How to Write a One-Page Business Plan

Traditional business plans can run to dozens of pages, and many are never read again after they're written. For a new or small business, a one-page plan is often more useful: it's quick to write, easy to share and simple to update as you learn.

The goal isn't to predict the future perfectly. It's to make your assumptions clear so you can test them.

The sections

Keep each section to a few sentences or bullet points.

1. The problem

What problem are you solving, and for whom? Be specific. "Small cafés in Amman lose time every week ordering supplies from several different suppliers by phone."

2. Your customer

Who exactly will pay? Describe them: type of person or business, size, location, what they care about. If you have more than one customer group, choose the first one you'll focus on.

3. Your solution

What will you offer, and why is it better than what customers use today? Faster, cheaper, more convenient, higher quality, more reliable?

4. Competition and alternatives

Who else solves this problem — including "doing nothing" or a spreadsheet? What's your advantage, honestly?

5. How you'll make money

• What you'll charge and how (one-time, subscription, per order, commission).
• Why customers will pay that price.

6. How you'll reach customers

Which channels will you use: direct sales, social media, search, partnerships, word of mouth, a marketplace? Start with one or two you can actually do well.

7. Costs

List the main costs to start and the monthly costs to operate: equipment, software, rent, salaries, marketing, licences.

8. Key numbers

A few figures to track, such as:

• How many customers you need each month to cover your costs.
• How much it costs to win a customer.
• How much a customer is worth over time.

Rough estimates are fine. Mark them clearly as assumptions.

9. Milestones

What will you do in the next 3, 6 and 12 months? "Sign five paying cafés by March. Launch online ordering by June."

10. Risks

What could stop this from working? What will you do to test those risks early?

Tips for a useful plan

• Write in plain language. If a friend can't understand it, simplify.
• Mark assumptions. Highlight anything you haven't confirmed with real customers yet.
• Revisit it monthly. Update it as you learn. A plan that changes is a plan that's being used.
• Expand when needed. If you apply for a loan or approach investors, the one-page plan becomes the outline for a longer document.

The bottom line

A one-page business plan won't guarantee success, but it will show you — on a single sheet — what you believe, what you need to prove and what to do next.