introduction of a business plan example

Business Planning

How to Write a Business Plan Introduction (With Example)

Written by Vinay Kevadiya

Published Oct. 28 2024 · 8 Min Read

Think of your business plan introduction as the first conversation you have with someone about your idea. It’s that moment where you capture attention and leave them wanting to know more.

A strong introduction turns casual readers into people who are genuinely interested in what your business stands for.

But how do you create an introduction that stands out?

In this post, we’ll guide you through writing a compelling business plan introduction, with a simple template and example to make things clearer. Ready to start? Let’s jump in!

What is a business plan introduction?

Your business plan introduction gives readers a quick peek at what’s ahead and why it matters.

Positioned right at the beginning, this section:

Sets the tone for the entire plan.
Provides essential background information.
Offers context to help readers understand the plan’s purpose.

Unlike the executive summary, the introduction doesn’t cover the entire plan. It focuses on giving enough information to show the bigger picture.

A common business plan myth is that the introduction needs to be long or overly detailed. In fact, it should be short and to the point—just enough to spark curiosity and make readers want to dive into the rest of the plan.

Why is the business plan introduction important?

A business plan introduction gives a quick overview of your key points and grabs the attention of potential investors.

The importance of business plan introduction can be highlighted in two main ways:

It offers a brief overview of the document’s purpose, core information, and main objectives. This helps readers to get the idea of your business without going through the entire plan.
It also sparks curiosity and excitement. Investors receive many new business ideas, so a strong introduction must stand out to capture their interest.

When the intro makes a solid impression, investors are more likely to consider investing in the business.

Now, without much wait, let’s look at how to write the introduction for your business plan.

How to write a compelling business plan introduction

Not sure what to include in your introduction or how to put it all together? Follow this step-by-step guide to find out:

1. Identify important details

Writing an introduction becomes a lot easier when you’re clear on what to include.

There aren’t any strict rules, but here are a few important points you can cover in your introduction:

Business background
Business objectives
Market analysis
Management overview
Mission statement
Core values

Depending on the focus of your plan, you can also add a general overview of your financial plan, marketing plan, target market , competitive landscape, or customer segments.

Figure out which of these details will bring value and context to your business plan before you start outlining your introduction.

2. Create an outline

This will help you organize your thoughts and fill in the details more smoothly.

Here’s a simple structure you can follow for the outline:

Opening statement
Business overview
Purpose of the business plan
Preview of each section (optional)
Closing statement

You don’t need to go into great detail on each part—specific sections of your business plan will cover that. Just a sentence or two for each aspect will give a solid overview.

3. Write your introduction

Now it’s time to put your introduction together by filling in the outline.

But first, make sure you’ve finished your business plan. This will help you capture the key points of your plan more effectively.

Once you have all the information you want to include, combine it into a clear narrative. Keep the tone persuasive and the content concise.

4. Revise and review

Have some team members or a professional take a look at your introduction.

Do they grasp the context of your plan? Can they easily understand what your business does and what it hopes to accomplish? Are they interested in reading the entire plan after going through the introduction?

If they struggle with any of these points, it’s time to revise and refine your introduction. Make sure it’s polished before you add it to your business plan.

Business plan introduction template

Introductions don’t have a rigid format. They focus on answering a few key questions and help set the tone for your business plan.

Use this template to guide you as you structure your business plan introduction. Here are some questions to consider:

What motivated you to launch this business?
What challenges are you looking to address?
Who are your potential customers?
What makes your business stand out from the competition?
How do you plan to achieve profitability?
When do you expect to reach profitability?
What can readers expect to find in your business plan?

Feel free to adjust this template by refining or removing questions to fit your needs.

Examples of introduction in business plan

Here’s an introduction example for a cool eco-friendly café called GreenLeaf, right in the heart of the city:

At GreenLeaf, fresh food is our mantra, coupled with delicious taste in a warm enviable atmosphere. Our café is located in one of the busiest areas and close to parks and shops.

Our menu is packed with fresh, local ingredients that are handpicked by our passionate chefs. From refreshing smoothies to hearty bowls, we serve all kinds of tastes. We believe in offering quality food at affordable prices. With our friendly vibe and commitment to sustainability, GreenLeaf is set to be the go-to spot in the community.

Some additional tips for writing the introduction paragraph

To create a strong introduction, consider these reliable tips:

Begin with an interesting fact

When you begin writing your business plan introduction, use an interesting fact that shows what your business can do.

For example, you could say, “In the past year, online food delivery services have seen a surge, with a 20% increase in demand.”

This instantly shows why your new meal prep service is timely and relevant. You might follow up with, “With busy lifestyles, people are eager for healthy, home-cooked meals delivered right to their door.”

Using facts like this not only grabs attention but also sets the stage for why your business is a great idea worth exploring.

Keep it short

The introduction of your business proposal should grab the reader’s attention and give a clear overview. Start by summarizing the different sections of your proposal, offering a quick look at what’s coming up. Your introduction should cover the main points while staying brief and straightforward.

By highlighting the key ideas, you set the stage for what follows, helping the reader understand what to expect in the next parts of your proposal.

Address the problem

In your introduction, you don’t need to include every detail, but it helps to share a quick summary of how you plan to solve the problem. Just a few sentences will do!

When you lay out a practical and achievable solution right from the start, your proposal is much more likely to grab attention. By pointing this out in your introduction, you’ll get readers curious and ready to see what’s next.

Let your readers know what to expect next

As you create your business plan introduction, help your readers know what to expect. What will you cover? What will they learn? How will this help them?

For example, you might say, “In this plan, I’ll show how our eco-friendly products meet the needs of health-conscious consumers and drive sales.”

By addressing these points, you set clear expectations and guide your audience. They might skip to sections they find interesting or read the whole plan. Here are some examples you could use:

“Discover how our marketing strategy will attract new customers.”
“Curious about how we’ll improve customer satisfaction? Here’s our approach.”
“This plan outlines five key strategies for growth in a competitive market.”
“Exciting and actionable—this plan reveals how we’ll stand out in the industry.”

You don’t always need to be explicit; sometimes, a simple question can hint at the valuable insights you’re about to share.

Your introduction should be engaging and make people excited about your business. It needs to give a clear picture of what your business is about while showing that you’re ready to take on this new adventure.

Don’t worry about sharing every detail about your business strengths here—that’s what the rest of your plan is for. The goal is to spark interest and encourage readers to check out the rest of your business plan.

Before you write that introduction, make sure your entire plan is ready. If you're still working on it, our AI business plan generator can help you create a solid plan in just under ten minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should be included in a business plan introduction?

Business plans introduction should provide a brief overview of your business idea, highlight your mission and vision , and mention what makes your business unique. It’s also helpful to include a quick look at the market opportunity and why your business is needed.

Can the business plan introduction be revised later?

Yes, you can revise your business plan introduction later. It’s often helpful to update it after you’ve completed the rest of your plan to ensure it aligns well with the overall content.

What's the difference between introduction and executive summary?

The introduction is the first section in a business plan that gives a quick overview of your business idea and sets the tone for the plan. The executive summary, on the other hand, is the first standalone section providing a high-level summary of the entire business plan, covering all important points.

As the founder and CEO of Upmetrics, Vinay Kevadiya has over 12 years of experience in business planning. He provides valuable insights to help entrepreneurs build and manage successful business plans.

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18 of My Favorite Sample Business Plans & Examples For Your Inspiration

Updated: July 01, 2024

Published: November 08, 2018

I believe that reading sample business plans is essential when writing your own.

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As you explore business plan examples from real companies and brands, it’s easier for you to learn how to write a good one.

So what does a good business plan look like? And how do you write one that’s both viable and convincing? I’ll walk you through the ideal business plan format along with some examples to help you get started.

Table of Contents

Business Plan Types

Business plan format, sample business plan: section by section, sample business plan templates, top business plan examples.

Ultimately, the format of your business plan will vary based on your goals for that plan. I’ve added this quick review of different business plan types that achieve differing goals.

For a more detailed exploration of business plan types, you can check out this post .

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1. Startups

Startup business plans are for proposing new business ideas. If you’re planning to start a small business, preparing a business plan is crucial. The plan should include all the major factors of your business.

You can check out this guide for more detailed business plan inspiration .

2. Feasibility Studies

Feasibility business plans focus on that business's product or service. Feasibility plans are sometimes added to startup business plans. They can also be a new business plan for an already thriving organization.

3. Internal Use

You can use internal business plans to share goals, strategies, or performance updates with stakeholders. In my opinion, internal business plans are useful for alignment and building support for ambitious goals.

4. Strategic Initiatives

A strategic business plan is another business plan that's often shared internally. This plan covers long-term business objectives that might not have been included in the startup business plan.

5. Business Acquisition or Repositioning

When a business is moving forward with an acquisition or repositioning, it may need extra structure and support. These types of business plans expand on a company's acquisition or repositioning strategy.

Growth sometimes just happens as a business continues operations. But more often, a business needs to create a structure with specific targets to meet set goals for expansion. This business plan type can help a business focus on short-term growth goals and align resources with those goals.

I’m going to focus on a startup business plan that needs to be detailed and research-backed as well as compelling enough to convince investors to offer funding. In my experience, the most comprehensive and convincing business plans contain the following sections.

Executive Summary

This all-important introduction to your business plan sets the tone and includes the company description as well as what you will be exchanging for money — whether that’s product lines, services, or product-service hybrids.

Market Opportunity

Information about gaps in your industry’s market and how you plan to fill them, focused on demand and potential for growth.

Competitive Landscape Analysis

An overview of your competitors that includes consideration of their strengths and how you’ll manage them, their weaknesses and how you’ll capitalize on them, and how you can differentiate your offerings in the industry.

Target Audience

Descriptions of your ideal customers, their various problems that you can solve, and your customer acquisition strategy.

Marketing Strategy

This section details how you will market your brand to achieve specific goals, the channels and tactics you’ll utilize to reach those goals, and the metrics you’ll be using to measure your progress.

Key Features and Benefits

This is where you’ll use plain language to emphasize the value of your product/service, how it solves the problems of your target audiences, and how you’ll scale up over time.

Pricing and Revenue

This section describes your pricing strategy and plans for building revenue streams that fit your audiences while achieving your business goals.

This is the final section, communicating with investors that your business idea is worth investing in via profit/loss statements, cash flow statements, and balance sheets to prove viability.

Okay, so now that we have a format established, I’ll give you more specific details about each section along with examples. Truthfully, I wish I’d had this resource to help me flesh out those first business plans long ago.

1. Executive Summary

I’d say the executive summary is the most important section of the entire business plan. It is essentially an overview of and introduction to your entire project.

Write this in such a way that it grabs your readers' attention and guides them through the rest of the business plan. This is important because a business plan can be dozens or hundreds of pages long.

There are two main elements I’d recommend including in your executive summary: your company description and your products and services.

Company Description

This is the perfect space to highlight your company’s mission statement and goals, a brief overview of your history and leadership, and your top accomplishments as a business.

Tell potential investors who you are and why what you do matters. Naturally, they’re going to want to know who they’re getting into business with up front. This is a great opportunity to showcase your impact.

Need some extra help firming up your business goals? I’d recommend HubSpot Academy’s free course to help you set meaningful goals that matter most for your business.

Products and Services

Here, you will incorporate an overview of your offerings. This doesn’t have to be extensive, as it is just a chance to introduce your industry and overall purpose as a business. I recommend including snippets of information about your financial projections and competitive advantage here as well.

Keep in mind that you'll cover many of these topics in more detail later on in the business plan. The executive summary should be clear and brief, only including the most important takeaways.

Executive Summary Business Plan Examples

This example was created with HubSpot’s business plan template . What makes this executive summary good is that it tells potential investors a short story while still covering all of the most important details.

Our Mission

Maria’s Gluten Free Bagels offers gluten-free bagels, along with various toppings, other gluten-free breakfast sandwich items, and coffee. The facility is entirely gluten free. Our team expects to catch the interest of gluten-free, celiac, or health-conscious community members who are seeking an enjoyable cafe to socialize. Due to a lack of gluten-free bagel products in the food industry currently, we expect mild competition and are confident we will be able to build a strong market position.

The Company and Management

Maria’s Gluten Free Bagels was founded in 2010 by Maria Jones, who first began selling her gluten-free bagels online from her home, using social media to spread the word. In 2012 she bought a retail location in Hamilton, MA, which now employs four full-time employees and six part-time employees. Prior to her bagel shop, Maria was a chef in New York and has extensive experience in the food industry.

Along with Maria Jones, Gluten Free Bagel Shop has a board of advisors. The advisors are:

Jeni King, partner at Winding Communications, Ltd.
Henry Wilson, president of Blue Robin, LLP.

Our Product

We offer gluten-free products ranging from bagels and cream cheese to blueberry muffins, coffee, and pastries. Our customers are health-conscious, community-oriented people who enjoy gluten-free products. We will create a welcoming, warm environment with opportunities for open mic nights, poetry readings, and other community functions. We will focus on creating an environment in which someone feels comfortable meeting a friend for lunch, or working remotely.

Our Competitive Advantages

While there are other coffee shops and cafes in the North Shore region, there are none that offer purely gluten-free options. This restricts those suffering from gluten-free illnesses or simply those with a gluten-free preference. This will be our primary selling point. Additionally, our market research [see Section 3] has shown a demand for a community-oriented coffee and bagel shop in the town of Hamilton, MA.

Financial Considerations

Our sales projections for the first year are $400,000. We project a 15% growth rate over the next two years. By year three, we project 61% gross margins.

We will have four full-time employees. The salary for each employee will be $50,000.

Start-up Financing Requirements

We are seeking to raise $125,000 in startup to finance year one. The owner has invested $50,000 to meet working capital requirements, and will use a loan of $100,000 to supplement the rest.

Example 2 :

Marianne and Keith Bean have been involved with the food industry for several years. They opened their first restaurant in Antlers, Oklahoma in 1981, and their second in Hugo in 1988. Although praised for the quality of many of the items on their menu, they have attained a special notoriety for their desserts. After years of requests for their flavored whipped cream toppings, they have decided to pursue marketing these products separately from the restaurants.

Marianne and Keith Bean have developed several recipes for flavored whipped cream topping. They include chocolate, raspberry, cinnamon almond, and strawberry. These flavored dessert toppings have been used in the setting of their two restaurants over the past 18 years, and have been produced in large quantities. The estimated shelf life of the product is 21 days at refrigeration temperatures and up to six months when frozen. The Beans intend to market this product in its frozen state in 8 and 12-ounce plastic tubs. They also intend to have the products available in six ounce pressurized cans. Special attention has been given to developing an attractive label that will stress the gourmet/specialty nature of the products.

Distribution of Fancy's Foods Whipped Dream product will begin in the local southeastern Oklahoma area. The Beans have an established name and reputation in this area, and product introduction should encounter little resistance.

Financial analyses show that the company will have both a positive cash flow and profit in the first year. The expected return on equity in the first year is 10.88%

Tips for Writing Your Executive Summary

Start with a strong introduction of your company that showcases your mission and impact, then outline the products and services you provide.
Clearly define a problem, explain how your product solves that problem, and show why the market needs your business.
Be sure to highlight your value proposition, market opportunity, and growth potential.
Keep it concise and support ideas with data.
Customize your summary to your audience. For example, you might emphasize finances and return on investment for venture capitalists, whereas you might emphasize community benefits and minimal environmental impact for progressive nonprofits.

For more guidance, check out our tips for writing an effective executive summary .

2. Market Opportunity

This is where you'll detail the opportunity in the market. Ask and answer: Where is the gap in the current industry, and how will my product fill that gap?

To get a thorough understanding of the market opportunity, you'll want to conduct a TAM, SAM, SOM analysis , a SWOT analysis , and perform market research on your industry to get some insights for this section. More specifically, here’s what I’d include.

The size of the market
Current or potential market share
Trends in the industry and consumer behavior
Where the gap is
What caused the gap
How you intend to fill it

Market Opportunity Business Plan Example

I like this example because it uses critical data to underline the size of the potential market and what part of that market this service hopes to capture.

Example: The market for Doggie Pause is all of the dog owners in the metropolitan area and surrounding areas of the city. We believe that this is going to be 2/3 of the population, and we have a goal of gaining a 50% market share. We have a target of a 20% yearly profit increase as the business continues.

Tips for Writing Your Market Opportunity Section

Focus on demand and potential for growth.
Use market research, surveys, and industry trend data to support your market forecast and projections.
Add a review of regulation shifts, tech advances, and consumer behavior changes.
Refer to reliable sources.
Showcase how your business can make the most of this opportunity.

3. Competitive Landscape Analysis

Since we’re already speaking of market share, you‘ll also need to create a section that shares details on who the top competitors are. After all, your customers likely have more than one brand to choose from, and you’ll want to understand exactly why they might choose one over another.

My favorite part of performing a competitive analysis is that it can help you uncover the following:

Industry trends that other brands may not be utilizing.
Strengths in your competition that may be obstacles to handle.
Weaknesses in your competition that may help you develop selling points.
The unique proposition you bring to the market that may resonate with customers.

Competitive Landscape Business Plan Example

I like how the competitive landscape section of this business plan shows a clear outline of who the top competitors are. It also highlights specific industry knowledge and the importance of location. This demonstrates useful experience in the industry, helping to build trust in your ability to execute your business plan.

Competitive Environment

Currently, there are four primary competitors in the Greater Omaha Area: Pinot’s Palette Lakeside (franchise partner), Village Canvas and Cabernet, The Corky Canvas, and Twisted Vine Collective. The first three competitors are in Omaha and the fourth is located in Papillion.

Despite the competition, all locations have both public and private events. Each location has a few sold-out painting events each month. The Omaha locations are in new, popular retail locations, while the existing Papillion location is in a downtown business district.

There is an opportunity to take advantage of the environment and open a studio in a well-traveled or growing area. Pinot’s Palette La Vista will differentiate itself from its competitors by offering a premium experience in a high-growth, influential location.

Tips for Writing Your Competitive Landscape

Complete in-depth research, then emphasize your most important findings.
Compare your unique selling proposition (USP) to your direct and indirect competitors.
Show a clear and realistic plan for product and brand differentiation.
Look for specific advantages and barriers in the competitive landscape. Then, highlight how that information could impact your business.
Outline growth opportunities from a competitive perspective.
Add customer feedback and insights to support your competitive analysis.

4. Target Audience

Use this section to describe who your customer segments are in detail. What is the demographic and psychographic information of your audience? I’d recommend building a buyer persona to get in the mindset of your ideal customers and be clear about why you're targeting them. Here are some questions I’d ask myself:

What demographics will most likely need/buy your product or service?
What are the psychographics of this audience? (Desires, triggering events, etc.)
Why are your offerings valuable to them?

Target Audience Business Plan Example

I like the example below because it uses in-depth research to draw conclusions about audience priorities. It also analyzes how to create the right content for this audience.

The Audience

Recognize that audiences are often already aware of important issues. Outreach materials should:

Emphasize a pollution-prevention practice
Tell audience a little about how to prevent pollution
Tell audience where they can obtain information about prevention.

Message Content

Focus the content for outreach materials on cost savings, such as when and where pollution prevention is as cheap as or cheaper than traditional techniques. Include facts and figures.
Emphasize how easy it is to do the right thing and the impacts of not engaging in pollution prevention.
Stress benefits such as efficiency or better relations with government, for businesses not primarily concerned with public image.

Tips for Writing Your Target Audience Section

Include details on the size and growth potential of your target audience.
Figure out and refine the pain points for your target audience , then show why your product is a useful solution.
Describe your targeted customer acquisition strategy in detail.
Share anticipated challenges your business may face in acquiring customers and how you plan to address them.
Add case studies, testimonials, and other data to support your target audience ideas.
Remember to consider niche audiences and segments of your target audience in your business plan.

5. Marketing Strategy

Here, you‘ll discuss how you’ll acquire new customers with your marketing strategy. I think it’s helpful to have a marketing plan built out in advance to make this part of your business plan easier. I’d suggest including these details:

Your brand positioning vision and how you'll cultivate it.
The goal targets you aim to achieve.
The metrics you'll use to measure success.
The channels and distribution tactics you'll use.

Marketing Strategy Business Plan Example

This business plan example includes the marketing strategy for the town of Gawler. In my opinion, it works because it offers a comprehensive picture of how they plan to use digital marketing to promote the community.

You’ll also learn the financial benefits investors can reap from putting money into your venture rather than trying to sell them on how great your product or service is.

This business plan guide focuses less on the individual parts of a business plan, and more on the overarching goal of writing one. For that reason, it’s one of my favorites to supplement any template you choose to use. Harvard Business Review’s guide is instrumental for both new and seasoned business owners.

7. HubSpot’s Complete Guide to Starting a Business

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