeholders as needed.

Click Download Button To Get Business Plan Excel Template

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Business Plan Template

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Powerful business plan templates

Plan for the future, no matter what your business plans are or the size of your business with these designs and templates. whether it's just one big project or an entire organization's worth of dreams, these templates will keep you and your company on track from ideation to completion..

Put your ideas to work with simple templates for every business plan

Every successful business took a lot of planning to get there, and these templates will be cornerstones of your future success. Whether you're looking to attract new business, pitch your services or reimagine your company, with these simple, customizable templates at your fingertips you can turn complexity into something tangible. These templates can become marketing assets or simply remain internal touchpoints for your team. And as your dreams change, you'll always have this template to refer to – it's easy to change what exists on paper. If you're a small business, focusing on your niche can help you dominate in your field, and you can forge a plan to figure out exactly what that niche might be and how to target your ideal customer . When it's time to share your vision with stakeholders, craft a presentation that outlines your plan succinctly and with style. Let these templates from Microsoft Designer be your partner in business strategy for years to come.

Business Planning Checklist Excel Template

Business planning checklist excel template: a comprehensive tool to streamline your plan. this business planning checklist excel template provides a comprehensive guide to planning and managing the key steps and activities necessary to ensure successful business operations. it covers goal setting, budgeting, marketing, financial management, and more. get organized and plan your business operations today.

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• Total Downloads 1
• Template Rating 0.0

Template Information

• Released Aug 23, 2023
• Updated May 21, 2024
• File Type Microsoft Excel
• Demo Video No
• File Size 17.22 KB
• File SKU 0660
• Tags Business , Strategy , Planning , Excel , Checklist , Template , Tool , Strategic

Contributor Profile

Kajal Sethi

Business planning checklist excel template description.

The Business Planning Checklist Excel Template is an invaluable tool for businesses of all sizes. This easy-to-use template helps you create a detailed and comprehensive roadmap for your business success. The template not only provides guidance on the necessary steps to take in order to develop a successful business plan, but it also allows you to easily track and measure progress of your plan over time.

The Business Planning Checklist Excel Template is organized into several sections to help you easily navigate through the template. The first section is the Introduction, which provides a brief overview of the business planning process and the importance of having a well-thought out plan. The second section is the Business Plan Outline, which outlines the various sections of the business plan and provides helpful tips on how to complete each section.

The next section of the template is the Goals & Strategies section. This section outlines the overall objectives of the business and provides you with an opportunity to define the strategies you will take to achieve those objectives. The fourth section is the Financial Forecasting section, which provides you with an opportunity to create a financial projection of your business and identify potential areas of investment. Finally, the fifth section is the Action Plan, which outlines the specific steps and activities that need to be taken to achieve the goals and objectives of your business.

The Business Planning Checklist Excel Template is easy to use and provides you with a comprehensive roadmap to success. With this template, you can easily track progress of your business plan over time and make adjustments as needed. This template is ideal for businesses of all sizes and can help you develop a successful business plan.

Benefits of the Business Planning Checklist Excel Template

• Provides an organized and comprehensive roadmap to success
• Helps you track progress of your business plan over time
• Allows you to make adjustments as needed
• Ideal for businesses of all sizes
• Easy to use and understand

How to Use the Business Planning Checklist Excel Template

• Download the template
• Fill in the various sections of the template
• Create a financial projection of your business
• Outline the action plan to achieve the goals and objectives of your business
• Track progress of your business plan over time
• Make necessary adjustments as needed

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Free Business Plan Template

One of the reasons that so many small businesses fail is that they don't do the necessary up front work to create an accurate and realistic business plan. Creating a business plan doesn't guarantee success, but the process of writing a plan is critical for any successful new business. It isn't our goal to try to tell you everything you need to know about creating a business plan. Instead, our goal is to make the process easier by providing a professionally designed business plan template that you can edit easily using Word and Excel .

Business Plan Template

License : Private Use (not for distribution or resale)

Authors : Jon Wittwer and Jim Wittwer

Update (7/22/2016) : We've added a basic break-even analysis worksheet to the companion Excel workbook.

Description

This template provides a business plan outline with sample questions, tables, and a working table of contents. It was created for newer versions of Word and Excel (Office 2007 or later) so that you can easily change the fonts and color scheme and the file will be compatible with the mobile and web-based Word & Excel apps.

It is best to use Excel for financial statements, data tables and charts. So, we have provided a companion Excel workbook with these sample financial statements and other tables and graphs that you can copy and paste into your Word document.

The companion workbook combines many of the different spreadsheets you can find on Vertex42.com, but customized specifically for inclusion in a business plan.

Using the Business Plan Template

Editing headings and table of contents.

Word allows you to assign format Styles to text and paragraphs, and we've designed the template to use these Styles for defining headings, sub-headings, and figure captions.

If you want to add a new section so that the Table of Contents updates correctly, just add a new heading in the body of the document and assign it the Heading 1 or Heading 2 style.

To update the Table of Contents, go to the References tab and within the Table of Contents group of buttons, click on Update Table and then "Update entire table."

Copy/Paste From Excel to Word

For simple tables, you can use Copy/Paste (Ctrl+c / Ctrl+v) to copy a table from Excel to Word. This will typically paste the data as a formatted and editable table in Word, though none of the formulas will be functional within Word (and the table will not be linked to Excel). If you don't want the table to be editable in Word, you can "Paste as a Picture" using Paste Special or by choosing the "Picture" option when you right-click in Word to paste the table.

Important : When you paste a chart object into your business plan, make sure to "Paste as a Picture" because pasting the chart as an embedded object means that the entire spreadsheet becomes embedded in your Word document (even though what you see is only the chart).

If you want to insert a table into Word as a "Linked Object" so that when you edit Excel, the table in Word will update automatically, you may have a more difficult time preserving the formatting of the original. However, at the least the entire spreadsheet won't be embedded within your business plan Word document.

More Related Templates

Resources for Writing a Business Plan

• Write Your Business Plan at SBA.gov - Anybody starting a business should become familiar with the SBA (small business association). SBA.gov also has an online tool for creating a business plan .
• YouTube: How to Write a Business Plan - Business Wales (3 minutes) - This video offers a quick overview and tips for the essential parts of a business plan.
• YouTube: How to Write a Business Plan - Berkeley-Haas (71 minutes) - This presentation offers both the venture capitalist and entrepreneur perspective on how to write a business plan that can successfully attract funding.
• Write Your Business Plan at Entrepreneur.com - A book written by the staff of a company that should know what they are talking about.
• Sample Business Plans at bplans.com - Finding a business plan for similar businesses in your industry is a great way to get ideas for what to include in your plan. This site is a great resource for not only finding sample plans, but also for creating a business plan online using their step-by-step approach.

Other Free Business Plan Templates

• Business Planning Template Gallery at SCORE.org - This nonprofit organization (supported by the SBA) has provided expertise and free mentorship for millions of small business owners. They also have a useful collection of templates.
• Develop Your Business Plan at business.gov.au - This Australian Government site provides a really good business plan template for Word, including a detailed guide, questions to answer, and sample financial statements.

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Business plans for entrepreneurs and managers, simple business plan excel template.

Business planning and costing don’t have to be complicated. They aren’t! Investaura is pleased to provide you with this simple Business Plan template in Excel to help you get started.

Download “Simple Business Plan and Costing Excel Template”

Business Plan Checklist

As a prospective business owner, you often have a tendency to look at your business plan with rose-colored glasses. Though this is certainly a positive attribute for a new business, a detailed and accurate look at your business plan is also a plus. The fact that most business start-ups go out of business in the first year should get a person interested in a proper business plan analysis, or at least a business plan checklist. This is a free resource from Microsoft for use in their office programs.

A Free Business Plan Checklist from Microsoft

Microsoft offers free, downloadable templates that are especially useful to business owners and project managers. The templates themselves give a great format for analysis with many of the categories already pre-set. You can use these, or just borrow the whole format and re-label the categories. Because it is in the Excel 2007 platform it is very customizable. Most people that are looking up the template, and operating the easy download will already have the skills needed to make the changes they need.

There are a number of different choices you can choose from when you go looking for a business plan checklist template. You can get a general business plan checklist, or one that gives a SWOT analysis breakdown. There are templates that can help you in different departments like marketing or employee management or project performance. There are business specific templates that give a head start in several different industries, and even a spreadsheet for those that need a home business plan.

The free, downloadable templates offered by Microsoft are one of the best free enhancements that Excel users are invited to use. This resource is especially beneficial in the face of expensive programs that come out every year. Many of these free templates have more to offer than those people are paying hundreds of dollars for.

If you’re starting a business, these templates can give you the organization that you need to get going. Once they’ve proved their usefulness, you can customize them in any way you want, or even get a more complex business plan checklist template for free, as the need arises. There are plenty of free templates to choose from.

Download: Business Plan Checklist

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Business Plan Checklist

Whether it’s for a bank, investors, validation, and/or a roadmap, your company needs a written business plan to convert your ideas into an organized, professional document. 

The business plan format will change depending on why you’re writing it and who you’re writing it for. If you’re seeking validation, it’s best to start with a simple one-page pitch. On the other hand, if you’re pursuing funding, you’ll need a professional, formal business plan. 

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

  Regardless of the intentions behind your business plan, having a checklist of what needs to be included is helpful to make sure you’re effectively getting your ideas and strategies down on paper. 

As a baseline, your business plan should include these 10 sections:

Executive Summary

• Company Overview

Industry Analysis

• Customer Analysis

Competitive Analysis

Marketing plan, operations plan, management team, financial plan, the essential business plan checklist.

Here, I will explain the different elements you need to include in each section. Use this resource as a business plan questions checklist and mark them off as you go.

Your executive summary should explain the problem you are solving and how you intend to solve it. When reviewing your business plan, address the following:

• The function of your business
• Competitors
• Target customers
• Key financial highlights
• Key members of your team
• Business goals

Essentially, you want to ensure that your executive summary introduces your business in a detailed yet concise form, explaining the key parts of your business and the market.   

Company Overview 

Here, you will give a brief summary of your company as a whole and how it functions. Be certain to include:

• Company history
• Founding members
• Milestones you have achieved
• The legal structure of your business

    Finish Your Business Plan Today!

Your industry analysis will provide a summary of your market research. After doing your research, include answers to the following questions in your business plan:

• How big is the market?
• Where is the market currently: growing or declining? 
• Who are some of the key competitors? 
• What is influencing the industry? 

Customer Analysis 

In your customer analysis, you will explain the audience you are targeting and expect to serve. Be sure to focus on your target customers and the customer needs. It should explain the:

• Demographic profile of your target market
• Customer segments within that market

Your competitive analysis will address your competition in the market. It should have three subsections as follows:

• Direct Competitors: other businesses in your market (example: if you own an ice cream shop, other ice cream shops are direct competitors)
• Indirect Competitors: other businesses that may not specifically be in your business’s market, but provide similar results to that of your company (example: if you own an ice cream shop, grocery stores that sell ice cream are indirect competitors)

For each competitor, identify both their strengths and weaknesses. Be sure to address the following:

• What features do they offer?
• What is their pricing? 
• Who are their customers?
• What are they good at? 
• What are their weaknesses?

Describe your competitive advantages or what your business will do better. Here, provide answers to the following questions:

• Will you offer more or better features?
• Will you ensure better results for your users?
• Will you offer better pricing?
• Will your customer service be more efficient?

Be sure that your competitive analysis describes just how your business will succeed and stand out in its competitive market.   

Your plan should include the following marketing plan sections:

• Product : detail the specific features of your business’s product
• Price : identify your business pricing and if there will be different pricing levels (e.g., free, premium) and what exactly those levels will be
• Place : name where your business will be located
• Promotions : how you will attract customers to your business (social media advertising, pay-per-click advertising, magazine advertising, public relations, etc.)

Here, you will describe how your company will effectively meet the goals you identified in the earlier sections of your business plan. Your operations plan should have two sections:

• Every day short-term processes: all necessary daily operations completed simply for the function of your business (providing customer service, writing code, fixing bugs, etc.)
• Long-term goals: milestones you hope to achieve (reaching $X in sales, having Y amount of employees, etc.)

It is essential to have a strong management team for the function and success of your business. Be sure to include the following:

• Management team: highlight your key players’ backgrounds and describe their skills and talents
• Management team gaps: any experience that you think your business will need in order to succeed 
• Board members 

Your financial plan will document your 5-year financial projections , broken down in monthly or quarterly projections for the first year, and then annually thereafter. Your focus here is to show how much money you need, how much income you will earn, and when you will be profitable. 

Your financial plan should include:

• Profit & Loss statement 
• Cash flow statement
• Balance sheet
• Sales forecast
• Personnel plan
• Break-even analysis

To provide evidence to your numbers, include supporting documentation in your financial plan. 

Your appendix will provide any and all other documentation or information that you believe supports your business plan. If necessary, your appendix can include: 

• Resumes of key management, blurbs on other management members
• Job descriptions/titles
• Copies of forms
• Copies of licenses
• Personal and business tax returns (if applying for a loan)
• Marketing materials 

To ensure that your business plan effectively portrays the mission and potential success of your business, go through this checklist and make sure you have included each concept mentioned. A fill in the blank business plan also includes each of these key sections and can help you quickly and easily complete your business plan.  

Business Plan Checklist FAQs

How do i make a business plan checklist.

We’ve completed the hard work for you! You can download this Business Plan Checklist PDF for quick reference as you complete your business plan.

What are the 10 Components of a Business Plan?

Read our article detailing the 10 Key Components of the Business Plan .

Finish Your Business Plan in Just 1 Day!

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your business plan?

With Growthink’s Ultimate Business Plan Template you can finish your plan in just 8 hours or less!

Click here to finish your business plan today.

How to Write a Business Plan: Step-by-Step Guide + Examples

Noah Parsons

24 min. read

Updated May 7, 2024

Writing a business plan doesn’t have to be complicated. 

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to write a business plan that’s detailed enough to impress bankers and potential investors, while giving you the tools to start, run, and grow a successful business.

• The basics of business planning

If you’re reading this guide, then you already know why you need a business plan . 

You understand that planning helps you: 

• Raise money
• Grow strategically
• Keep your business on the right track 

As you start to write your plan, it’s useful to zoom out and remember what a business plan is .

At its core, a business plan is an overview of the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy: how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

Most business plans also include financial forecasts for the future. These set sales goals, budget for expenses, and predict profits and cash flow. 

A good business plan is much more than just a document that you write once and forget about. It’s also a guide that helps you outline and achieve your goals. 

After completing your plan, you can use it as a management tool to track your progress toward your goals. Updating and adjusting your forecasts and budgets as you go is one of the most important steps you can take to run a healthier, smarter business. 

We’ll dive into how to use your plan later in this article.

There are many different types of plans , but we’ll go over the most common type here, which includes everything you need for an investor-ready plan. However, if you’re just starting out and are looking for something simpler—I recommend starting with a one-page business plan . It’s faster and easier to create. 

It’s also the perfect place to start if you’re just figuring out your idea, or need a simple strategic plan to use inside your business.

Dig deeper : How to write a one-page business plan

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• What to include in your business plan

Executive summary

The executive summary is an overview of your business and your plans. It comes first in your plan and is ideally just one to two pages. Most people write it last because it’s a summary of the complete business plan.

Ideally, the executive summary can act as a stand-alone document that covers the highlights of your detailed plan. 

In fact, it’s common for investors to ask only for the executive summary when evaluating your business. If they like what they see in the executive summary, they’ll often follow up with a request for a complete plan, a pitch presentation , or more in-depth financial forecasts .

Your executive summary should include:

• A summary of the problem you are solving
• A description of your product or service
• An overview of your target market
• A brief description of your team
• A summary of your financials
• Your funding requirements (if you are raising money)

Dig Deeper: How to write an effective executive summary

Products and services description

This is where you describe exactly what you’re selling, and how it solves a problem for your target market. The best way to organize this part of your plan is to start by describing the problem that exists for your customers. After that, you can describe how you plan to solve that problem with your product or service. 

This is usually called a problem and solution statement .

To truly showcase the value of your products and services, you need to craft a compelling narrative around your offerings. How will your product or service transform your customers’ lives or jobs? A strong narrative will draw in your readers.

This is also the part of the business plan to discuss any competitive advantages you may have, like specific intellectual property or patents that protect your product. If you have any initial sales, contracts, or other evidence that your product or service is likely to sell, include that information as well. It will show that your idea has traction , which can help convince readers that your plan has a high chance of success.

Market analysis

Your target market is a description of the type of people that you plan to sell to. You might even have multiple target markets, depending on your business. 

A market analysis is the part of your plan where you bring together all of the information you know about your target market. Basically, it’s a thorough description of who your customers are and why they need what you’re selling. You’ll also include information about the growth of your market and your industry .

Try to be as specific as possible when you describe your market. 

Include information such as age, income level, and location—these are what’s called “demographics.” If you can, also describe your market’s interests and habits as they relate to your business—these are “psychographics.” 

Related: Target market examples

Essentially, you want to include any knowledge you have about your customers that is relevant to how your product or service is right for them. With a solid target market, it will be easier to create a sales and marketing plan that will reach your customers. That’s because you know who they are, what they like to do, and the best ways to reach them.

Next, provide any additional information you have about your market. 

What is the size of your market ? Is the market growing or shrinking? Ideally, you’ll want to demonstrate that your market is growing over time, and also explain how your business is positioned to take advantage of any expected changes in your industry.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write a market analysis

Competitive analysis

Part of defining your business opportunity is determining what your competitive advantage is. To do this effectively, you need to know as much about your competitors as your target customers. 

Every business has some form of competition. If you don’t think you have competitors, then explore what alternatives there are in the market for your product or service. 

For example: In the early years of cars, their main competition was horses. For social media, the early competition was reading books, watching TV, and talking on the phone.

A good competitive analysis fully lays out the competitive landscape and then explains how your business is different. Maybe your products are better made, or cheaper, or your customer service is superior. Maybe your competitive advantage is your location – a wide variety of factors can ultimately give you an advantage.

Dig Deeper: How to write a competitive analysis for your business plan

Marketing and sales plan

The marketing and sales plan covers how you will position your product or service in the market, the marketing channels and messaging you will use, and your sales tactics. 

The best place to start with a marketing plan is with a positioning statement . 

This explains how your business fits into the overall market, and how you will explain the advantages of your product or service to customers. You’ll use the information from your competitive analysis to help you with your positioning. 

For example: You might position your company as the premium, most expensive but the highest quality option in the market. Or your positioning might focus on being locally owned and that shoppers support the local economy by buying your products.

Once you understand your positioning, you’ll bring this together with the information about your target market to create your marketing strategy . 

This is how you plan to communicate your message to potential customers. Depending on who your customers are and how they purchase products like yours, you might use many different strategies, from social media advertising to creating a podcast. Your marketing plan is all about how your customers discover who you are and why they should consider your products and services. 

While your marketing plan is about reaching your customers—your sales plan will describe the actual sales process once a customer has decided that they’re interested in what you have to offer. 

If your business requires salespeople and a long sales process, describe that in this section. If your customers can “self-serve” and just make purchases quickly on your website, describe that process. 

A good sales plan picks up where your marketing plan leaves off. The marketing plan brings customers in the door and the sales plan is how you close the deal.

Together, these specific plans paint a picture of how you will connect with your target audience, and how you will turn them into paying customers.

Dig deeper: What to include in your sales and marketing plan

Business operations

The operations section describes the necessary requirements for your business to run smoothly. It’s where you talk about how your business works and what day-to-day operations look like. 

Depending on how your business is structured, your operations plan may include elements of the business like:

• Supply chain management
• Manufacturing processes
• Equipment and technology
• Distribution

Some businesses distribute their products and reach their customers through large retailers like Amazon.com, Walmart, Target, and grocery store chains. 

These businesses should review how this part of their business works. The plan should discuss the logistics and costs of getting products onto store shelves and any potential hurdles the business may have to overcome.

If your business is much simpler than this, that’s OK. This section of your business plan can be either extremely short or more detailed, depending on the type of business you are building.

For businesses selling services, such as physical therapy or online software, you can use this section to describe the technology you’ll leverage, what goes into your service, and who you will partner with to deliver your services.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write the operations chapter of your plan

Key milestones and metrics

Although it’s not required to complete your business plan, mapping out key business milestones and the metrics can be incredibly useful for measuring your success.

Good milestones clearly lay out the parameters of the task and set expectations for their execution. You’ll want to include:

• A description of each task
• The proposed due date
• Who is responsible for each task

If you have a budget, you can include projected costs to hit each milestone. You don’t need extensive project planning in this section—just list key milestones you want to hit and when you plan to hit them. This is your overall business roadmap. 

Possible milestones might be:

• Website launch date
• Store or office opening date
• First significant sales
• Break even date
• Business licenses and approvals

You should also discuss the key numbers you will track to determine your success. Some common metrics worth tracking include:

• Conversion rates
• Customer acquisition costs
• Profit per customer
• Repeat purchases

It’s perfectly fine to start with just a few metrics and grow the number you are tracking over time. You also may find that some metrics simply aren’t relevant to your business and can narrow down what you’re tracking.

Dig Deeper: How to use milestones in your business plan

Organization and management team

Investors don’t just look for great ideas—they want to find great teams. Use this chapter to describe your current team and who you need to hire . You should also provide a quick overview of your location and history if you’re already up and running.

Briefly highlight the relevant experiences of each key team member in the company. It’s important to make the case for why yours is the right team to turn an idea into a reality. 

Do they have the right industry experience and background? Have members of the team had entrepreneurial successes before? 

If you still need to hire key team members, that’s OK. Just note those gaps in this section.

Your company overview should also include a summary of your company’s current business structure . The most common business structures include:

• Sole proprietor
• Partnership

Be sure to provide an overview of how the business is owned as well. Does each business partner own an equal portion of the business? How is ownership divided? 

Potential lenders and investors will want to know the structure of the business before they will consider a loan or investment.

Dig Deeper: How to write about your company structure and team

Financial plan

Last, but certainly not least, is your financial plan chapter. 

Entrepreneurs often find this section the most daunting. But, business financials for most startups are less complicated than you think, and a business degree is certainly not required to build a solid financial forecast. 

A typical financial forecast in a business plan includes the following:

• Sales forecast : An estimate of the sales expected over a given period. You’ll break down your forecast into the key revenue streams that you expect to have.
• Expense budget : Your planned spending such as personnel costs , marketing expenses, and taxes.
• Profit & Loss : Brings together your sales and expenses and helps you calculate planned profits.
• Cash Flow : Shows how cash moves into and out of your business. It can predict how much cash you’ll have on hand at any given point in the future.
• Balance Sheet : A list of the assets, liabilities, and equity in your company. In short, it provides an overview of the financial health of your business. 

A strong business plan will include a description of assumptions about the future, and potential risks that could impact the financial plan. Including those will be especially important if you’re writing a business plan to pursue a loan or other investment.

Dig Deeper: How to create financial forecasts and budgets

This is the place for additional data, charts, or other information that supports your plan.

Including an appendix can significantly enhance the credibility of your plan by showing readers that you’ve thoroughly considered the details of your business idea, and are backing your ideas up with solid data.

Just remember that the information in the appendix is meant to be supplementary. Your business plan should stand on its own, even if the reader skips this section.

Dig Deeper : What to include in your business plan appendix

Optional: Business plan cover page

Adding a business plan cover page can make your plan, and by extension your business, seem more professional in the eyes of potential investors, lenders, and partners. It serves as the introduction to your document and provides necessary contact information for stakeholders to reference.

Your cover page should be simple and include:

• Company logo
• Business name
• Value proposition (optional)
• Business plan title
• Completion and/or update date
• Address and contact information
• Confidentiality statement

Just remember, the cover page is optional. If you decide to include it, keep it very simple and only spend a short amount of time putting it together.

Dig Deeper: How to create a business plan cover page

How to use AI to help write your business plan

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT can speed up the business plan writing process and help you think through concepts like market segmentation and competition. These tools are especially useful for taking ideas that you provide and converting them into polished text for your business plan.

The best way to use AI for your business plan is to leverage it as a collaborator , not a replacement for human creative thinking and ingenuity. 

AI can come up with lots of ideas and act as a brainstorming partner. It’s up to you to filter through those ideas and figure out which ones are realistic enough to resonate with your customers. 

There are pros and cons of using AI to help with your business plan . So, spend some time understanding how it can be most helpful before just outsourcing the job to AI.

Learn more: 10 AI prompts you need to write a business plan

• Writing tips and strategies

To help streamline the business plan writing process, here are a few tips and key questions to answer to make sure you get the most out of your plan and avoid common mistakes .  

Determine why you are writing a business plan

Knowing why you are writing a business plan will determine your approach to your planning project. 

For example: If you are writing a business plan for yourself, or just to use inside your own business , you can probably skip the section about your team and organizational structure. 

If you’re raising money, you’ll want to spend more time explaining why you’re looking to raise the funds and exactly how you will use them.

Regardless of how you intend to use your business plan , think about why you are writing and what you’re trying to get out of the process before you begin.

Keep things concise

Probably the most important tip is to keep your business plan short and simple. There are no prizes for long business plans . The longer your plan is, the less likely people are to read it. 

So focus on trimming things down to the essentials your readers need to know. Skip the extended, wordy descriptions and instead focus on creating a plan that is easy to read —using bullets and short sentences whenever possible.

Have someone review your business plan

Writing a business plan in a vacuum is never a good idea. Sometimes it’s helpful to zoom out and check if your plan makes sense to someone else. You also want to make sure that it’s easy to read and understand.

Don’t wait until your plan is “done” to get a second look. Start sharing your plan early, and find out from readers what questions your plan leaves unanswered. This early review cycle will help you spot shortcomings in your plan and address them quickly, rather than finding out about them right before you present your plan to a lender or investor.

If you need a more detailed review, you may want to explore hiring a professional plan writer to thoroughly examine it.

Use a free business plan template and business plan examples to get started

Knowing what information to include in a business plan is sometimes not quite enough. If you’re struggling to get started or need additional guidance, it may be worth using a business plan template. 

There are plenty of great options available (we’ve rounded up our 8 favorites to streamline your search).

But, if you’re looking for a free downloadable business plan template , you can get one right now; download the template used by more than 1 million businesses. 

Or, if you just want to see what a completed business plan looks like, check out our library of over 550 free business plan examples . 

We even have a growing list of industry business planning guides with tips for what to focus on depending on your business type.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re writing your business plan. Some entrepreneurs get sucked into the writing and research process, and don’t focus enough on actually getting their business started. 

Here are a few common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Not talking to your customers : This is one of the most common mistakes. It’s easy to assume that your product or service is something that people want. Before you invest too much in your business and too much in the planning process, make sure you talk to your prospective customers and have a good understanding of their needs.

• Overly optimistic sales and profit forecasts: By nature, entrepreneurs are optimistic about the future. But it’s good to temper that optimism a little when you’re planning, and make sure your forecasts are grounded in reality. 
• Spending too much time planning: Yes, planning is crucial. But you also need to get out and talk to customers, build prototypes of your product and figure out if there’s a market for your idea. Make sure to balance planning with building.
• Not revising the plan: Planning is useful, but nothing ever goes exactly as planned. As you learn more about what’s working and what’s not—revise your plan, your budgets, and your revenue forecast. Doing so will provide a more realistic picture of where your business is going, and what your financial needs will be moving forward.
• Not using the plan to manage your business: A good business plan is a management tool. Don’t just write it and put it on the shelf to collect dust – use it to track your progress and help you reach your goals.
• Presenting your business plan

The planning process forces you to think through every aspect of your business and answer questions that you may not have thought of. That’s the real benefit of writing a business plan – the knowledge you gain about your business that you may not have been able to discover otherwise.

With all of this knowledge, you’re well prepared to convert your business plan into a pitch presentation to present your ideas. 

A pitch presentation is a summary of your plan, just hitting the highlights and key points. It’s the best way to present your business plan to investors and team members.

Dig Deeper: Learn what key slides should be included in your pitch deck

Use your business plan to manage your business

One of the biggest benefits of planning is that it gives you a tool to manage your business better. With a revenue forecast, expense budget, and projected cash flow, you know your targets and where you are headed.

And yet, nothing ever goes exactly as planned – it’s the nature of business.

That’s where using your plan as a management tool comes in. The key to leveraging it for your business is to review it periodically and compare your forecasts and projections to your actual results.

Start by setting up a regular time to review the plan – a monthly review is a good starting point. During this review, answer questions like:

• Did you meet your sales goals?
• Is spending following your budget?
• Has anything gone differently than what you expected?

Now that you see whether you’re meeting your goals or are off track, you can make adjustments and set new targets. 

Maybe you’re exceeding your sales goals and should set new, more aggressive goals. In that case, maybe you should also explore more spending or hiring more employees. 

Or maybe expenses are rising faster than you projected. If that’s the case, you would need to look at where you can cut costs.

A plan, and a method for comparing your plan to your actual results , is the tool you need to steer your business toward success.

Learn More: How to run a regular plan review

Free business plan templates and examples

Kickstart your business plan writing with one of our free business plan templates or recommended tools.

Free business plan template

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How to write a business plan FAQ

What is a business plan?

A document that describes your business , the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy, how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

What are the benefits of a business plan?

A business plan helps you understand where you want to go with your business and what it will take to get there. It reduces your overall risk, helps you uncover your business’s potential, attracts investors, and identifies areas for growth.

Having a business plan ultimately makes you more confident as a business owner and more likely to succeed for a longer period of time.

What are the 7 steps of a business plan?

The seven steps to writing a business plan include:

• Write a brief executive summary
• Describe your products and services.
• Conduct market research and compile data into a cohesive market analysis.
• Describe your marketing and sales strategy.
• Outline your organizational structure and management team.
• Develop financial projections for sales, revenue, and cash flow.
• Add any additional documents to your appendix.

What are the 5 most common business plan mistakes?

There are plenty of mistakes that can be made when writing a business plan. However, these are the 5 most common that you should do your best to avoid:

• 1. Not taking the planning process seriously.
• Having unrealistic financial projections or incomplete financial information.
• Inconsistent information or simple mistakes.
• Failing to establish a sound business model.
• Not having a defined purpose for your business plan.

What questions should be answered in a business plan?

Writing a business plan is all about asking yourself questions about your business and being able to answer them through the planning process. You’ll likely be asking dozens and dozens of questions for each section of your plan.

However, these are the key questions you should ask and answer with your business plan:

• How will your business make money?
• Is there a need for your product or service?
• Who are your customers?
• How are you different from the competition?
• How will you reach your customers?
• How will you measure success?

How long should a business plan be?

The length of your business plan fully depends on what you intend to do with it. From the SBA and traditional lender point of view, a business plan needs to be whatever length necessary to fully explain your business. This means that you prove the viability of your business, show that you understand the market, and have a detailed strategy in place.

If you intend to use your business plan for internal management purposes, you don’t necessarily need a full 25-50 page business plan. Instead, you can start with a one-page plan to get all of the necessary information in place.

What are the different types of business plans?

While all business plans cover similar categories, the style and function fully depend on how you intend to use your plan. Here are a few common business plan types worth considering.

Traditional business plan: The tried-and-true traditional business plan is a formal document meant to be used when applying for funding or pitching to investors. This type of business plan follows the outline above and can be anywhere from 10-50 pages depending on the amount of detail included, the complexity of your business, and what you include in your appendix.

Business model canvas: The business model canvas is a one-page template designed to demystify the business planning process. It removes the need for a traditional, copy-heavy business plan, in favor of a single-page outline that can help you and outside parties better explore your business idea.

One-page business plan: This format is a simplified version of the traditional plan that focuses on the core aspects of your business. You’ll typically stick with bullet points and single sentences. It’s most useful for those exploring ideas, needing to validate their business model, or who need an internal plan to help them run and manage their business.

Lean Plan: The Lean Plan is less of a specific document type and more of a methodology. It takes the simplicity and styling of the one-page business plan and turns it into a process for you to continuously plan, test, review, refine, and take action based on performance. It’s faster, keeps your plan concise, and ensures that your plan is always up-to-date.

What’s the difference between a business plan and a strategic plan?

A business plan covers the “who” and “what” of your business. It explains what your business is doing right now and how it functions. The strategic plan explores long-term goals and explains “how” the business will get there. It encourages you to look more intently toward the future and how you will achieve your vision.

However, when approached correctly, your business plan can actually function as a strategic plan as well. If kept lean, you can define your business, outline strategic steps, and track ongoing operations all with a single plan.

Noah is the COO at Palo Alto Software, makers of the online business plan app LivePlan. He started his career at Yahoo! and then helped start the user review site Epinions.com. From there he started a software distribution business in the UK before coming to Palo Alto Software to run the marketing and product teams.

Table of Contents

• Use AI to help write your plan
• Common planning mistakes
• Manage with your business plan
• Templates and examples

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Business startup checklist: How to launch a startup step by step

Checklist for starting a business

1. Write a business plan

Parts of a business plan.

Depending on the complexity of your business idea, a business plan can be as short as a page or as big as a thick, data-packed document. No matter how simple or complex, every business plan should have at least a few key parts:

An executive summary , or a top-level outline of everything in the business plan.

A market analysis that evaluates where your business stands in relation to competitors, target customers, and industry trends.

A description of your products or services.

Financial projections like pricing and sales strategy, profit goals, and investor details.

An operational overview laying out the logistical "how"s of your business, including logistics, distribution, and production plans.

Business planning software

If you have any basic business experience or know-how, you can probably get through writing a business plan on your own, but if you're feeling totally lost or if you just want something to help move you through the steps more efficiently, business plan writing software might be the way to go. 

2. Estimate your startup costs

Calculating your startup costs will help you appeal to investors and estimate when your new business will start to become profitable. 

Types of startup costs

To begin, you'll need to calculate your exact startup costs. These may include:

One-time startup costs: state business registration fees, lease deposits, etc.

Labor costs: your salary plus worker salaries

Overhead costs: monthly office rent, utilities, taxes, computer equipment, production costs 

Start saving

Just like homeowners need an emergency fund for when the roof starts leaking, you also need an emergency fund for your new business. How much you need depends on the size of your operation and whether you're keeping your current job or going all-in on your new endeavor. It takes most startups at least a few months (and usually more) to become profitable, so if your startup is going to be your main source of income, you'll need at least a few months of operating expenses plus your own living expenses stashed away.

Find funding

3. register your business.

Even if your company is fairly small, there may be specific requirements in your state or county that aren't covered here. No matter what, make sure you do your own research with local and state governments or consult with a lawyer to determine the legal requirements that apply to you.

Pick a business structure

Business structures boil down to four main types: sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies, and corporations. For legal and tax purposes, decide which type you'll operate under—though you can always switch to a different business type as your company grows.

Sole proprietorships: This is the simplest type of business to start and run. It means that you are the company, and all assets and debts of the company are yours too. This also means you'll be personally liable for all business obligations like lawsuits or unpaid debts, so this is the riskiest business structure. 

Partnerships: T hese are like sole proprietorships, except there's more than one owner. Co-owners typically structure their business relationship with partnership operating agreements. Partners split the company's legal and financial obligations and also share in the profits.

Limited Liability Companies and Partnerships (LLCs and LLPs): When you form an LLC or LLP, you work as a "member" of the company, along with any company partners. If the company goes into debt or gets sued, your personal assets are protected. Compared to corporations, there's less paperwork and smaller startup costs.

Corporations: When you incorporate, you create a separate legal entity that owns all of the assets and liabilities for the company. Corporations are usually more attractive to outside investors—you can "go public" with an initial public offering (IPO) and raise money through selling stock in the company. 

Choose a business name

If you plan to register a trademark on your business's name, keep in mind what can't be trademarked:

Any person's name who hasn't given expressed permission

Swears or other offensive content

Government flags and insignia

Your name also needs to meet the U.S. Trademark Office's requirements for "distinctiveness," which just means your trademark needs to be unique enough to avoid confusion between yourself and other similarly named businesses.

Register your company

All businesses except sole proprietors with no employees must register with the IRS and obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN). This is your company's federal tax identification, which you'll use when paying taxes, opening a bank account, applying for business licenses, and hiring employees. 

4. Open accounts and obtain permits

With your business plan in hand, it's time to lay the operational and financial groundwork to get your company off the ground. 

Open a company bank account

Get licenses and permits, find out if you need a sales tax permit.

If you sell physical products and you operate in a state that collects sales taxes, you likely need to register for a Sales Tax Permit. Most states administer these permits for free or for a nominal fee.

5. Set up a financial accounting system

Money can get complicated very quickly, so you want to have an automated system for financial accounting, budgeting, and documentation before you start making any sales. 

Basic bookkeeping 101

Income statements

Balance sheets

Cash flow statements

Bills and invoices

Quarterly financial statements

Tax returns

Understand your tax liability

If you have employees, you'll also need to keep in mind that employee taxes are paid to the government by the employer. If you've ever looked at your own pay stubs, you'll know that each includes a record of what taxes were taken out of your paycheck. Those taxes aren't taken by the government directly—they're taken out by the employer, who is then responsible for sending employees' taxes to the IRS.

6. Buy business insurance

As soon as you hire employees, open a physical location, or begin to scale your business, you'll need liability insurance of some sort. General liability insurance covers you in case someone is injured on your property or as a result of your company's activities.

Additional policies that are common for new businesses include:

Professional liability: Covers you in case an error or omission on your part costs your clients money.

Workers' compensation: Covers medical expenses and lost wages for employees who are injured while working. 

Business interruption insurance: Helps replace lost revenue if your business is forced to close temporarily due to a natural disaster or other event.

Property insurance: Covers your physical property, from company equipment to office or warehouse space.

7. Create a management system

For a single-person business, a management system can be as simple as a set of to-do lists for keeping track of budgets and schedules. Larger businesses will need to formalize processes for managing workflows, finances, schedules, team organization, and more.

Management setup

When getting your management system up and running, focus on the essentials. At a minimum, you'll need a structure for managing:

Calendars and scheduling

Customer communications

Budgets, invoices, and other financial documents

Industry-specific KPIs

Purchasing and order fulfillment

Invest in branding and marketing

The fun part, of course, comes at the very end of all the operational logistics. Take some time to think through your marketing strategy before launching your business. At a minimum, you'll need to start with a website, a logo, and social media accounts.

Establishing a brand identity

Consistency is far more important than trying for fancy, versatile, or expensive branding. A company with a simple, casual tone and one or two brand colors and basic designs will do far better than a company that tries out a different tone with each social post.

List of things needed to start a business

Related reading:

This article was originally published in October 2016 by Melanie Pinola and has also had contributions from Amanda Pell. The most recent update was in May 2023.

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Amanda Pell

Amanda is a writer and content strategist who built her career writing on campaigns for brands like Nature Valley, Disney, and the NFL. When she's not knee-deep in research, you'll likely find her hiking with her dog or with her nose in a good book.

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Easy to Use Excel Templates

Business Plan Checklist Excel

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Use this ‘Business Plan Checklist’ to ensure you have taken care of all the important issues

Quick and Easy to get started… Try it now!

Description

This Business Plan Checklist Excel template helps you develop a formal business plan using the Strengths, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat (SWOT) analysis framework. Use this template to create a checklist of the e key activities that need to be performed when you create your business plan.

Building Your Business

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…with this sleek well designed business plan checklist  you don’t need to worry about layout or formulas, as we have taken care of all of this for you.

A Best-Practice Approach

…to ensure you have taken care of all the important issues. Ready for you to start using right away!

All The Help You Need

…is included in this download. Complete with an overview of Key Excel Fundamentals and a Dynamic Navigator to help you find other Excel Tools that can help you Right Now!

…if you’re not 100% satisfied , well give you a full refund, no questions asked!

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14 Best Excel Templates for Business in 2024 (Free & Premium)

• Last updated March 21, 2024

Fact Checked By Cindy Wong

Let’s talk about Excel templates. These pre-made spreadsheets help you improve productivity quickly. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into the world of Excel templates, equipping you with the knowledge and tools to streamline your tasks, boost productivity, and make informed decisions.

From understanding what Excel spreadsheet templates are to exploring specialized templates for various industries, we’ve got you covered. Whether you’re a seasoned Excel user or just starting, our friendly yet professional approach will simplify complex concepts and empower you to harness the full power of Excel templates.

What Are Excel Templates?

We provide a host of spreadsheet templates for our readers. And Excel templates are no exception. These pre-designed spreadsheets created to simplify various tasks and processes. They serve as starting points, offering predefined structures, formulas, and formatting. These templates are designed to save you time and effort by eliminating the need to build spreadsheets from scratch.

Key Features of Excel Spreadsheet Templates

• Structured Layout: Templates come with organized rows and columns tailored to the specific task or use case. For instance, a budget template might include categories for income, expenses, and savings.
• Predefined Formulas and Functions: Excel spreadsheet templates often include formulas and functions that perform calculations automatically. For example, a mortgage calculator template may already have formulas for calculating monthly payments and interest.
• Formatting and Styling: Templates feature consistent design, including fonts, colors, and cell borders. This makes your data visually appealing and easy to read.
• Placeholder Data: Templates often contain placeholder data or instructions to guide you in entering your information. These placeholders help you understand how to use the template effectively.
• Customizability: While templates provide a structured framework, they are highly customizable. You can modify them to suit your specific needs by adding or removing columns, changing labels, or adjusting formulas.

Common Uses of Excel Templates

• Budgeting: Excel templates for budgeting help individuals and businesses manage their finances effectively by tracking income and expenses, projecting future financial goals, and analyzing spending patterns.
• Project Management: Project management templates assist in planning, tracking, and managing projects. They often include Gantt charts, task lists, and progress trackers.
• Data Analysis: Excel offers templates for data analysis, such as pivot tables, allowing you to quickly summarize and analyze large datasets.
• Accounting: Accounting templates help businesses maintain accurate financial records, including ledgers, income statements, and balance sheets.
• Inventory Management: Inventory templates help businesses track stock levels, monitor product sales, and manage inventory turnover.

Types of Excel Templates

Excel spreadsheet templates come in various categories, each designed to address specific needs and tasks. Here are some of the most common types of Excel templates:

Financial Excel Templates

Financial templates are geared towards managing finances, budgeting, and financial analysis. You can make your own cash flow template , or use one that’s already made. Common financial spreadsheets include:

• Budget Templates: These templates help individuals and businesses create and manage budgets, ensuring that income and expenses are balanced. Check out our top budget templates for Google Sheets .
• Financial Models: Financial modeling templates are used for forecasting financial performance, especially in business planning and investment analysis.
• Income Statements: Templates for income statements track revenues and expenses to determine profitability.
• Balance Sheets: These templates provide a snapshot of a company’s financial position by displaying assets, liabilities, and equity.

Project Management Excel Templates

Project management templates are essential for planning, executing, and monitoring projects. For example, we covered our favorite project status report templates . Other common templates include:

• Gantt Charts: Gantt chart templates visually represent project schedules, showing tasks, timelines, and dependencies.
• Project Timelines: These templates offer a simplified view of project milestones and deadlines.
• Task Tracking Templates: Task tracking templates help teams assign, track, and manage tasks to keep projects on schedule.

Data Analysis Excel Templates

Data analysis templates are invaluable for individuals and businesses working with data. Key templates include:

• Pivot Tables: Pivot table templates simplify data summarization and analysis, allowing users to create interactive reports.
• Data Visualization Templates: Templates for charts and graphs help transform raw data into visual representations for easier understanding.
• Statistical Analysis Templates: Statistical analysis templates include tools for performing statistical tests and calculations.

Personal and Business Excel Templates

Personal and business templates cover a wide range of tasks. We have an article that covers payment receipt templates . Other common personal and business spreadsheets include:

• To-Do List Templates: These templates help you stay organized by listing tasks and priorities.
• Invoice Templates: Invoice templates streamline the invoicing process for businesses, including itemized lists and payment tracking.
• Business Plan Templates: Business plan templates provide structured frameworks for creating comprehensive business plans, helping startups and established companies alike.

Whether you’re managing finances, overseeing a project, analyzing data, or organizing personal tasks, Excel templates offer a time-saving solution to enhance your productivity.

Top 14 Excel Templates for Business

Now, let’s delve into the top Excel templates that can significantly boost your productivity across various domains. We’ll explore each template, highlighting its key features and benefits.

Financial Management Excel Templates

1. financial model.

The Financial Model Excel template is a versatile tool designed to help businesses of all sizes and types manage their finances effectively. Whether you’re a business, a startup , or operating in specific niches like SaaS , E-Commerce , or Marketplace , this template offers comprehensive financial projections, including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. It’s essential for budgeting, forecasting, and making informed financial decisions.

• Accurate Projections: Generate precise financial projections for different business scenarios, aiding in strategic planning.
• Scenario Analysis: Easily assess the impact of various decisions on your financial health by running multiple scenarios.
• Investor-Ready: Impress investors and stakeholders with professional financial reports and insights.
• Data Visualization: Utilize charts and graphs to visualize financial trends and make data-driven decisions.

Price: $74-139 (Use code SPoint10 for 10% off)

2. Profit and Loss Statement

The Profit and Loss Statement Excel template is tailored to specific business models, including startups , marketplaces , SaaS , and E-Commerce ventures. It helps you track your revenues, costs, and expenses to calculate your net profit or loss accurately. With clear and customizable categories, you can gain a deep understanding of your business’s financial performance.

• Business-Specific Tracking: Choose a template that aligns with your business model for precise financial insights.
• Expense Categorization: Easily categorize expenses for better cost management and identification of cost-saving opportunities.
• Year-over-Year Comparison: Track your financial performance over time to identify growth trends or areas that need improvement.
• Tax Preparation: Simplify tax preparation by neatly organizing your income and expenses.

Price: $74 (Use code SPoint10 for 10% off)

3. Revenue Forecasting Tool

The Revenue Forecasting Tool Excel template is indispensable for businesses focused on revenue growth. With different versions tailored to Marketplace , SaaS , E-Commerce , and Agency models, it enables you to project your future revenues based on historical data, market trends, and growth strategies. This tool empowers you to set realistic revenue targets and make informed decisions to achieve them.

• Data-Driven Projections: Utilize historical data and market insights to generate accurate revenue forecasts.
• Goal Setting: Set achievable revenue targets and track progress towards your financial goals.
• Scenario Planning: Assess how changes in pricing, marketing, or sales strategies impact revenue.
• Informed Decision-Making: Make strategic decisions backed by comprehensive revenue projections.

Price: $46 (Use code SPoint10 for 10% off)

Budgeting and Tracking Excel Templates

4. zero-based budget template.

Zero-based budgeting is a meticulous approach to budgeting where you allocate every dollar of your income to expenses, savings, or investments. The Zero-Based Budget Excel template simplifies the zero-based budgeting process, ensuring that your budget accurately reflects your financial priorities and goals.

• Financial Clarity: Gain a clear understanding of where your money goes and prioritize spending according to your goals.
• Savings and Investments: Systematically allocate funds for savings, investments, and debt reduction.
• Expense Tracking: Monitor daily expenses to identify areas for potential savings.
• Emergency Fund Planning: Create a buffer for unexpected costs by including an emergency fund category.

Price: $4.99

5. Inventory and Sales Tracking Template

Managing inventory and tracking sales is crucial for businesses, especially those in retail or e-commerce. The Inventory and Sales Tracking Excel template streamlines inventory management, allowing you to efficiently track stock levels, sales, and product performance.

• Real-Time Inventory: Monitor inventory levels in real-time, ensuring you never run out of stock or overstock products.
• Sales Analysis: Analyze sales data to identify top-performing products and optimize your product offerings.
• Cost Control: Keep tabs on inventory costs and prevent financial losses due to mismanagement.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making: Use sales insights to make informed decisions about restocking, promotions, and pricing strategies.

Price: $19.99

6. Capital Expenditure Planning Template

Capital expenditures (CapEx) are essential for businesses looking to grow and invest in assets like equipment, technology, or infrastructure. This free CapEx Excel template simplifies the planning and tracking of capital expenditures, ensuring efficient allocation of resources.

• Streamlined Planning: Plan and prioritize capital expenditures in a structured manner.
• Budget Control: Stay within budget by tracking expenses against planned allocations.
• ROI Assessment: Evaluate each capital expenditure’s return on investment (ROI) to make informed decisions.
• Asset Management: Keep a comprehensive record of your business’s assets and their depreciation.

Price: Free!

Investment and Financial Analysis Excel Templates

7. simple investment template.

The Simple Investment Excel template is perfect for individuals or businesses looking to analyze potential investments. It assists in evaluating the financial feasibility of investments, calculating returns, and making informed investment decisions.

• Investment Evaluation: Assess the attractiveness of various investment opportunities.
• Risk Analysis: Consider the risks associated with each investment and their impact on returns.
• Return Calculations: Calculate potential returns, including net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR).
• Decision Support: Make well-informed investment choices based on financial analysis.

8. Mortgage Calculator with Amortization Table

Mortgages are a significant financial commitment. This Mortgage Calculator Excel template simplifies mortgage calculations, helping individuals and homeowners understand their loan terms, amortization schedules, and total interest payments.

• Loan Clarity: Understand your mortgage terms, including interest rates, monthly payments, and loan duration.
• Amortization Schedule: View the full amortization schedule, tracking principal and interest payments over time.
• Interest Savings: Explore strategies for paying off your mortgage early to reduce interest costs.
• Financial Planning: Incorporate mortgage payments into your long-term financial planning.

9. CLV vs. CAC Analysis Template

Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) and Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) are critical business metrics. The CLV vs. CAC Analysis Excel template simplifies the calculation and analysis of CLV and CAC, aiding in strategic marketing and growth decisions.

• Customer Profitability: Determine the profitability of acquiring and retaining customers.
• Marketing Efficiency: Evaluate the effectiveness of marketing campaigns by comparing CAC to CLV.
• Retention Strategies: Identify opportunities to increase CLV through customer retention and loyalty programs.
• Data-Driven Marketing: Allocate marketing budgets more efficiently based on CLV and CAC insights.

Data Analysis and Metrics Tracking Excel Templates

10. cohort analysis template.

Cohort analysis is a powerful method for examining user behavior over time. The Cohort Analysis Excel template simplifies the process, helping businesses gain insights into customer retention, engagement, and more.

• User Segmentation: Group users into cohorts based on signup date or other criteria for focused analysis.
• Retention Insights: Identify trends in user retention and pinpoint when users drop off.
• Product Improvement: Use cohort analysis to inform product improvements and marketing strategies.
• Churn Reduction: Develop strategies to reduce customer churn based on cohort analysis findings.

11. MRR Dashboard Template

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) is a vital metric for subscription-based businesses. The MRR Dashboard Excel template provides a comprehensive dashboard for tracking MRR, analyzing trends, and making data-driven decisions.

• MRR Overview: Get a real-time overview of your MRR, including new revenue, lost revenue, and net MRR growth.
• Churn Analysis: Identify reasons for churn and implement strategies to reduce it.
• Growth Tracking: Monitor your subscription business’s growth and set goals for MRR expansion.
• Data Visualization: Visualize MRR trends with charts and graphs for easier interpretation.

12. User Engagement Dashboard Template

User engagement is critical for online businesses. The User Engagement Dashboard Excel template provides a user-friendly dashboard for tracking user engagement metrics, analyzing user behavior, and optimizing user experiences.

• Comprehensive Metrics: Track key engagement metrics such as session duration, bounce rate, and conversion rate.
• Segmentation: Analyze user engagement based on demographics, devices, or referral sources.
• Content Performance: Identify high-performing content and optimize the user journey accordingly.
• Conversion Optimization: Implement strategies to improve user engagement and conversion rates based on insights.

Business Planning and Management Excel Templates

13. software license management tool.

The Software License Management Excel tool simplifies the process for businesses managing software licenses. It allows you to track software licenses, renewal dates, and compliance, ensuring efficient software management.

• License Tracking: Easily keep track of all software licenses in use across your organization.
• Renewal Alerts: Identify license renewals timely to prevent interruptions.
• Cost Control: Avoid unnecessary software purchases and optimize license utilization.
• Compliance Assurance: Ensure compliance with software licensing agreements to avoid legal issues.

14. Workforce Planning Tool

Effective workforce planning is crucial for businesses of all sizes. The Workforce Planning Excel template streamlines the process by helping you manage employee information, staffing levels, and workforce optimization.

• Employee Database: Maintain a centralized employee information database, including roles, qualifications, and contact details.
• Staffing Analysis: Analyze staffing levels and plan for hiring, training, or restructuring as needed.
• Cost Projections: Estimate labor costs and budgets for workforce expansion or reduction.
• Scenario Planning: Model various workforce scenarios and their financial implications.

These Excel spreadsheet templates cover a wide range of business and financial needs, making them invaluable tools for improving productivity, making informed decisions, and achieving your goals. Whether you’re a financial analyst, business owner, or simply looking to better manage your finances, Excel templates offer a user-friendly and robust solution.

Best Practices for Excel Templates

Excel spreadsheet templates are powerful tools that can significantly enhance your productivity , but it’s essential to follow best practices to make the most of them. Here are some tips and strategies to help you use Excel templates effectively.

Choose the Right Template

Selecting the appropriate template for your specific task is the first step to success. Consider the following factors when choosing a template:

• Task Complexity: Ensure the template aligns with the complexity of your task. Simple tasks may require basic templates, while more complex tasks need advanced templates.
• Customizability: Look for templates that allow customization. Templates that are too rigid may not suit your unique needs.
• Industry or Use Case: Many templates are designed for specific industries or use cases. For financial tasks, for instance, choose templates tailored to your industry, such as retail, healthcare, or real estate.
• Scalability: If your task may grow in complexity or data volume, opt for a template that can scale with your needs.

Understand Formulas and Functions

Excel templates often come with built-in formulas and functions to automate calculations. To use these templates effectively, it’s crucial to understand how these formulas work.

• Learn the Basics: Familiarize yourself with common Excel functions like SUM, AVERAGE, IF, VLOOKUP, and more. These are the building blocks of many templates.
• Review Formulas: Take time to review the formulas used in the template. Understand how they calculate results and what data they depend on.
• Customize Formulas: If needed, customize formulas to suit your specific requirements. Modify cell references or add new calculations as necessary.

Input Data Accurately

Accurate data input is essential to obtain meaningful results from Excel spreadsheet templates.

• Double-Check Data: Ensure all data entered into the template is accurate and error-free. A slight mistake can lead to significant inaccuracies in calculations.
• Use Data Validation: Implement data validation rules to prevent incorrect data entry. Excel can prompt users when data doesn’t meet specified criteria.
• Consistent Formatting: Maintain consistent formatting throughout the template. This includes date formats, number formats, and currency symbols.
• Document Data Sources: Keep track of your data sources, especially if you’re pulling data from external sources. This documentation can help troubleshoot discrepancies later.

Regularly Save and Backup

Excel templates represent valuable work, so protecting your data is essential.

• Frequent Saving: Save your work regularly to prevent data loss in case of unexpected software crashes or power outages.
• Version Control: Maintain version control by saving different iterations of your template. Use meaningful file names and dates to track changes.
• Backup Files: Implement a backup strategy. Regularly create copies of your Excel files and store them in a secure location, whether it’s a cloud service or an external drive.

Understand Template Limitations

Excel spreadsheet templates have limitations, and it’s essential to be aware of them.

• Data Volume: Excel may not handle very large datasets efficiently. Consider using a database or specialized software for extensive data management.
• Complexity: Templates have limits in terms of complexity. You might need to consider custom software or consulting with a specialist for more advanced or intricate tasks.
• Data Security: Be cautious when handling sensitive or confidential data within Excel. Implement password protection and encryption where necessary.

Customize for Your Needs

While templates provide a structured starting point, don’t hesitate to customize them to better suit your unique requirements.

• Add or Remove Fields: Include additional or remove unnecessary fields to streamline data entry and reporting.
• Format and Styling: Adjust the template’s formatting and styling to match your preferences and branding guidelines.
• Automate Repetitive Tasks: Excel allows you to automate repetitive tasks using macros. Learn how to create and use macros to save time.

Stay Updated and Educated

Excel is a continually evolving software, and staying updated with the latest features and best practices can benefit your productivity.

• Software Updates: Keep your Excel software up-to-date to access new features and security patches.
• Online Resources: Explore online resources, spreadsheet tutorials , and forums to expand your Excel skills and troubleshoot issues.
• Advanced Training: Consider advanced Excel training courses or certifications to become an Excel power user.

By following these best practices, you can harness the full potential of Excel spreadsheet templates, streamline your tasks, and make more informed decisions. Excel templates are versatile tools that can save you time and effort, but mastering them requires a combination of knowledge, practice, and attention to detail.

Get Started with the Financial Spreadsheet Template Bundle

Ready to take control of your finances and make smart financial decisions? Our Financial Spreadsheet Template Bundle is the ultimate solution to simplify financial management, investment analysis, and mortgage planning.

This bundle includes five powerful templates that can help you achieve your financial goals with ease:

• Cryptocurrency Portfolio Tracker: Keep track of your cryptocurrency investments, monitor real-time market prices, and analyze your portfolio’s performance effortlessly.
• Inventory and Sales Tracking Spreadsheet Template: Optimize your business operations with this template. Efficiently manage inventory, track sales, and make data-driven decisions.
• Simple Investment Template: Make informed investment choices by analyzing potential returns and risks. This template simplifies investment planning for beginners and experts alike.
• Extra-Payment Mortgage Calculator: Take control of your mortgage payments and reduce the total interest you pay. This tool helps you plan extra payments to pay off your mortgage faster.
• Mortgage Calculator Spreadsheet with Amortization Table: Understand your mortgage terms, visualize your amortization schedule, and make sound financial decisions regarding homeownership.

Purchasing these templates individually would cost you more than $69, but with the Financial Spreadsheet Template Bundle , you can access all of them at a fraction of the price. Save over 40% off the list price and embark on your journey to financial success today!

Price: $39.99

Excel templates are your secret weapon for accomplishing tasks faster and more efficiently. With the right template at your fingertips, you can conquer financial challenges, manage projects like a pro, and analyze data with ease. The best part? You don’t need to be an Excel expert to reap the benefits. These templates are designed to simplify your life and make complex tasks feel like a breeze.

So, whether you’re tracking expenses, planning a project, or diving into data analysis, remember that Excel spreadsheet templates are your trusty companions on the journey to productivity and success. Embrace them, customize them, and watch your tasks transform from daunting to doable. Excel templates are your shortcut to getting things done, and the possibilities are endless. Start using them today and take control of your tasks, one spreadsheet at a time!

Free Multiple Project Tracking Template for Excel (2 Options)

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How-To Geek

How to create a checklist in microsoft excel.

You can create a checklist in Microsoft Excel to track items you’re packing, complete your tasks, mark off bills you pay, or double-check items for work.

Quick Links

Access the developer tab, add your list of items in excel, add check boxes for your list items, format your checkboxes, add the remaining checkboxes.

If you're building a spreadsheet to share with others or simply one for your own tracking, using a checklist can make data entry a breeze in Microsoft Excel. Here's how to create a checklist in your spreadsheet and make it look like your own.

Why a checklist? You might use a checklist for tracking items to pack for a trip, products for your company, a holiday gift list, monthly bills, or keeping track of tasks. With a simple check box form control, you can create a checklist for anything you like in Excel.

Before you can use the check box form control in Microsoft Excel, you need to make sure that you have access to the Developer tab . If you don't see this tab at the top of Excel, it takes only a minute to add it.

Right-click anywhere on your Excel ribbon and select "Customize the Ribbon" from the drop-down list. Alternatively, you can click File > Options > Customize Ribbon from the menu.

On the right side of the window, under "Customize the Ribbon," make sure "Main Tabs" is selected. Then in the list below it, check the box next to the "Developer" option.

Click "OK" and then close the Excel Options window.

Related: How to Add the Developer Tab to the Microsoft Office Ribbon

The best way to begin your checklist is to add the list items. Even though you can always add or remove items later, this gives you the start you need to add your checkboxes. And you can, of course, add any row or column headers that you need.

The action part of a checklist is the checkbox. And this is where the Developer tab comes into the mix, so be sure to select that tab. Go to an item on your list and click the cell next to it where you want a checkbox.

In the ""Controls" section of the ribbon, click the "Insert" button. Pick the "Checkbox" option in the "Form Controls" area.

You'll then see your cursor change to crosshairs (like a plus sign). Drag a corner, and when you see your checkbox display, release.

By default, the checkbox will have a label attached to it which you will not need for a basic checklist. Select that text and hit your "Backspace" or "Delete" key. You can then select the checkbox control and drag a corner to resize it if needed.

Once you insert a checkbox, you can make changes to its appearance if you like. Right-click the checkbox control. Make sure that you right-click the actual control and not the cell containing it. Select "Format Control" in the shortcut menu.

You'll see tabs for "Colors and Lines" and "Size," which give you easy ways to color the lines, add a fill color, scale the checkbox, and lock the aspect ratio. Be sure to click "OK" after making your changes.

Checkbox Values and Cell Links

The other tab you may want to work with is the "Control" tab. This one lets you set the value, add a cell link if necessary, and apply 3D shading.

Checkbox Values

By default, a checkbox is unchecked when you insert it. Depending on the type of checklist you create, you might want the boxes checked by default instead. This forces the user to uncheck items they don't want. To do this, mark "Checked" under "Value" in the Control tab and click "OK."

If you plan to use your checklist in conjunction with Microsoft Excel formulas , you'll likely use "Cell Link" on the "Control" tab. When you enter a cell into this box, it will display a True or False value based on the box being checked or unchecked.

Here's an example. Say your checklist has 25 items and you plan to use the COUNTIF function to see how many of the items are checked. You can base your formula off of the True and False values associated with the checked and unchecked boxes.

Related: How to Use the COUNTIF Formula in Microsoft Excel

To use the "Cell Link," simply type the cell reference into the box or click the cell in your spreadsheet to populate it automatically.

Follow the above steps to add checkboxes to your remaining list items. Or for a quicker way, use AutoFill to copy the checkboxes through the cells of your other items.

To use AutoFill, put your cursor on the bottom-right corner of the cell containing the checkbox. When you see the Fill Handle (plus sign), drag to fill the additional cells and release.

For marking off a list of to-dos, making a gift list and checking it twice, or tracking bills you pay each month, creating a checklist in Excel is a great way to go!

And if you like the list idea, how about adding a drop-down list in Microsoft Excel too?

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Office Relocation Checklist Excel with Step-By-Step Guide

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Importance of an Office Relocation Checklist in Commercial Moving

Moving an entire office can be a complex and challenging task that requires careful planning, coordination, and organization. A well-executed office relocation can have a positive impact on productivity, employee morale, and business continuity. This blog aims to provide a comprehensive checklist and step-by-step guide to help businesses successfully navigate the process of relocating their office.

Download Your Free Office Relocation Checklist for Excel and Google Sheets

Using the Checklist to Prepare for the Office Relocation

⌛ determine the relocation timeline.

Start by establishing a timeline for the move. Consider factors such as lease expiration, renovation schedules, and the availability of movers and service providers. Allow sufficient time for each phase of the relocation process to ensure a smooth transition.

💰 Establish a budget and allocate resources

Create a detailed budget that includes all anticipated costs, such as moving expenses, renovations, new furniture and equipment, and IT infrastructure upgrades. Allocate resources accordingly to avoid any financial surprises during the relocation.

👥 Form a relocation team or committee

Assemble a dedicated team or committee responsible for overseeing the entire relocation process. Assign specific roles and responsibilities to team members to ensure efficient coordination and execution.

🔎 Conduct a thorough assessment of the new office space

Visit the new office space and assess its suitability for your business needs. Consider factors such as layout, size, infrastructure requirements, accessibility, and proximity to essential amenities. This assessment will help inform decisions regarding furniture, equipment, and any necessary renovations.

Communication and Coordination of Office Relocation

💬 Notify employees and stakeholders about the upcoming move

Inform employees and stakeholders about the relocation as early as possible. Clearly communicate the reasons for the move, the timeline, and any expected changes or disruptions. Address any concerns and provide support throughout the process.

❓ Appoint a central point of contact for questions and concerns

Designate a central point of contact who can address questions, concerns, and inquiries from employees, service providers, and other relevant parties. This person will play a crucial role in ensuring effective communication and coordination throughout the relocation.

📦 Coordinate with service providers, such as movers and IT professionals

Engage reputable service providers, such as professional movers and IT specialists, well in advance. Communicate your requirements, negotiate contracts, and establish clear expectations regarding timelines, responsibilities, and costs.

📲 Set up regular communication channels for updates and progress reports

Establish regular communication channels, such as email updates, meetings, or a dedicated relocation portal, to keep everyone informed about the progress of the move. This will help minimize confusion and ensure everyone is on the same page.

Logistics and Infrastructure of Office Relocation

📌 create a detailed floor plan and office layout for the new space.

Work with an architect or space planner to create a detailed floor plan and office layout that optimizes productivity and meets your specific needs. Consider factors such as workstations, meeting rooms, common areas, storage, and accessibility.

📜 Arrange for necessary permits, licenses, and insurance coverage

Ensure compliance with local regulations by obtaining any necessary permits or licenses for the new office space. Review and update insurance coverage to protect against any potential risks or liabilities during the relocation.

🪑 Assess furniture and equipment needs and coordinating procurement or disposal

Determine if existing furniture and equipment can be reused or if new items need to be procured. Coordinate with suppliers, consider leasing options, and arrange for the disposal or donation of any items that will not be relocated.

🏢 Plan for necessary renovations or modifications in the new office space

If renovations or modifications are required, plan them carefully to minimize downtime. Coordinate with contractors, establish clear timelines, and communicate any disruptions to employees and stakeholders.

Technology and Connectivity of Office Relocations

💻 assess it infrastructure requirements and coordinating with the it team.

Evaluate your IT infrastructure needs in the new office space. Consider factors such as networking, servers, security systems, phone systems, internet connectivity, and software requirements. Coordinate with the IT team to plan and implement the necessary changes.

🌐 Plan for network setup, cabling, and server room requirements

Ensure that the new office space is equipped with the necessary network infrastructure, including cabling, outlets, and server room facilities. Plan and coordinate with IT professionals to set up the network infrastructure before the move.

📞 Coordinate the transfer of phone systems, internet connectivity, and utilities

Coordinate with service providers to transfer phone systems, internet connectivity, and utilities to the new office space. Plan for any necessary downtime and communicate the temporary disruptions to employees and clients.

💽 Ensure a smooth transition of data, files, and digital assets

Back up all essential data, files, and digital assets before the move. Develop a plan to transfer and restore these assets in the new office space to minimize any potential data loss or disruption to operations.

Office Relocation Address Change and Legal Considerations

📍 update the company's address with official entities and business partners.

Notify official entities, such as government agencies, banks, suppliers, and clients, about the change of address. Update your company's information on official documents, websites, and business listings to ensure a seamless transition.

📩 Inform clients, vendors, and customers about the new location

Communicate the new office location to clients, vendors, and customers through various channels, such as email, website announcements, social media, and newsletters. Provide clear directions and contact information to avoid any inconvenience or confusion.

📝 Review and update legal documents, contracts, and leases

Review all legal documents, contracts, and leases associated with your office space. Determine if any modifications or updates are required due to the relocation. Consult legal counsel if necessary to ensure compliance with legal obligations.

💼 Coordinate with legal counsel for any necessary documentation or permits

If the relocation involves legal considerations, such as permits or regulatory requirements, consult with legal counsel to ensure compliance. Obtain any necessary documentation or permits well in advance to avoid delays or penalties.

Employee Support and Well-being during Office Relocations

🗨️ Provide clear and regular communication to employees throughout the process

Maintain open lines of communication with employees throughout the relocation process. Provide regular updates, address concerns, and ensure that employees feel supported and informed during this transitional period.

🙋 Offer resources and support for employees' personal moves and adjustments

Relocating can be a significant change for employees. Offer resources and support to help them with their personal moves and adjustments. Provide information on housing, transportation, schools, and local amenities to ease the transition.

🧠 Plan for employee orientation and training in the new office space

Plan an employee orientation program to familiarize them with the new office space. Conduct training sessions on any new equipment, technology, or processes to ensure a smooth transition and minimize productivity disruptions.

🎉 Organize an office-warming event to boost morale and foster a positive work environment

Celebrate the successful move and acknowledge the efforts of the relocation team by organizing an office-warming event. This event can boost morale, foster a positive work environment, and help employees feel connected to the new space.

Office Relocation Moving Day and Post-Move Activities

📅 create a detailed moving schedule and assigning tasks to team members.

Develop a detailed moving schedule that outlines specific tasks, responsibilities, and timelines. Assign tasks to team members, including overseeing the movers, setting up workstations, and ensuring the smooth transition of services.

🚛 Ensure a smooth transition on moving day, including supervision of movers

On moving day, have a designated team member supervise the movers and coordinate the logistics. Conduct regular check-ins to ensure that everything is proceeding according to plan and address any issues promptly.

🔍 Conduct a thorough post-move assessment and addressing any issues or concerns

After the move, conduct a post-move assessment to identify any issues or concerns that need to be addressed. This includes reviewing the functionality of IT systems, addressing any damages or discrepancies, and ensuring that employees are settling into their new workspaces comfortably.

🥳 Celebrate the successful move and acknowledge the efforts of the relocation team

Take the time to celebrate the successful completion of the move and acknowledge the hard work of the relocation team. Recognize and appreciate the efforts of everyone involved, as their dedication and commitment contributed to a smooth and successful transition.

Call RCS for the Best Office Relocation Service in Virginia & North Carolina

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Small business templates and spreadsheets to simplify your workflow

Running a small business is no simple task. often, as the owner, you are wearing a number of hats on any given day..

You are the photographer, the social media manager, the accountant, the buyer, the IT department, the customer service rep, and on and on. You do a lot.

So, the idea of haphazardly tossing together financial spreadsheets, invoice templates, timecards, expense reports, and sales forecasts seems a bit overwhelming. Rightfully so.

Instead of bothering with creating your own, you’d really rather someone had already done the lion’s share of the work for you. The idea of someone else doing work for you sounds pretty nice about now, I bet.

Well, we’re that someone. For all those little things you need from a spreadsheet in your small business operations—from money management and travel expenses to inventory audits and forecasting—we’ve got the template. 

Small biz templates and spreadsheets for all parts of your business

From planning out your business’s finances and figuring out expenses to managing your inventory and having standard forms at the ready, we’ve got the templates for you. 

These free small business spreadsheets give you a shortcut to running your business more efficiently. 

We’ve made these all available to you via Google Sheets, since it’s free and easily accessible.

NOTE: They are view-only spreadsheets. No need to ask for access. All you have to do is make your own copy and you can make all the changes you like to the templates. They are yours to use.

If you’d rather use Microsoft Excel or Apple Numbers, just export the file and use your software of choice.

Now, let’s get into it.

Financial planning templates

Understanding the central financial pieces of your business— how you should price things , how much cash you have on hand, what your sales will look like over the next year, and the details of your profits and losses—doesn’t come out of thin air. 

It’s plugged into a spreadsheet and carefully calculated. While it doesn't sound terribly fun, it is the difference between business success and failure.

Get the spreadsheets you need to start planning out your business finances.

Invoicing templates

Your day-to-day work in retail requires documents to make it run smoothly. 

When you order from your vendors, you need a purchase order . When you sell your goods to customers, you need a sales invoice and a packing slip. When you are shipping freight, you’ve got another invoice.

Don’t worry yourself with starting from scratch on those docs. We’ve got it started for you.

Employee & expense form templates

Keeping track of your employees and all the other expenses of your business means having that information and those forms ready to go when you need them.

From calculating payroll and creating timecards to documenting all the various expenses, there’s a template for that. 

Use our employee and expense templates to simplify another part of your business.

Inventory management templates

The star of your shop are the goods you sell. Your pride and joy.

But, those goods need to be tracked. You don’t want to end up selling something you don’t have on the shelf.

That’s where a good spreadsheet comes in. Keep track of your inventory in one place and be ready to audit it regularly.

Get organized

Now that you have all the spreadsheets you've always wanted, you can keep your business organized and on a clear path to success.

One other resource you might want to utilize are retail math formulas . Just plug in your data to get the magic numbers you need!

It's obvious you do a lot (from all the hats you are wearing), so take a load off by utilizing some free help when you can get it. 

You might also like to read

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10 Excel project management templates

Want to download Excel project management templates? Use these free Microsoft Excel spreadsheet templates to track any project.

Project management templates are an integral part of replicating a successful project. With free Microsoft Excel templates, you can turn a simple spreadsheet into a powerful project management tool.

In this article, you'll find some of the most useful and free Microsoft Excel project management and project tracking templates that you'll want to use for your next project.

Microsoft Excel Project Schedule Templates

Check out the best Microsoft Excel project management templates below.

Note: We cover both native and third-party templates here. To find the pre-installed Excel spreadsheet template, open Excel and search for the appropriate keyword in the New Document screen.

If you are already in Excel, go to File > New to bring up the template search. See the Microsoft Excel Template Management section below for more details. Excel comes with several timeline and Gantt chart templates provided by Microsoft, but also integrates templates from Vertex42, one of the most popular third-party resources for spreadsheets.

1. Schedule of the work plan

The worksheet timeline template is suitable for a basic project with multiple phases. When you enter your data into the worksheet, the roadmap will be updated automatically. This template comes pre-installed with Microsoft Excel 2016 and higher.

2. Gantt chart of tracking dates

Gantt charts are a staple in every project manager's toolkit. They help you visualise the flow of your tasks and track progress.

This template allows you to create a complete Gantt chart with minimal effort. For each task, simply enter its description, who is assigned, the percentage to show progress, the start date and the number of days assigned to complete the task. This template is Microsoft Excel by default.

3. Project timeline of milestones and tasks

If you want to integrate milestones into a basic timeline, this template provided by Vertex42 is ideal. It combines the best elements of a Gantt chart, i.e. the visualisation of the task flow, with the milestones appearing on the timeline.

Simply fill in the respective tables to populate the visual. You can find this template by searching in Excel.

4. Simple Gantt Chart

When you search the repository of Excel templates and project plans, you will mainly find different variations of Gantt charts, including this Simple Gantt Chart from Vertex42. What differentiates it from the Gantt chart above is the inclusion of the project phases. This template is included in Microsoft Excel.

5. Event planner template

A project plan is not something that is usually drawn up in Excel. However, if you are planning a small project like a party, all you need is a one-page template that lists the important tasks and allows you to schedule and budget. This template from Office Templates Online is a good start.

6. Activity-based cost tracker

This tracking template can help you get an overview of the direct, indirect, overhead and administrative costs of the product.

7. Project monitoring template

This Vertex42 template is essential if you manage several different clients, projects and/or deliveries. It combines project details, expenses, task status and due dates.

8. Business plan templates

Microsoft Excel 2016 had its own category for business plans. You could search for businesses and select the Business Plans category on the right. In Excel 2019 and onwards, you can do either query, but in the latter you lose some templates, while in the former it could be overwhelming. We recommend that you consult the following.

9. Business plan checklist

Creating a business plan can be a complex project in itself. This checklist will help you cover all the bases by guiding you through the process using a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis. Please note that you will find two similar templates in Excel, but both are identical SWOT analysis checklists, differing only in their format.

10. Start-up costs

This template is a good starting point for a budding entrepreneur who needs help in projecting the costs of his or her business. The template will guide you through the most common goods and services your new business might need.

Once you have filled in all the potential expenses, you will have a much clearer idea of the funding you will need to get your business off the ground. For more business plan templates, take a look at our dedicated article.

Do you have any questions?

In our online shop you can find all the versions we have available. We offer the best product licenses for any type of operating system. 

If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our customer service team. 

Write us a comment or give us a call.

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Free 30-60-90-Day Business Plan Templates and Samples

By Joe Weller | September 4, 2020

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In this article, we’ve compiled a variety of useful 30-60-90-day business plan templates. Download them in PDF, Word, and Excel formats for free.

On this page, you’ll find a one-page 30-60-90-day business plan template , a sample 30-60-90-day business plan for startups , a sample 90-day business plan template with timeline , and more that you can use to develop an actionable plan.

Simple 30-60-90-Day Business Plan Template

Use this simple 30-60-90-day business plan template to map out main goals and deliverables. You can easily break down your high-level plan into bite-sized chunks to create an effective roadmap for accomplishing business goals. Add key tasks and descriptions, assign ownership, and enter deadlines to keep plans on track.

Download Simple 30-60-90-Day Business Plan Template

Word | PDF | Smartsheet

One-Page 30-60-90-Day Business Plan Template

Document key goals and tasks with this single-page 30-60-90-day business plan template. This template can help you create a high-level view of main business objectives and track the status of your goals in an organized and scannable manner. 

Download One-Page 30-60-90-Day Business Plan Template

Word | PDF  | Smartsheet

Sample 30-60-90-Day Business Plan for Startup 

Use this sample 30-60-90-day plan as a basis to build out and develop your organization’s startup business plan. This template enables you to produce and implement a plan of action — from idea conception to business plan finalization. There is also space to detail main goals and deliverables, assign task ownership, and set due dates to ensure your plan stays on track.

‌Download Sample 30-60-90-Day Business Plan for Startup Template 

Sample 90-Day Business Plan Template with Timeline

This sample 90-day business plan template is customizable and doubles as an action plan and timeline so you can track progress in 30-day increments. Easily break your plan into phases, then add key tasks, task ownership, and dates for each activity. You can also fill in and color-code the cells according to the respective start and end dates to create a visual timeline. 

Download Sample 90-Day Business Plan Template with Timeline - Excel

30-60-90-Day Business Plan to Increase Sales (With Gantt Chart)

Use this template to develop a 90-day action plan to increase sales for your business. This customizable template is designed to help you reevaluate and improve your sales strategy and business plan. Broken up into 30-day increments, this template comes pre-filled with actionable tasks, like defining and prioritizing goals, conducting market research, evaluating current processes, finding untapped opportunities, and refining your sales plan to reach sales goals.

Download 30-60-90-Day Business Plan to Increase Sales

Excel | Smartsheet

For additional resources to create and enhance the sales plan portion of your business plan, visit “ All about Sales Plans: Definitions, Tips, and Free Templates .”

30-60-90-Day Business Plan for Marketing

This 30-60-90-day business plan for marketing features a simple and scannable design to help stakeholders track the progress of key marketing goals and activities. Use this customizable template to provide an overview of main objectives and the status of tasks you need to complete.

Download 30-60-90-Day Business Plan for Marketing

Excel | Word | PDF

For additional resources to help develop the marketing plan portion of your business plan, view “ Free Marketing Plan Templates, Examples, and a Comprehensive Guide .”

Purpose of a 30-60-90-Day Business Plan

Unlike a 30-60-90-day plan used to interview for or transition into a new role, a 30-60-90-day business plan is a useful document for developing a roadmap covering the first 90 days of your business planning process.  

Small-business owners, entrepreneurs, and established organizations use a 30-60-90-day business plan to do the following: 

• Establish high-level goals, objectives, and deliverables for the first 30, 60, and 90 days.
• Align your team’s goals with overarching business goals.
• Outline key business activities needed to accomplish the established goals.
• Determine the necessary resources to effectively complete the tasks.
• Define success metrics.
• Assign activity ownership, define milestones, and create a timeline to keep the plan on track.

Looking for additional resources to help you develop your business plan? Visit the following pages for more free templates:

Simple Business Plan Templates

One-Page Business Plan Templates

Fill-in-the-Blank Business Plan Templates

Business Plan Templates for Startups

Business Plan Templates for Nonprofits

Streamline Your 30-60-90-Day Business Plan with Real-Time Work Management in Smartsheet

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The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed. 

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

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Free Excel templates & tutorials for Supply Chain Management

Free Excel Tutorials ⚒

Download for free the “must have” Supply Chain Management Excel templates and tutorials for immediate results

Free Excel template with real examples

Check the tutorial!

Safety Stock: the 6 best formulas in Excel

• Optimize your inventory with Safety Stock
• Order Point calculation formula
• Discover the 6 best safety stock formulas
• How to choose the best formula
• Calculations and common mistakes to avoid

ABC Analysis in Excel

• Business example with 500 products in Excel
• Step-by-Step tutorial in Excel to automate your ABC analysis
• Fondation to start optimizing your inventory management

ABC XYZ Analyse to optimize your Inventory Management

• The ABC Analysis is insufficient to optimize your inventory
• Classify your products based on the uncertainty & volatility of the demand
• Optimize your safety stock with the ABC XYZ classification
• Free ABC XYZ Excel with 3 methodologies

Optimize your EOQ with the Wilson Formula

• Optimize your inventory management with Wilson Formula
• Economic Order Quantity Formula (EOQ)
• Minimum Order Quantity Formula (MOQ)
• Nike Business Example in Excel
• Free EOQ Excel including formulas to download

Start the Assessment

Inventory Management assessment

Are you capable of adapting your inventory management policy to the specificity of each product / category ? With this quick test you’ll have your answer

The 10 best KPIs for your Logistics & Supply Chain

• 10 best KPIs / Metrics to manage Supply Chain performance
• Included : Service Rate, Availability Rate, Stock Coverage…
• Build Dashboard & Metrics to track your performance
• 10 mistakes to avoid (expert syndrome)

Inventory Turnover KPI : Calculation in Excel

• Presentation of the Inventory Turnover Ratio formula
• Stock Turn in days
• Stock Turn in cycle
• Perfect first metric to start optimizing your inventory management

Logistics Lead Time – Free Excel to Track it T

• Why is measuring lead time important?
• Calculate the average logistics lead time
• How to interpret the data
• Implementing the Lead Time KPI

Inventory Accuracy KPI – Stocktake, Excel Calculation Tutorial

• Why is Inventory Accuracy so important?
• The Excel formulas of Stock Tracking
• How to check your stock (inventory process)
• Implementing the Inventory Accuracy KPI

Slow Moving And Obsolete Inventory

• Understanding Slow Moving and Obsolete Inventory
• How to deal with Obsolete Inventory
• How to manage Slow-moving Inventory
• Implementing the SLOB Inventory KPI

KPIs Service rate – OTIF – DIFOT – Availability

• Step-by-Step tutorial to track your Service in Excel
• Global service level (OTIF, DIFOT)
• Service level / Fill rate (DIF)
• Delivery on Quality (DOQ)
• Delivery on Time (DOT)
• Availability Rate Indicator

SCM Analytics Assessment 

Ready to present your latest KPIs to the board? Are you dashboards up to the game? Be sure in 5 minutes by taking a test.

  Forecasting with Excel in 3 clicks

• Forecast automatically with Excel in less than 5 minutes
• Forecasting models and trendlines
• Seasonality & exponential smoothing (easy 😉 )
• Forecast examples of Covid Cases in the World, India and USA
• Forecast examples of Sales Cars in the USA

Forecast Accuracy formula: 4 Calculations in Excel

• Reduce your stock-outs,
• Increase your service rate
• Reduce the cost of your Supply Chain. 
• 5 steps how to master forecast accuracy formulas
• Implement the right KPI in your business.

Chat GPT Forecast in Excel

• Amazon sales data example
• Excel Sales Forecast
• Free Example in Excel to Download

Seasonality Forecast in Excel

• Amazon and bike company sales data example
• Quarterly Seasonality Calculation
• Monthly Seasonality Calculation

Forecasting assessment

Are your Forecasting methods sufficient to optimize your service level ? How do you level up compared to the best? After this test you will will know. 

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Major Partnerships

• Foundational Projects
• Research in Motion
• Translational Impact Research Program

Commercialization of research results and valuable technologies developed using D2R or complementary funding is a major translational focus of the D2R Initiative, as is advancing discoveries into market-ready products, services, and policies. To achieve these goals, D2R aims for robust involvement of various stakeholders throughout the research process, including industry, investment communities, government and public funders, and not-for-profit organizations. D2R’s Major Partnerships Program seeks to provide funding to facilitate the engagement of external partners who are uniquely positioned in the translational and commercialization landscape.

This unique program offers two distinct funding streams and flexibility to accommodate the versatile nature of interactions in the translational and commercialization space. However, the program generally aims to support co-funding of D2R researchers and associated projects with different types of partners by providing a 1:1 cash match or greater (depending on leveraging) for specific projects. The Major Partnerships program accepts proposals at any time. Awarded projects may be implemented on a schedule that takes into account the partners’ or co-funders’ needs.

Key Objectives of the Major Partnerships Program

• Developing Partnerships: Collaborate with industry partners to develop a technology or other commercially valuable asset, or to facilitate the integration of this asset to generate translational outcomes. Industry funding can be formalized through a research grant, sponsored research agreement or other type of agreement with McGill.
• Advancing Technologies: Aims to advance ideas, research project or existing technology to stages attractive for licensing, where industry partners or a spinoff company are willing to license any D2R-developed intellectual property, or a spinoff company is established.
• Leveraging External Funding: The Major Partnerships Program can match external programs that support commercialization and rely on both an industry partner and a government funding.
• Others: The Major Partnership Program can also co-fund other forms of research partnerships that would bring commercial and translational value to the program.
• Academic Asset Linkage : All technologies, commercially valuable assets, and other academic resources involved must be linked to McGill University. The project can be based on existing McGill intellectual property (IP), but not on scenarios where the IP was returned to the inventor through a transfer of rights. The project can also commence without existing McGill IP but note that all IP developed during the project, including any joint intellectual property developed by Co-Investigators from our Partner Institutions, must be reported to McGill and will be made available for commercial use through licensing.

D2R Major Partnerships Program Call Description

1. about the major partnerships program, 1.1 about the major partnerships program, 1.2 program streams & application process, 1.3 applicant eligibility and limitation, 1.4 eligible expenses, 1.5 d2r funding per project, 1.6 intellectual property (ip) management.

Stream 1: One-to-One Cash Leverage

• Allows D2R-funded investigators to collaborate closely with one or more industry partners.
• Matches industry partner contributions up to $500k per project.

Stream 2: Consortium Funding

• Leveraging External Funding: This stream aims to match external programs that support commercialization and rely on both an industry partner and government funding. These include, but are not limited to, programs available through CQDM (a research consortium facilitating biopharma innovation); MEDTEQ+ (a consortium for health innovation through medical technologies); Mitacs (industry-partnered research and innovation training) or any other agency, foundation, or philanthropic organization that supports innovation in the commercial space.
• Offers co-funding of up to $500K per project, to maximize support offered by other funders for a potentially higher ratio of public to industry partner funds.

* Cash contributions from industry partners must include 27% indirect costs (which is not leveraged).

1.2.1 Application Process

Both funding streams follow a two-stage application process:

• Letter of Intent (LOI): Open to all eligible applicants via an online form. This initial step ensures that approved projects are in alignment with D2R’s mission.
• Full Application: By invitation only, following a successful LOI. Projects proceed to detailed evaluation and peer review by a committee of science and business experts.

Principal Investigator (PI) Eligibility

• McGill University faculty members who hold the role of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Full Professor.
• Eligible to hold Tri-Agency research funding.

Co-Investigator (Co-I) Eligibility

• Researchers from D2R’s partner institutions (McMaster University, University of British Columbia, University of Ottawa, and Université de Sherbrooke). These researchers must be included in the list of researchers provided by the partner institutions and approved by D2R. Contact d2r.funding [at] mcgill.ca for list of eligible faculty members from our partner institutions.

Collaborators

• Individuals from McGill, other academic institutions, industry partners, government, or community organizations, who play an active role in the research and research-related activities of the project. Collaborators are not eligible to receive funding from D2R.
• Partners contribute cash to support the proposed research. Researchers from these partners may also play key roles in joint research and development of the technologies. In such cases, a biosketch may be included for a key researcher.
• Partners may also provide measurable in-kind support to demonstrate their commitment to the project, but this will not be leveraged by D2R funding.

Limitations

• There is no limit to the number of applications a Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator can submit to this D2R program.
• There are no restrictions on holding multiple awards or roles concurrently under this program.

Eligible expenses include salaries and benefits, stipends, materials and supplies, travel, and service contracts. For additional information, refer to the CFREF Administration Guide .

Maximum D2R Matching Funds: Up to $500,000 total per project, for up to three years.

D2R will require an agreement to be in place prior to releasing funds. Intellectual Property ownership will follow institutional policies and relevant IP can be licensed to industry partners for commercial use.

• Compliance: All activities will adhere to McGill’s Policy on Inventions and Software and that of any partner institution involved.

2. Stream 1 Instructions: One-to-One Cash Leverage

• 2.1 Letter of Intent (LOI)

2.2 Full Application (by invitation only)

• 2.3 Full Application Evaluation Process and Criteria
• 2.4 Funding Decision and Post-Award

2.1 Letter of Intent

An LOI package consists of an online form and specific documents to upload. Use the templates provided, where indicated. Combine the Biosketches into one PDF (maximum size 10 MB) prior to uploading.

Documents to Upload

• Letter of Intent ( Template )
• Biosketches ( Template )

Other Requirements

The PI must complete the Equity Self-Identification Survey before submitting an LOI to this program, if not already completed by the PI as part of applying to another D2R program.

2.1.1 Letter of Intent Instructions

Use the template provided. In a maximum of 2 pages in English or 2.5 pages in French, provide details each of the following:

• Alignment with D2R’s Mission
• Outline of Key Approach, Experimental Plan and Novelty
• Team and Partnerships
• Potential Commercial Outcome

Figures and images may be used but must fit within the stated page limit. Appendices are not permitted.

2.1.2 Biosketches

• Use the template provided.
• A biosketch is required for the Principal Investigator and all Co-Investigators.
• Biosketch for a key researcher from Partners may be included (see section 1.3), if desired.
• Biosketches for Collaborators are not required.
• Compile all biosketches into 1 PDF before uploading.

2.1.3 Letter of Intent Evaluation Process and Criteria

Administrative review.

Each submission will be reviewed for the team members’ eligibility, and application completion.

LOI Evaluation

All eligible LOIs will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Alignment with D2R’s mission
• Innovation and Novelty

LOI Notification

All applicants will be informed of the LOI evaluation outcomes via email within four to six weeks of submission.

Applicants invited to submit a full application will receive comments outlining any specific items that should be addressed in the full application.

The Principal Investigator must prepare the documents detailed below and submit them via the online form.

Notify D2R.funding [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Major%20Partnerships%20program) of your submission.

2.2.1 Document Requirements

Templates will be provided upon invitation to submit a full implication.

• Project Description
• Updated Biosketches
• Budget & Justification
• Letter(s) of Commitment from industry Partners

2.2.2 Project Description

A template will be provided upon invitation.

Adhere to the following page limits for the Project Description section.

• Applications written in English: 7 pages, inclusive of references.
• Applications written in French: 8 pages, inclusive of references.

Figures and images may be used in the Project Description but must fit within the stated page limit. Appendices are not permitted.

Submissions that exceed the maximum page limit will have the extra pages removed prior to review.

Project Description Instructions

A. Summary (Suggested Length: 0.5 Page in either English or French)

• Provide an overview of the project's objectives, methods, anticipated outcomes, and potential commercial benefits.

B. Introduction, Background, and D2R Alignment (Suggested Length: 1 Page in either English or French )

• Offer background information and context, including prior work related to the discovery, technology, concept, or invention by the Principal Investigator or others. Detail the project's alignment with D2R’s foundational axes and strategic priorities, and how the innovation will contribute to D2R's mission.

C. Research Plan ( Suggested Length: 3 Pages in English, 4 Pages in French)

• Outline the primary objective and specific aims, focusing on innovation and potential commercialization. Describe methods, highlighting approaches and expected deliverables. Discuss potential contributions, unique aspects for marketability, and the experimental plan.
• Explain how Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) factors have been integrated into the research design and the intersections of factors (including but not limited to sex, gender, physical ability, Indigeneity, race, and age). If EDI considerations are not applicable, provide an evidence-based rationale. Note: To learn more about integrating EDI and Sex and Gender-Based Analysis Plus (SGBA+) into your research, refer to resources from the NSERC , Canadian Institutes of Health Research , and EDI in research design .
• Describe the involvement of the partner(s)

D. Research Team (Suggested Length: 0.5 Page in either English or French)

• Describe the research team, individual expertise, contributions, and current partners.

E. Commercialization Strategy (Suggested Length: 1 Page in either English or French)

• Describe the current stage of the technology's development (from idea, proof of concept established, prototype, to invention). Include the report of invention (ROI) number and/or patent application number, if applicable.
• Indicate if the technology has been published or disclosed in any form, and how this affects its commercialization potential.
• Outline what key objectives need to be completed for the technology to be ready for commercialization, including the required timeline.
• Explain how D2R Major Partnerships funding will advance the technology to a go/no-go scenario for commercial development.
• Identify the market your technology aims to address.
• Describe any commercially available products that solve a similar or identical problem.
• Detail the potential for future funding and partnerships.

F: Budget (Suggested Length: 0.5 Page in either English or French)

• Justify the need for D2R funding and provide a narrative summary of the D2R budget with justifications for key items.

G. References (Suggested Length: 0.5 Page in either English or French)

• List works cited, including DOIs where available.

2.2.3 Biosketch

• Compile all biosketches into 1 PDF.

2.2.4 Budget and Justification

• Use the Excel template provided.

2.2.5 Letter(s) of Commitment from Industry Partners

A Letter of Commitment should come from the industry partner, not an individual, and demonstrate either an existing partnership or a strong interest in forming a partnership within the short term, for the purpose of the proposed research. A Letter of Commitment must indicate a cash contribution should the project be awarded, along with relevant in-kind contributions.

2.2.6 Application submission

All required documents must be submitted via online form. PIs must notify D2R.Funding [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Major%20Partnerships%20program%20application) of their submission.

2.3 Full Application Process and Criteria

The full application will undergo an administrative review of the Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator(s)' eligibility, budget appropriateness, and completeness of the application.

All applications will be reviewed by a committee of experts in the field (scientific and business) for the following:

• Alignment with D2R’s mandate, axes, and priorities
• Alignment with the mandate of the Major Partnerships program

Merit Review:

• Originality and innovation
• Capacity of the research plan to carry out the innovation or develop the technology
• Feasibility of completing the project and specific aims within the timeframe of the proposal
• Quality and contributions of the researchers to the research
• Commercial potential
• EDI in the research design will be assessed as satisfactory, insufficient, or inadequate. For projects deemed fundable, Principal Investigators will be notified of any issues with EDI in the research design. Applicants will have the opportunity to revise this section, which must be satisfactorily updated and approved before the release of funds.

2.4 Funding Decision and Post Award

2.4.1 funding decision.

The D2R Research Steering Committee (RSC) will review the committee’s report, the project's relevance to D2R's strategic goals and the program budget in its funding decisions.

2.4.2 Announcement of Results

In general, Principal Investigators will be informed of the results by email within two months of the application submission.

2.4.3 Notice of Award

Successful applicants will receive a Notice of Award (NoA), which details the terms, conditions, and reporting obligations

Successful applicants must complete the D2R Award Acceptance Form and McGill University’s Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) Checklist within two weeks of receiving the NoA. Awardees must obtain all necessary documentation related to ethics, biohazards, and animal care approvals before funds are disbursed.

The involved parties will also be required to sign a research agreement outlining the terms of the project before funds are disbursed.

3. Stream 2 Instructions: Consortium Funding

• 3.0 Stream 2 Instructions Consortium Funding
• 3.1 Letter of Intent (LOI)
• 3.2 Full Application (by invitation only)

3.3 Evaluation Process

3.4 funding decision and post-award, 3.0 stream 2 instructions: consortium funding.

This stream has two stages:

• Letter of Intent (LOI): Open to all eligible applicants, via an online form The LOI is submitted directly to D2R.
• Full application : By invitation only. The full application is a copy of the application that is submitted to other funders. The PI must send a copy of the final submission to D2R.Funding [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Major%20Partnerships%20Program)

3.1 Letter of Intent (LOI)

An LOI package consists of an online form and specific documents to upload. Use the templates provided, where indicated. Combine Biosketches into one PDF (maximum size 10 MB) prior to uploading.

The PI must complete the Equity Self-Identification Survey before submitting an LOI to this program. If the survey has already been completed by the PI as part of applying to another D2R program, this survey does not have to be done again.

For external funders which have set deadlines for their programs (including CQDM and MEDTEQ+), Letters of Intent must be submitted to the D2R office a minimum of six weeks before the external funder’s deadline.

For funders like Mitacs without fixed deadlines, LOIs are accepted on a rolling basis.

3.1.1 Letter of Intent Instructions

3.1.2 biosketches.

• Compile all biosketches into 1 PDF prior to uploading.

3.1.3 Letter of Intent Evaluation Process and Criteria

All applicants will be informed of the LOI evaluation outcomes via email within four weeks of submission.

Successful applicants will be invited to submit application(s) to other funders with a conditional commitment of D2R co-funding. Applicants will receive a report outlining any specific items that should be addressed in the application(s) to other funders.

3.2 Full Application (by invitation only)

The full application is submitted to another funder. A copy of the submission must be sent to D2R.Funding [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Major%20Partnerships%20program)  at the time of the submission.

The Principal Investigator should follow the application and submission instructions as well as the general rules and regulations provided by the other public funder(s) (CQDM, MEDTEQ+, Mitacs).

For support with these applications and to submit the mandatory OSR Checklist, PIs must contact d2r.funding [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Major%20Partnerships%20program)  instead of McGill University’s Office of Innovation + Partnerships. The budget submitted to other funders must include the D2R co-funding conditionally committed in the LOI notification stage.

As Stream 2 (Consortium Funding) involves an application to an external funder, that external funder’s evaluation process will prevail. PIs must keep the D2R office informed on the status of their application(s) to other funders.

D2R will coordinate with the other public funders for the scientific review and decision, ensuring that all requirements and agreements are in place.

Successful applicants will receive a D2R Notice of Award (NoA), which details the terms, conditions, and reporting obligations.

3.4.2 Post-Award and Fund Opening

In addition to any agreements required by the other funder(s), D2R will require a research agreement in place prior to the start of a funded project.

Once the required agreements are in place and the awardee has provided all necessary documentation related to ethics, biohazards, and animal care approvals, funds will be disbursed to the awardee as per the agreed upon schedule.

Questions? D2R.Funding [at] mcgill.ca

Department and university information, d2r | dna to rna.