Guides and Templates

Online business plan summary template

A one page summary of your long-term, 3 to 5 year business plans

What does this online business template include?

The template is in four sections covering:

  • 1. Statement of vision, business definition and aims. These sections help give a shared understanding on the future direction and purpose of the business.
  • 2. Change in focus. This summarises future changes in focus or behaviour needed to implement the strategy and hit the targets that follow.
  • 3. Financial targets. A top-level summary of yearly increments in sales and profit. Scope either for the business overall, or specifically for online channels.
  • 4. Business or marketing strategies. These are shorter term, e.g. for the coming year or 18 months. They can be structured around drivers of customer acquisition, conversion and retention, but can cover other elements of the marketing mix including proposition.

 

Members may have noticed that we’re big fans of one-page marketing and business plan summaries! While detail is needed to make the business case for investment, the reality is that busy colleagues or clients often won’t get further than the summary, so this needs to be super-efficient.

This one-page summary works particularly well for smaller businesses and startups as a summary of a longer-term business plan needed for the launch of an online business, or to make the case for longer-term investment for growth. For existing businesses, it can focus on what online, direct-to-customer channels can deliver.

The purpose of the template is to give CLARITY on the future focus for a business by defining aims and strategy priorities. However, it also has a breakdown of critical tasks at the base that will help to make it more actionable.

Resource Details

  • Author: Dr. Dave Chaffey
  • Format: One Page Plan Summary in Word document in a visual format as below for members to edit and then print as PDF. Contains one blank page and a complete worked example based on the complete marketing plan example of  our detailed 10 page ‘Party Central’ online marketing plan example.

About the author

Dr. Dave Chaffey

Dave ChaffeyDave is co-CEO and co-founder of Smart Insights. He is editor of the 100 templates, ebooks and courses in the digital marketing resource library created by our team of 25+ Digital Marketing experts. Our resources used by our members in more than 80 countries to Map, Plan and Manage their digital marketing.

For his full profile, or to connect on LinkedIn or other social networks, see the About Dave Chaffey profile page on Smart Insights. Dave is author of 5 bestselling books on digital marketing including Digital Marketing Excellence and Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice. In 2004 he was recognised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing as one of 50 marketing ‘gurus’ worldwide who have helped shape the future of marketing.

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