Here’s the short version about us: we believe founders deserve business plans that read like a person wrote them, with numbers that add up. Everything on this site, from the free samples to the Business Plan Generator, follows from that.
Table of Contents
Why we started
Look at enough business plans and a pattern appears. Pages of filler about “passion” and “vision”. Market sections that could describe any town on earth. Financial tables that don’t agree with each other. And a reader on the other side, a bank manager or an investor, who has seen it all before and stops reading by page three.
Meanwhile, the founder who wrote it usually knows their business inside out. They know what a haircut costs to deliver, which supplier is reliable, why the shop across the road closes at four. That knowledge just never made it onto the page.
We started SampleBusinessPlans.net to close that gap. First with free, honest examples. Then with a generator that turns what founders already know into a plan a lender can read in ten minutes.
What to know about us
We’re an independent publisher of business plan examples and tools. We don’t lend money, we don’t sell your data and we don’t have a stake in your funding decision. Our only job is to help you write a better plan.
That independence matters. We can write honestly about what makes a plan weak, such as a hopeful sales forecast or a missing cost, because we don’t win or lose anything from the decision. The only thing we want is for your plan to be clear, honest and ready for the person reading it.
A few facts about us
- Free samples: 24 industry sample plans set in real UK and European cities, plus a library of 1,200+ free plans focused on Zimbabwe, South Africa and Zambia.
- Country guides: advice for the UK, Ireland and most of Western Europe first, then North America, Australia, the UAE and Southern Africa.
- The Business Plan Generator: a paid tool that writes a full plan from your answers, with simple one-off pricing and no subscription.
How our sample plans are made
Every industry sample starts with a place. The coffee shop plan is set in Manchester and priced in pounds. The restaurant plan is set in Dublin, in euros. The SaaS plan is in Munich. A plan without a place is a plan without real numbers, and real numbers are what you need to learn from.
Each sample follows the structure lenders and investors expect: summary, company, market, competitors, marketing, operations, team, financials and funding. The financial statements are built to reconcile, so the cash on the cash flow matches the balance sheet. If you want to learn how that works, our guide to financial projections breaks it down.
And we write them in plain English. Short paragraphs. Specific details. No jargon unless it’s explained. If a sentence wouldn’t survive being read aloud to a bank manager, it doesn’t make the cut.
How the Business Plan Generator works
The generator combines three things: a recommended plan structure we designed (which you can customise or swap for your own outline), a financial model, and AI writing that drafts each section from your answers.
You tell it about your business in your own words: what you sell, who buys, what it costs, how much you need. The numbers you give feed the model, which builds the income statement, cash flow, balance sheet and break-even. The written sections are then drafted to match those numbers and your answers, so the story and the tables agree.
You get a Word file and a PDF, and you can add an Excel model with live formulas or a PowerPoint pitch deck. Nothing is final until you’ve read it and made it yours. Read more on the generator page.
Built for the UK and Europe, open to everyone
Our main focus is founders in the UK and Europe. That’s why our samples use pounds and euros, and why our guides point to schemes like the UK’s Start Up Loans and the EU’s Access to EU Finance tool.
But a good plan works the same way everywhere. We also cover the USA, Canada, Australia and the UAE, and our library has deep coverage of Southern Africa. See all of them on business plans by country, or start with our visa business plan guides if you’re moving abroad to start a business.
Our 5 promises
- Plain English. No filler, no buzzwords, no padding to make a plan look longer.
- Numbers that add up. Statements that agree with each other, every time.
- Honest pricing. One-off payments in US dollars. No subscriptions, no hidden renewals.
- Your plan is yours. You own the plan you generate. We don’t sell your data.
- No false promises. We’ll never claim a plan guarantees a loan, an investment or a visa. Nobody honest can.
A good plan doesn’t win the decision for you. It removes the easy reasons for someone to say no.
Get in touch
Questions about a sample, the generator or your order? Contact us and we’ll reply within one business day. If you’re just getting started, our guide on how to write a business plan is a good first read, and GOV.UK’s write a business plan page is a useful official companion.
Frequently asked questions
Who runs SampleBusinessPlans.net?
SampleBusinessPlans.net is an independent publisher of business plan samples, guides and the Business Plan Generator. We aren’t a lender or an investor, and we have no stake in your funding decision.
Are your sample plans real businesses?
They’re example businesses set in real cities with local prices and costs. They’re built for learning, so use them as a guide and write your own plan with your own numbers.
Does the generator use AI?
Yes. AI drafts the written sections from your answers inside our recommended structure, or one you customise or upload, while your numbers feed a financial model. You review and edit everything before using it.
Can you guarantee my loan or visa?
No, and nobody honest can. A clear, specific plan with consistent numbers improves your chances by giving the reader what they need to decide.
How do I contact you?
Use the form on our contact page. We reply within one business day.