How To Write a Killer Mini Business Plan

A mini business plan is simply a condensed version of your complete business plan.  Sometimes called a preliminary venture analysis (PVA) or an enhanced executive summary, it’s suitable for introducing your business to prospective investors.  Those investors who express serious interest after reviewing it can receive your detailed, complete plan.

Think of your mini business plan as an elevator pitch on paper.  Think highlights.

The plan can be 1 to 10 pages.

Being as concise as possible, include the most important aspects of your business in these sections:

• Mission statement
• Business description
• Market / industry overview
• Marketing plan
• Financial projection charts (balance sheet, cash flow statement, and income statement) covering 3 years.  List main categories only.  Follow with your most important assumptions.
• Biographical sketches of your key management / technical team

If you feel compelled to use images, be careful to use only those that make a powerful contribution to the plan.

A mini business plan is like a short story – there’s no room for fluff.  Every word must count.  Avoid jargon and buzzwords.  Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite – until you have a crisp, clear elevator pitch that gets you to the next stage in building your company.