Ever start your day convinced you’ll launch the next Amazon, only to realize you barely have a password manager and a Gmail draft with “IDEA: ???” as the subject? Welcome to entrepreneurship, friend. Did someone just ask for your “business plan checklist”? Cue the internal screaming. Yes, apparently, you need an actual plan before the world hands you millions and a company hoodie. Lucky for you, this snark-powered guide will break down the elusive business plan checklist—so you can spend less time panicking and more time bragging on LinkedIn.
So, fill your cup (coffee, Red Bull, pure anxiety), and let’s tick some boxes on your inevitable path to world domination or a tragically ironic Netflix docuseries. Ready?
Step 1: The “Explain It to Your Grandma” Executive Summary
Truth bomb: Everyone says an executive summary is “crucial,” but here’s the real tea: it’s the only thing anyone actually reads. Congratulations—your entire business plan is now competing with TikToks for attention.
Checklist:
- Can you describe your business without using words like “synergy” or “disruption”? (Take a shot every time you try and fail.)
- Is your “solution” solving an actual problem, or is it just boredom + caffeine + Pinterest?
- Add a goal so big your therapist gently suggests moderation.
Start here, but write it last. Because why do it the logical way?
Step 2: Your Company Description—Because “It’s Like Uber But For…” Isn’t Enough
Now comes your big chance to sound serious. The company description is where you finally admit your startup is run from your couch and features a management team of… you, your roommate, and the dog. (He’s the “Chief Paw-perations Officer.”)
Checklist must-haves:
- Business name (mandatory. “Project X?” Only if you want IRS trouble.)
- Legal structure: LLC, C-Corp, Sole Proprietor, or “Perpetual Side Hustle.”
- What you actually do (one sentence, no existential rambling).
- Your “mission.” Bonus: Make it sound deep enough for a self-help TikTok.
Small business tip: The fancier your description, the more likely your friends are to ask if you’re in a pyramid scheme.
Step 3: Market Research—Or, How to Google in Sweatpants and Call It Work
Essentials for your checklist:
- Who really wants your product? If it’s just your mom (again): own it.
- Target audience that actually exists. “Every American with money” doesn’t count.
- Trends, stats, and numbers that sound legit (bonus: cite Forbes, pretend you read the article).
- The name of at least one competitor so you look “aware of the landscape.” (“Competitive landscape” = the fancy way to say “I checked Instagram.”)
Pie charts are not required, but they guarantee you’ll look more credible—as long as you don’t use Comic Sans.
Step 4: Team, Operations, and “Other Grown-Up Stuff” Nobody Actually Plans For
Your business plan checklist needs a section about “how things get done.” Spoiler: “pure willpower and memes” usually doesn’t fly with the bank.
What to include:
- List your “team” (your roommate counts; your dog… probably not).
- Operations plan: From ordering stock to shipping, pretend you have a system. (“Wing it” doesn’t count—even though you will.)
- Who does what? (If it’s all you, use interesting job titles. “Chief Everything Officer,” anyone?)
- Suppliers, partners, the one friend from college you guilt-tripped into “advising.”
Pro tip: Describing your company structure on paper is like describing your relationship on Facebook—much messier IRL.
Step 5: Marketing & Money—Faking Confidence, Projecting Profits
At some point you’ll be asked, “How will anyone even find you?” Enter the marketing plan. Then—don’t skip—actual numbers. Investors eat this section for breakfast (with a side of skepticism).
Checklist bits:
- Your actual marketing strategy (posting memes on TikTok? DMing every friend at 2 AM?).
- Budget for ads, or “relying on The Algorithm” (lol).
- Clear, bold money projections (“I’ll be rich in six months, unless Mercury’s in retrograde”).
- Funding request (don’t ask for “all the money” unless you’re Mark Cuban’s secret child).
- Break-even point (Google it, fudge it, hope for the best).
Reminder: “Going viral” is not a business plan. “Going viral and surviving the aftermath” is closer.
The Appendix: Where Checklists Go to Die
Every checklist needs a final box for things you forgot, ignored, or can totally justify “adding later.”
For your business plan:
- Resumes, contracts, vague legal letters, novelty charts.
- Screenshots of impressive DMs (caption: “Early traction!”).
- All the stuff you’re shoving in so no one asks why your resume says “Chief Meme Officer.”
No one reads this—but if you don’t have it, someone will ask. (Probably on the one day you finally had other plans.)
Congrats, caffeinated warrior! You now have a business plan checklist that’s equal parts chaotic, actionable, and borderline delusional. Print it, lose it, rewrite it on a napkin, whatever—just start somewhere. If you actually make it past Step 2 without existential dread, you’re already ahead of most “influencers” on LinkedIn. Remember: every unicorn startup once filled a checklist just like this (probably…late at night, surrounded by Post-its and regret).
Now get out there and check those boxes—before you find another excuse to reorganize your sock drawer!