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5 Best Business Plan Software in 2022

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

When you’re starting a business, developing a strong business plan will be one of the first steps you take. Your business plan will cover everything from a detailed explanation of your products or services and pricing model to at least three years of financial projections—plus much more. Therefore, whether you’re not sure how to get started or you’re just looking to make the process easier, you may want to turn to business plan software for help.

In this guide, we'll break down five of the best business plan software options—discussing their pros, cons, features, pricing, and more—so you have all the information you need to decide which solution is right for your small business.

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The 5 best business plan software options

The right business plan software will make the process of writing your business plan much simpler. Like many business software solutions, however, there are a number of different business plan software options out there—each of which has a unique set of features, user experience, and price.

This being said, if you're looking for a place to start your search for the best business plan software, you can explore the five top options below:

How much do you need?

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We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

1. LivePlan

Best overall business plan software.

If you want template-rich, modern-feeling business plan software, then LivePlan may be the right pick for you. LivePlan excels with their user interface, which feels updated and slick, and also offers intuitive, easy-to-use features and options.

Their step-by-step instruction will help you kick things off from the beginning, and you can take advantage of their online learning center to continue to gain business skills.

Affordable plans, including pay-as-you-go option

No long-term contracts or cancellation fee; 60-day money-back guarantee

Modern, intuitive interface; cloud-based, can be used on Mac, PC, as well as tablets

Ability to create unlimited plans in one account; over 500 customizable templates

Variety of business resources including video tutorials, step-by-step instruction, and general customer support

Limited integration options

Challenging to enter your own financial modeling projections

Can be difficult to learn

Ability to create an unlimited number of business plans on one account

More than 500 business plan templates spanning various industries

Integration with Xero and QuickBooks Online

Real-time tracking of financial data with accounting integrations

Ability to export your business plan to Word or PDF

Expert advice and step-by-step instruction included

Performance dashboards for tracking against budgets and sales goals

Ability to create and export a one-page pitch executive summary

Annual plan: $15 per month, billed every 12 months

Six-month plan: $18 per month, billed every six months

Pay-as-you-go plan: $20 per month, billed once every month

2. GoSmallBiz

Best for multiple business management tools in one platform.

Next on our list of the best business plan software options is GoSmallBiz, which is much more than just a business plan software. With GoSmallBiz, you have access to business continuity planning software with features that cover creating a roadmap, working through business and legal forms, building a website, and more.

In this way, GoSmallBiz is great for startups or newer businesses looking to access multiple business management tools through one platform.

Unlimited business consultation and extensive library of online resources

Multiple business tools in one software

Website consultation analysis and business assessment

Industry-specific business plan templates with emphasis on financial projections and statements

Expensive monthly cost compared to alternatives

Limited business plan features

Entire business plan can only be exported to Microsoft Word

Outdated interface

Industry-specific business plan templates with step-by-step building wizard

Ability to create financial statements and projections

Free website hosting and website builder

Customer relationship manager with integration with MailChimp

Digital marketing dashboard with social media and Google Analytics integrations

HR document builder

Corporate minutes writer

Business documents library

Business courses library

Unlimited business consultation

$39 per month, no contracts, free cancellation

Best for simple, fast business plan creation.

If you're looking for free business plan software, Enloop will be one of your closest options—they offer an all-inclusive seven-day free trial, no credit card required. Additionally, unlike some of the other options on our list, Enloop is strictly dedicated to business plan creation, including automated text writing, financial forecast comparisons, and a real-time performance score that tracks your progress.

This being said, if you'd prefer the most straightforward, fast, and simple way to write your business plan, Enloop will be a platform worth considering.

Simple and straightforward software, solely dedicated to business plan creation

Seven-day free trial

Automatic text generation available to streamline the writing process

Affordable plans with annual discount option

Limited additional educational resources

Only one template option

No integration options

Ability to create three business plans with customizable text, images, tables, charts, and over 100 currency symbols and formats

Includes automatic text generation for each plan section that you can then customize

Automatically generated financial statements

Includes financial performance comparison analysis (using three ratios with Detailed plan and 16 with Performance plan)

Real-time performance score to track your progress

Ability to invite users to edit (two with Detailed plan, five with Performance plan)

Pass/fail report and certificate to help you identify issues with your plan

Free plan: Seven-day free trial with no credit card required

Detailed plan: $19.95 per month or $11 per month, paid annually

Performance plan: $39.95 per month, or $24 per month, paid annually

Best for startups looking to acquire funding or find investors.

Part of the Startups.com suite, Bizplan gets top marks for their user interface—it’s intuitive, easy to use, and modern. You’ll work with a step-by-step business plan builder to get exactly what you’d like from your business plan. It may remind you of a modern website builder, since it has drag-and-drop tools to build templates.

Moreover, for one subscription fee, you have access to all of the tools in the Startups.com network, including self-guided courses, how-to guides, masterclass videos, and more. All in all, with a direct connection to Fundable, Bizplan is a top business plan software option for startups looking to acquire funding and find investors.

Subscription gives you access to all Startups.com tools

Lifetime access subscription option

User-friendly drag-and-drop business plan builder

Excellent educational resources

Connection to Fundable great for businesses looking for capital

No free trial

No templates based on industry

No mobile access

Drag-and-drop templates for business plan building

Financial command center to track all business financials in one place

Unlimited account collaborators

Ability to share business plan online with investors

Online resources including self-guided courses, masterclass videos, how-to guides, mentorship access

Unlimited software use for Fundable, Launchrock, and Startups.com

Monthly plan: $29 per month

Annual plan: $20.75 per month, billed at $249 per year

Lifetime access: $349 one-time fee

5. PlanGuru

Best for financial planning and budgeting.

Finally, for some of the strongest financial features among business plan software options, including budgeting and forecasting, you might check out PlanGuru. Whereas the other solutions we've reviewed were first and foremost focused on writing a business plan, PlanGuru is dedicated to business financial planning —providing the tools you need to create budgets, financial forecasts, reports, and more.

Therefore, if you need a software solution that can streamline the financial piece of your business planning processes, PlanGuru will certainly have the most to offer.

Extensive financial tools and detailed forecasting, budgeting, and reporting capabilities

Substantial library of resources

Cloud-based and desktop options

14-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee

Expensive, especially for additional users

Only focuses on the financial aspect of business planning; no templates or tools for basic business plan writing

Difficult to use without prior financial knowledge

Cloud-based version of software, as well as locally installed Windows version (desktop version has a few more features)

Works with QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Excel

Budgeting and forecasting for up to 10 years

Over 20 standard forecasting methods

Formula builder to create custom methods

Ratios and KPIs

Dashboard and reporting tools

Help guides, video tutorials, knowledgebase, and live U.S.-based customer support

14-day free trial

$99 per month (additional users $29 per month)

$899 per year (additional users $299 per year)

What to look for in business plan software

Ultimately, it's up to you to decide, which, if any, of the best business plan software solutions on our list is right for your business.

So, if you're trying to figure out how to choose between the various options out there, it might be helpful to compare your top choices based on the following criteria:

Features: As we've seen different business plan software solutions offer different features. You'll want to look carefully at the feature list of any software and determine what features are most important for your business needs. Do you need an extensive library of templates with detailed customization? Would you prefer software that includes an online learning center for business skills? Are you looking for a solution that combines business plan writing with other tasks? It may be useful to list out your ideal feature set, so you can compare individual software plans to that list.

Price: Although you might be able to find some free business plan software options (or at the very least, free trials), in most cases, you'll need to pay a subscription fee to access the platform you choose. Therefore, you'll want to think about what your budget is for this business tool and what type of software is most cost-effective for your needs.

User experience: User experience can vary widely among different business plan software options. You’ll find some programs that are newer or have been recently updated. Others might have the kind of interfaces that felt new years ago but are now pretty out of date—and, subsequently, make them a little harder to use. The right user experience for your needs is genuinely a matter of opinion and comfort—nevertheless, it's worth testing thoroughly testing out a platform to ensure that it can truly work for you before investing in a monthly or annual subscription.

The bottom line

There's no doubt that properly crafting your business plan is important for the future growth and success of your small business. Luckily, the right business plan software should make the process much simpler.

This being said, whether you opt for one of the best business plan software options listed here, or another platform entirely, you'll want to take the time to compare multiple solutions and ensure you choose the one that's right for your business.

As we mentioned, it can be helpful to think about the features you're looking for, your budget, and your user-experience preferences ahead of time—that way, you'll have a set of criteria in mind as you explore different solutions.

Ultimately, perhaps the best thing you can do to find the right software is to actually test out the platforms themselves—either by using a free trial or a money-back guarantee.

This article originally appeared on JustBusiness, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.

On a similar note...

Home > Business > Business Startup

• 5 Best Business Plan Software and Tools in 2023 for Your Small Business

Data as of 3 /13/23 . Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

We are committed to sharing unbiased reviews. Some of the links on our site are from our partners who compensate us. Read our editorial guidelines and advertising disclosure .

A business plan can do a lot for your business. It can help you secure investors or other funding. It can give your company direction. It can keep your finances healthy. But, if we’re being honest, it can also be a pain to write.

Luckily, you don’t have to start from scratch or go it alone. Business plan software and services can help you craft a professional business plan, like our top choice LivePlan , which provides templates, guidance, and more.

You’ve got quite a few choices for business plan help, so we’re here to help you narrow things down. Let’s talk about the best business plan tools out there.

• LivePlan : Best overall
• BizPlanBuilder : Most user-friendly
• Wise Business Plans : Best professional service
• Business Sorter : Best for internal plans
• GoSmallBiz.com : Most extra features
• Honorable mentions

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LivePlan: Best overall business plan software

Data as of 3 /13/23 . Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. *With annual billing

LivePlan has been our favorite business plan software for a while now, despite the stiff competition.

There’s a lot to like about LivePlan. It has pretty much all the features you could want from your business plan software. LivePlan gives you step-by-step instructions for writing your plan, helps you create financial reports, lets you compare your business’s actual financials to your plan’s goals, and much more. And if you ever need inspiration, it includes hundreds of sample business plans that can guide your writing.

LivePlan software pricing

But the best part? You get all that (and more) at a very competitive price. (You can choose from annual, six-month, or monthly billing.) While LivePlan isn’t quite the cheapest business plan builder out there, it’s not too far off either. And if comes with a 60-day money back guarantee. So there’s no risk in trying LivePlan out for yourself.

With a great balance of features and cost, LivePlan offers the best business plan solution for most businesses.

BizPlanBuilder: Most user-friendly

Need something easy to use? BizPlanBuilder fits the bill.

BizPlanBuilder doesn’t have a flashy, modern user interface―but it does have a very clear, intuitive one. You’ll be able to see your plan’s overall structure at a glance, so you can quickly navigate from your title page to your market trend section to that paragraph on your core values. And as you write, you’ll use a text editor that looks a whole lot like the word processing programs you’re already familiar with.

BizPlanBuilder software pricing

Data effective 3/13/23. At publishing time, amounts, rates, and requirements are current but are subject to change. Offers may not be available in all areas.

BizPlanBuilder also offers lots of helpful guidance for actually writing your plan. It gives you pre-written text, in which you just have to fill in relevant details. It offers explanations for what information you need to include in each section of your plan and way. It even gives you helpful tips from experts, so you’ll have all the information you need to plan like a pro.

So if you want planning software with almost no learning curve, you’ll like BizPlanBuilder.

Wise Business Plans: Best professional service

• Custom quote

Unlike all the other companies on this list, Wise Business Plans doesn’t offer software. Instead, it offers professional business plan writing services―meaning someone does all the hard work for you.

Now, you might think that sounds expensive―and you’re probably right (you have to request a custom quote for your plan). But there’s a lot to be said for expertise, and Wise Business Plans has plenty of that. Your business plan will get written by an experienced writer (with an MBA, no less). They’ll get information from you, do their own research, and then write your plan. You get one free revision, and you can always pay for more.  

Wise Business Plans service pricing

Your end result will be a polished, entirely original business plan. (You can even get printed copies.) And best of all, you won’t have to spend your precious time working on the plan yourself. Wise Business Plans takes care of all the hard parts, and makes your business look good while doing it. Sounds like a service worth paying for, right?

Put simply, if you want the most professional business plan possible, we recommend using Wise Business Plans’s writing service.

Business Sorter: Best for internal plans

Many businesses need plans to show to people outside the company (to get financing, for example). But what if you just need a plan for internal use? In that case, we suggest Business Sorter.

Business Sorter uses a unique card-based method to help you craft the perfect business plan. (You can watch a demo video to see how it works.) You’ll plan some of the usual things, like finances and marketing. But Business Sorter also lets you make plans for specific teams and team members. It also emphasizes more internal matters, like operations, that might get overlooked in a business plan for outsiders.

Business Sorter software pricing

After you’ve made your business plan, Business Sorter also helps you stay accountable to it. You can create tasks, give them deadlines, and assign them to team members―giving you basic project management tools to make sure your business plans become business actions. (Oh, and did we mention that Business Sorter has the lowest starting prices of any software on this list?)

It all adds up to a business plan software that works great for internal planning.

GoSmallBiz: Most extra features

Want to get way more than just business planning software? Then you probably want GoSmallBiz.

See, GoSmallBiz offers business plan software as part of its service―but it’s just one part of a much bigger whole. You also get everything from discounts on legal services to a website builder to a CRM (customer relationship manager) to business document templates. And more. In other words, you get just about everything you need to get your startup off the ground.

GoSmallBiz software pricing

Don’t worry though―you still get all the business planning help you need. GoSmallBiz gives you business plan templates, step-by-step instructions, and the ability to create financial projections. And if you get stuck, GoSmallBiz will put you in touch with experts who can offer advice.

If you want business planning and much, much more, give GoSmallBiz a try.

• PlanGuru : Best financial forecasting
• EnLoop : Cheapest tool for startups

We recommend the software above for most business planning needs. Some businesses, though, might be interested in these more specialized planning software.

Honorable mention software pricing

Planguru: best financial forecasting features.

PlanGuru is pretty pricey compared to our other picks, but you might find its forecasting features worth paying for. It has more forecasting methods than other software (over 20) plus it lets you forecast up to 10 years.

EnLoop: Cheapest tool for startups

EnLoop doesn’t have our favorite features or interface, but it does have really, really low pricing plus a seven-day free trial. It's the most affordable software for startup business planning and still provides all the essential features like financial analysis, team collaboration, charting, and more.

Data as of 3 /13/23 . Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. * With annual billing

Several of our previous favorite planning software, including BusinessPlanPro and StratPad, seem to have gone out of business.

A business plan is a written, living document that tells the story of your business and what you plan to do with it. It serves as the source of truth for you—the business owner—as well as potential partners, employees, and investors, but it also serves as a roadmap of what you want your business to be.

Why you need a business plan

While some small-business owners don’t see the point of creating a formal business plan, it can have some concrete benefits for your business. For example, one 2016 study found that business owners with written plans are more successful than those that don’t. 1

Still too vague? Then let’s get specific.

If you ever seek business funding (from, say, banks, angel investors , or venture capitalists ), you’ll have to prove that your business deserves the money you want. A formal business plan―complete with financial data and projections―gives you a professional document you can use to make your case. (In fact, most potential investors will expect you to have a business plan ready.)

Even if you’re not seeking funding right now, a business plan can help your business. A formal plan can guide your business’s direction and decision making. It can keep your business accountable (by, for example, seeing if your business meets the financial projections you included). And a formal plan offers a great way to make sure your team stays on the same page.

What to include in your business plan

Not all business plans are created equal. To make a really useful business plan, you’ll want to include a number of elements:

• Basic information about your business
• Your products/services
• Market and industry analysis
• What makes your business competitive
• Strategies and upcoming plans
• Your team (and your team’s background)
• Current financial status
• Financial and market projections
• Executive summary

Of course, you can include more or fewer elements―whatever makes sense for your business. Just make sure your business plan is comprehensive (but not overwhelming).

How business plan software can help

With so many elements to include, business plan creation can take a while. Business plan software tries to speed things up.

Most business plan software will include prompts for each section. In some cases, you can just fill in your business’s specific information, and the software will write the text for you. In other cases, the software will give you specific guidance and examples, helping you write the text yourself.

Plus, business plan software can help you stay organized. You’ll usually get intuitive menus that let you quickly flip through sections. So rather than endlessly scrolling through a long document in a word processor, you can quickly find your way around your plan. Some software even lets you drag and drop sections to reorganize your plan.

Sounds way easier than just staring at a blank page and trying to start from scratch, right?

Choosing business plan software

To find the right business plan builder for your business, you’ll want to compare features. For example, would you rather write your own text, getting prompts and advice from your software? Or would you rather go with a fill-in-the-blank method?

Likewise, think about the elements you need. If your plan will have a heavy focus on finances, you’ll want to choose business plan software with robust financial projection features. If you care more about market and competitor analysis, look for software that can help with that research.

You may also want to find business plan software that integrates with your business accounting software . Some plan builders will import data from Xero, QuickBooks, etc. to quickly generate your financial data and projections.

And of course, you’ll want to compare prices. After all, you always want to end up with software that fits your business budget.

The right business plan software can make your life easier. With LivePlan ’s wide breadth of features and online learning tools, you can’t go wrong. Plus, BizPlanBuilder 's one-time pricing makes it easy to invest while Business Sorter has a low starting cost. And if you're business is looking to grow, GoSmallBiz and Wise Business Plans will scale with you.

But of course, different companies have different needs. So shop around until you find the software that’s best for you and your business.

Now that you've got a business plan, take a look at our checklist for starting a small business.  It can help you make sure you have everything else you need to get your startup off to a good start!

Related content

• 7 Steps to Build a Successful Project Management Sales Plan
• Best Project Management Software and Tools in 2023
• 4 Cost Management Techniques for Small Businesses

Creating a business plan can take anywhere from a couple hours to several weeks. Your timeline will depend on things like the elements you choose to include, whether you use software or hire a writing service, and how much research goes into your plan.

That said, much of the business plan software out there brags that it can help you create a fairly detailed plan in a few hours. So if you’re going the software route, that can help you set your expectations.

If you want to get the most out of your business plan, you should update it on a regular basis―at least annually. That way, you can continually refer to it to inform your company’s strategies and direction.  

At the very least, you should update your business plan before you start looking for a new round of funding (whether that’s with investors or lenders).

Thanks to business plan software, you can easily write your own business plan rather than pay someone to do it for you. And in most cases, software will cost you less than a professional business plan service.

There are some times you might want to go with a service though. If time is tight, you might find that it’s worth the cost of a service. Or if you’ve got big investor meetings on the horizon, you might want the expertise and polish that a professional service can offer.

Ultimately, you’ll have to decide for yourself whether business plan software or a business plan service will work better for your company.

Methodology

We ranked business plan software and tools based on features, pricing and plans, and connections to project management and other services. The value of each plan and service, along with what it offers, was a big consideration in our rankings, and we looked to see if what was offered was useful to small businesses or just extra. The final thing we looked at was the ease of use of the software to see if it's too complex for small businesses.

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don't guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.

Sources 1. Harvard Business Review, “ Research: Writing a Business Plan Makes Your Startup More Likely to Succeed .” Accessed March 13, 2023.

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• Accounting Software
• Business Plan Pro

Business Plan Pro Review

What is Business Plan Pro?

• Business Plan Pro benefits
• Overview of Business Plan Pro features
• Business Plan Pro pricing
• User satisfaction

Technical details

• Support details

Business Plan Pro is considered as among the most widely-used business planning application in the business community for almost a decade, outselling all other similar software apps combined. For years, it is a regular entry in the top 10 bestsellers list of Amazon, business applications category. Business Plan Pro is designed to help new and existing businesses of all sizes to easily draft and complete business plans compliant to SBA standards.

With Business Plan Pro, you can remove the guesswork out of drafting and writing a business plan.

The tool’s underlying financial model makes your calculations sound, while its step-by-step wizards as well as visual forecasting allow you to fill in the stats in an intuitive format.

Overview of Business Plan Pro Benefits

One of the world’s top-selling business plan software solutions, Business Plan Pro includes 500 sample business plans for hundreds of business types. You can use the built-in Sample Plan Browser to select one sample that suits your business. Use the sample business plan as inspiration or directly edit it to match your business.

Trusted by over 1 million entrepreneurs, the tool has been among the leading business plan software solutions for businesses for more than 10 years now. It also has the preferred format of investors, banks, and and SBA-approved lenders.

You can impress your audience with an amazing-looking business plan in the tool’s widely accepted format. Beyond the system’s fantastic printed documents, you can also save your business plan to Microsoft Word, PDF, Excel, or PowerPoint for an easy and quick pitch presentation.

Overview of Business Plan Pro Features

• Custom Templates
• Over 500 sample plans
• Visual Cash Planning
• Market research and industry profiles
• Detailed guidance
• Business Valuation Tools
• Import from Microsoft Excel
• Thorough, error-free checking
• Quarterly and 24-month Data
• Plan vs. Actual
• Business Management
• Instant spreadsheets and charts
• Easy financial forecasting
• Tutorials, help, and expert advice
• Simple export to PDF, Excel and Word
• Format corresponds to those required by financial institutions, lenders and investors
• Available to download for Mac and Windows
• Extensive list of additional materials for SMBs

How Much Does Business Plan Pro Cost?

Business Plan Pro Pricing Plans:

What are Business Plan Pro pricing details?

It is available in two editions:

Premier – $159.95

• Its top seller, with more tools you need to succeed.

Standard — $99.95

• What you need to get started with your plan.

User Satisfaction

We know that when you decide to purchase a Accounting Software it’s important not only to learn how professionals score it in their reviews, but also to check whether the actual users and enterprises that purchased it are indeed content with the service. Because of that need we’ve created our behavior-based Customer Satisfaction Algorithm™ that collects customer reviews, comments and Business Plan Pro reviews across a vast range of social media sites. The data is then displayed in an easy to digest way indicating how many clients had positive and negative experience with Business Plan Pro. With that information at hand you will be prepared to make an informed business choice that you won’t regret.

Devices Supported

• iPhone/iPad

Language Support

Pricing Model

• One-time payment

Customer Types

• Small Business
• Large Enterprises
• Medium Business
• Freelancers

What Support Does This Vendor Offer?

• live support

What integrations are available for Business Plan Pro?

• QuickBooks Online

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Top competitors to business plan pro by price, trending accounting software reviews, business plan pro comparisons.

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Top Accounting Software of 2024

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Business Plan Pro 11.0

The best selling business plan software for quickly producing attractive business plans that get results.

Business Planning Software

Quickly develop and publish comprehensive business plans that will help guide your business and get funding. Business Plan Pro is the bestselling software for business plans--outselling all competing packages combined.

New features in the 2008 version include:

• Improved error checking
• Support for plans in Spanish
• Updated user interface
• Management dashboard
• One-click chart customization
• Easier progress tracking
• and much more!

Develop a plan quickly.

The Easy Plan Wizard(TM) leads you through all steps in the process of developing a business plan. Includes over 400 professional business plan samples to give you concrete examples for a variety of industries to help jumpstart the planning process.

Develop a professional, customized, comprehensive plan that fits your business and industry.

Marketing and sales strategy, break-even analysis, competitive analysis, product plans, financial plans, market segment analyses, ratio analysis, management team descriptions and much more are easily incorporated into the plan. Comparable statistics on over 8,000 industries are included to help validate assumptions and compare to others in the industry.

Quickly find investors to fund your business.

Business Plan Pro's format has been developed to meet the strict standards of Venture Capitalists, Angel Investors, Bank Loan Officers, and the SBA--it can be tailored depending on the funding source. Search through a database of over 1,200 venture capital firms. Publish your business plan to a secure, password-protected web site for your potential investors.

View a sample business plan!

Extras include:

The book, "Hurdle: The book on Business Planning" and online access to "On Target: The Book on Marketing Plans" and an ebook titled "InSite: The Book on Web Planning".

Reviews/Testimonials

PC World: "Business Plan Pro gives you all the tools you need to create a polished, professional-looking plan. It also provides a solid information background with a business planning workbook by Palo Alto Software founder Tim Berry and a business startup guide by former Apple Computer strategist Guy Kawasaki."

BlackEnterprise.com: "...Business Plan Pro packs in a ton of features for a small price. It even includes links to U.S. census data, an optional eBay module, and the ability to upload your plan to the password-protected SecurePlan.com, and allow others to access it online."

Accounting Today: "More robust than its competitors, the program's strength lies in its extensive library of more than 400 sample business plan templates, segregated by industry, and in its excellent analytical capabilities. . .Business Plan Pro 2003 should be part of an accountant's toolkit for business planning and analysis."

Small Business Computing: "In look and feel, BPP resembles tax software — such as Intuit's TurboTax — on steroids. The wizard asks a series of questions that include: start date, the type of business you are creating, cash versus accrual accounting and lots more, and provides explanations and resources, usually with each step. It effectively walks you through the process of building a plan and even refers you to specific chapters in the enclosed books."

PC Magazine: "Palo Alto Software's Business Plan Pro has always been the best overall business plan creation program. . . It still remains the program to beat for business plan creation and dissemination."

ZDNet.com, Small Business Advisor: "Palo Alto's Business Plan Pro typically gets the nod from those in the know. My vote goes to this package, too."

Entrepreneur Magazine: "Business Plan Pro from Palo Alto Software is a great example of an out-of-box solution that is user-friendly and produces a formatted final product you can circulate among potential investors."

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Best business plan software of 2024

For planning your business finance

Best overall

Best budget, best established, best for speed.

• How we test

The best business plan software makes it simple and easy to plan your business finances in order to present them to a bank or investors.

1. Best overall 2. Best budget 3. Best basic 4. Best established 5. Best for speed 6. FAQs 7. How we test

The whole point of a business plan is that it allows you to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, not least via your Unique Selling Point (USP) ,and make product or service comparisons with competitors.

Of course, even the best business plan relies on estimates and guesstimates, as it's impossible to predict market changes, developments, and future performance under such conditions. 

Ultimately, though, a business plan will demonstratively prove why your business is a solid enough investment to risk putting money into, and shows that you have properly and thoroughly researched your market, and details the real potential of a new business opportunities.

Here then are the best business plan software providers currently available.

You may also be interested in our featured business guides on best business laptops , best business computers and best business smartphones .

The best business plan software of 2024 in fill:

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid.

Bizplan is the online business planning tool that claims usage of 30,000 startup founders from the Startups.co platform. They use a guided creator that can break the big project down into the component pieces that get tracked with a Progress Tracker, and expert guidance each step of the way including templates that can be dropped in, and completed, along with simple integration of visuals along the way.

Additional resources are also provided via the Bizplan Academy, with lessons on relevant topics, for example, “Building a Brand: How to Tell a Powerful Brand Story,” and “Critical Path Your Way to Higher Revenues,” among the many offerings. Those that need even more assistance also can take advantage of an expert consultation from a financial expert.

• ^ Back to the top

2. PlanGuru

PlanGuru is a comprehensive, and powerful software package in the business planning space. Education is provided via a series of case studies at their PlanGuru University and a whole slew of video tutorials.

The feature set includes flexible budgeting that can handle a simple small business, or a larger multi-department operating budget, and financial forecasting that uses multiple methods, including intelligent and turn-key methods - twenty methods in total. Historical results can also be imported with the general ledger import utility which can then applied to produce a rolling forecast. They also offer PlanGuru Launch, a service to bring in expertise and is charged per hour of assistance.

A significant downside is Planguru charges a higher cost than other software options. The cheapest option is around $75 per month for one business entity when billed annually. While there is no free trial, PlanGuru does offer a 30 day money back guarantee. 

Our expert review:

Enloop is a great choice for business planning software for the cash strapped business as it is the rare offering that has a free tier. Step up up to the next tier, and this is no barebones product, as it has over 100 currency symbols, can automatically generate bank-ready financial reports, and even has automated text writing that can sync with financial data to turn it into text. There is also a real time performance score assigned, that dynamically changes as the business plan is strengthened.  

The plans start with the Free tier, which is limited to a single business plan with simple text, no images, and does not offer any advanced features. The next plan up is the Detailed plan, that supports three business plans, and offers a significant 55% discount when paid annually, making it even better value. This plan costs around $20 per month. For a more comprehensive package you can buy the Performance plan costing around $40 per month.

Read our full Enloop business plan software review .

4. LivePlan

LivePlan is business planning software that offers a simple pricing scheme as there is only a single plan to choose from. As they have a 15+ year track record, they offer a clean and simple interface, that can create business plans that look like they were done by an expert consultant, and the software includes a live dashboard that can track day-to-day performance. Those with writer’s block will benefit from the over 500 included sample plans that can be turned to for inspiration.  

Rather than complicate things with too many tiers to choose from, LivePlan only has a single plan which can be paid for monthly or annually.

5. Business Sorter

Business Sorter promises to simplify and speed up business planning and claims to be able to flesh out a plan in an hour or two, via a novel 273 card sort system that covers many common situations.

The ability to reword cards is included, or also to add cards to the already expansive deck, so no worries if there is not a pre-made card for your situation. Unlike some sites that have videos, the educational resources here are provided as PDFs and Word files, which can be quicker to access, but harder to follow for some learners. 

The lowest tier plan, Basic is fully featured, and includes up to three team leaders. 

Read our full Business Sorter review .

Other business plan software to consider

We've only covered some of the most popular business plan software platforms out there, but there are a number of other notables worth mentioning, plus a wide variety of providers of business plan templates. Below we'll briefly cover a range of some of the additional options out there that are worth considering to get your business plan right.

Go Business Plans is more of a consultancy than a software solution, but is worth mentioning for the simple fact that it's one of America's biggest business plan companies. While software might be able to do the job for you, if you're looking for significant funding, it's probably useful to get some professional advice, not least in terms of strategic planning, feasibility studies, and financial projections to ensure you have a solid base for your business plan.

Wise Business Plans provides a very wide range of templates to work from in constructing a business plan. These are particularly designed with funding in mind, no matter what kind of business you run. What is especially helpful is that Wise doesn’t simply deal with business plan templates for a diverse range of business types, the company also provides plan templates for franchises and non-profits.

Plan Writers  is another bespoke service that essentially listens to what you want and then puts the plan together for you. Again, this technically falls outside of business plan "software", but the chances are you'll use a software package as a platform to build from, and Plan Writers can then help you build up from that base.

Bplans is another provider of business plan templates, but goes beyond that with additional pitch and SWOT analysis templates. There are also business plan guides, industry reports, and a free course on writing a business plan. Bplans also publishes a lot of free-to-use articles on business planning, financials, and tax reporting, to help ensure you can keep your figures and projections accurate and compliant.

We've also listed the best free software for small business .

A business plan is essentially your roadmap to profitability from an initial investment. Whether it's your own money, or a loan from a bank, it's still a good idea to set up a business plan for yourself.

Main things to look to are a SWOT analysis to provide an idea of your business idea's strengths and weaknesses, as well as identify a unique selling point (USP) that will give your business an edge.

While business plans inevitably demand the use of figures, and while these can be impossible to be accurate with, at least by making intelligent guesses you can set yourself targets to work towards.

That's another common feature of a plan, so that specific periods you can review your business progress and make adjustments to your plan as required. This allows you to use real figures for your projections, allowing you to better plan ahead.

Which business plan software is best for you?

When deciding which business plan software to use, first consider what your actual needs are, as sometimes free platforms may only provide basic options, so if you need to use advanced tools you may find a paid platform is much more worthwhile. Additionally, free and budget software options can sometimes prove limited when it comes to the variety of tools available, while higher-end software can really cater for every need, so do ensure you have a good idea of which features you think you may require.

How we tested the best business plan software

To test for the best business plan software we first set up an account with the relevant software platform, whether as a download or as an online service. We then tested the service to see how the software could be used for different purposes and in different situations. The aim was to push each business plan software platform to see how useful its basic tools were and also how easy it was to get to grips with any more advanced tools.

Read how we test, rate, and review products on TechRadar .

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Blog Business 8 Best Business Plan Software for 2024

8 Best Business Plan Software for 2024

Written by: Krystle Wong Jan 01, 2024

Gone are the days of staring at blank pages and struggling to structure a business plan effectively. With user-friendly interfaces and a wide range of business plan templates catering to various industries, creating business plans that are polished, professional and data-driven can now be done in a fraction of the time.

For startups, business plan software guides them through the crucial early stages with comprehensive business plan templates and financial modeling tools. Established businesses on the other hand benefit from the software’s collaborative features, enabling seamless teamwork as they pivot, innovate and pursue new growth opportunities.

In this article, let’s delve into exploring the seven best business plan software for 2024. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur with a groundbreaking idea or a seasoned business owner ready to elevate your enterprise to new heights, these software solutions have all you need to create a solid business plan.

Click to jump ahead:

What is a business plan software?

• 7 Best business plan software for 2024

Factors to consider when choosing a business plan software

7 steps to create your own business plan, business plan software faq, key takeaway.

A Business plan software is a specialized digital tool designed to assist entrepreneurs, startups and established businesses in creating, organizing and presenting comprehensive business plans. 

Business plan software significantly reduces the time and effort required to create a comprehensive business plan . The availability of business plan templates, financial modeling tools and automated features streamlines the process of business planning and eliminates the need for starting from scratch.

Some advanced business planning software even integrates market research capabilities. This feature provides users with access to market trends, industry benchmarks and relevant data. Access to such data helps users make informed decisions and demonstrate a thorough understanding of their target market.

8 Best business plan software for 2024 

1. venngage.

Venngage specializes in transforming traditional business plans into captivating visual stories. Visuals can communicate complex information effectively, ensuring your ideas stand out and resonate with your audience.

When it comes to business planning, conveying your ideas with impact is just as important as the content itself. In this digital age, visual storytelling has emerged as a powerful way to captivate audiences and leave a lasting impression. That’s where Venngage steps in.

With a rich library of templates, Venngage offers a variety of themes and styles to suit different industries and business types. Customize your business plans with our user-friendly drag-and-drop tools by adding your brand elements, customizing colors, fonts and visuals to make your business plan truly unique. Check out our library of sample business plans to get started today.

However, while Venngage excels in visual storytelling, it might not be the go-to tool for in-depth financial forecasts and analysis. Users seeking extensive financial modeling might want to complement Venngage with a comprehensive business planning tool.

Pricing options:

Create your first 5 designs with Venngage for free and upgrade to a premium or business plan for $10/month per user and $24/month per user respectively to enjoy premium features. For larger teams who need extra support, controls and security, the enterprise plan starts from $499/month for 10+ seats.

Can I collaborate with team members using this business plan software?

Yes, absolutely! Venngage offers collaborative features that allow you to work seamlessly with multiple team members when creating business plans. You can invite team members to join your Venngage account and they can contribute to the design process in real time. 

Can I export my business plan to different file formats?

Upgrade to a premium or business plan on Venngage to export your professional business plan to different file formats. After designing your business plan, you can choose to export it as a high-quality PDF document, which is ideal for sharing and printing. Additionally, Venngage allows you to export your business plan as an image file (PNG or JPG), making it easy to use in presentations or on your website. 

Is this business plan software suitable for startups or established businesses? 

Venngage is great for entrepreneurs and businesses looking to enhance their business plans with visually engaging infographics and visual assets.

Instead of sharing a lengthy, 50-page document that may bore your audience and fail to effectively convey your message — present your business plan with infographics. Here’s how you can create a business plan infographic that will wow your readers and showcase your business at its best. 

2. LivePlan

Source: Screenshot from LivePlan

In the realm of business planning software, LivePlan stands out as a reliable and user-friendly tool. With a focus on seamless financial forecasting and budgeting capabilities, LivePlan streamlines the planning process, helping businesses transform their visions into reality.

The software’s financial forecasting tools provide users with the ability to project revenue, expenses and cash flow accurately. This financial insight is invaluable for making informed decisions and setting realistic goals.

For hassle-free data integration, the business plan software offers seamless integration with accounting software . This feature allows users to import financial data effortlessly, saving time and reducing manual data entry.

While LivePlan excels in financial planning and user-friendliness, some users may find the customization options for design and layout to be limited. For businesses seeking highly tailored visual aesthetics, LivePlan’s template-based approach might be less ideal.

The standard plan is available at $20/month for monthly billing and $15/month for annual billing. For businesses seeking extensive financial tools to support their operations and growth, the Premium plan costs $20 for the first month and $40/month (monthly billing) or $30/month (annual billing) for subsequent months.

LivePlan facilitates seamless collaboration among users within your account, allowing multiple individuals to work on the same plan concurrently. To prevent conflicting edits, LivePlan restricts access to specific sections, allowing only one user to edit at a time while others observe the locked section.

You can export your business plan by using the print to PDF feature. This generates your plan content in a standard file format compatible with Adobe Reader and other free reader programs. Alternatively, you can export your plan to Microsoft Word (2007 or later).

A great tool for small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs looking for easy-to-use software with solid financial planning tools.

3. Upmetrics

Upmetrics is an AI-powered business planning software that helps businesses of all sizes and industries write their business plan.

With Upmetrics AI Assistant, you can write your plan faster, get answers to any business-related queries, and prepare financial forecasts in no time. 

Besides, the subscription includes access to 400+ sample business plans, various informative guides, and video tutorials to keep your business plan writing process on track. 

Additionally, it has collaborative features, so that everyone on the team can share their insights. Not just that, the software provides you with an AI pitch deck generator, so you can make a stellar pitch.

As an AI business plan builder , Upmetrics is suitable for entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses to write their plans at any stage. Although it has various cover page designs and immense customization options, it might still lack visual appeal. 

Pricing plan options 

• Starter plan – $7 monthly 
• Premium plan – $14 monthly 

Yes, you can collaborate with your team members while using Upmetrics. It offers collaboration tools that allow you to work effortlessly with your team on the business plan. You can invite team members to collaborate, assign tasks, and track the progress together. 

You can download your business plan as a PDF or directly as a document in Word. Besides, you can share the business plan directly to any email, and they will get the viewer access to the plan. 

Upmetrics is a versatile business planning software suitable for startups and established businesses. But its financial planning features, step-by-step guidance, and AI Assistant make it more useful for startups writing business plans for the first time.

4. BizPlan by Startups.com

Source: Screenshot from BizPlan

If you’re a startup aiming to raise investments, BizPlan is the one for you. As a universal professional business plan builder, BizPlan offers the added advantage of seamless integration with all the tools within the Startups.com network.

Designed with startups in mind, BizPlan’s step-by-step approach allows you to break down the entire scope of work into manageable steps and the built-in Progress Tracker tool keeps you on track towards success.

Once you subscribe, BizPlan opens the door to utilizing all the tools offered by Startups.com, making it a one-stop shop for your entrepreneurial needs. Whether it’s lifetime access to the service, connectivity to Findable to attract financial investments, a wealth of online educational programs or the ability to connect multiple owners to a single account, BizPlan delivers comprehensive support.

While the business plan software offers an array of benefits, it’s essential to consider the possible downsides. The absence of a free version and a mobile app, along with a lack of industry-specific templates for business plans may be worth considering before making your decision

Pricing plan options:

• Monthly plan ($29 per month)
• Annual plan ($20.75 per month or $249/year)
• Lifetime access (one-time fee of $349)

Bizplan encourages collaboration with partners, team members, advisors and subject matter experts by allowing threaded comments throughout the entire plan. It provides control over who can access sensitive financial data and enables convenient cloud-based access from anywhere.

Bizplan provides multiple options for sharing your business plan with others. You can generate an online version of your plan, which can be set as private by default or made publicly accessible through a unique shareable URL. Additionally, Bizplan offers the option to create a custom-branded PDF of your business plan. 

BizPlan is great for entrepreneurs and small businesses who value a vast collection of resources and need support in financial analysis.

Source: Screenshot from Enloop

Enloop emerges as one of the best business plan tools for startups, catering to entrepreneurs who crave a streamlined planning process. With the ability to automatically generate basic text for each section of your plan, Enloop saves time and effort in crafting your business vision.

A highlight of the business plan tool is its automatic generation of financial projections, offering accurate insights based on your entered data. This powerful feature empowers entrepreneurs to make informed decisions and project future outcomes with confidence.

For those with a penchant for strategic thinking, Enloop’s “what-if” scenario analysis becomes an invaluable tool. It allows users to explore various business strategies and assess their potential impact on plan outcomes, enabling sound decision-making.

Enloop doesn’t stop at generating numbers; it goes a step further by providing a business plan grading system. This insightful feature assesses plan quality, giving users valuable feedback to refine and enhance their business plans.

However, it’s essential to consider the software’s limitations as customization and design options are relatively limited. Additionally, the basic version of Enloop might not meet the needs of all users, as it lacks certain advanced features. 

• Seven day free trial (no credit card required)
• Detailed plan ($19.95/month or $11/month when billed annually)
• Performance plan ($39.95/month or $24/month when billed annually)

Enloop’s online business plan writing app lets you invite and collaborate with anyone on your business plans using the ‘Invite & Share’ feature.

Enloop allows you to download your business plan in PDF format whenever you’re ready. The plans remain accessible in your paid account, encouraging regular updates to keep track of your business’s health and have an up-to-date plan ready for financing needs.

Suitable for entrepreneurs seeking a tool that simplifies financial forecasting and scenario analysis.

6. PlanGuru

Source: Screenshot from PlanGuru

PlanGuru’s standout feature lies in its ability to forecast all three financial statements – income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement so that users can make data-driven decisions.

Creating detailed analyses becomes a breeze with PlanGuru’s general ledger import utilities, allowing seamless historical data import. The software facilitates budget vs actual reporting and enables building rolling forecasts with just a few clicks each month.

Unlimited budgeting flexibility is another advantage offered by the business plan builder. Users can craft simple high-level small business budgets or delve into intricate multi-department operating budgets with ease.

With scenario analysis capabilities, PlanGuru empowers users to interpret the financial impact of specific events accurately. This feature enables making critical investments and strategic decisions with confidence, knowing thorough due diligence has been performed.

Given its sophisticated features, PlanGuru may be more suitable for financial professionals and analysts looking for in-depth financial analysis and budgeting tools. Users not familiar with financial modeling may face a steeper learning curve when utilizing Enloop’s robust capabilities.

• Single entity ($99/month or $75/month when billed annually)
• Multi-department consolidations ($299/month or $225/month when billed annually)

You can add up to 3 users with the multi-department consolidation plan. Additionally, all plans allow you to add on $29/month (billed monthly) or $25/month (billed annually) for each extra user.

What other apps does PlanGuru integrate with?

The cloud-based platform is also accessible as a Windows-based desktop version, giving you the freedom to choose the format that suits you best. Additionally, PlanGuru seamlessly integrates with MS Excel, QuickBooks Online and Xero, providing further flexibility and convenience in using the software.

The cloud-based version is suitable for SMBs or nonprofits budgeting for a single entity while the multi-department consolidations plan is for companies with multiple departments needing consolidated budgets.

7. Business Sorter

Source: Screenshot from Business Sorter

With Business Sorter’s card sort system, crafting the foundation of your plan becomes a breeze. Featuring 273 cards covering various business situations, the business plan generator offers flexibility, allowing users to customize their plan by adding their cards or modifying existing ones, tailoring the plan to their specific needs.

The platform also provides the convenience of viewing your plan on any device, including smartphones, which not many business plan apps have. Additionally, guidance is at hand with Business Sorter as the software provides valuable tips and advice for every key step, empowering users to implement their business strategy with confidence.

While Business Sorter excels in its interactive features, it may not offer as extensive financial analysis tools as other business plan software. For businesses requiring advanced financial modeling capabilities, Business Sorter might not fully meet their requirements.

• For small teams with up to 3 users ($10/month or $80/year)
• For medium teams with up to 10 users ($30/month or $240/year)
• For large teams with up to 30 users ($80/month or $640/year)
• For enterprises with unlimited users (custom pricing)

Your business plan can be edited by only one user at a time. When a user opens a plan, it automatically locks to prevent any data loss and remains locked until the user finishes their work and exits the plan.

You can print each business plan directly from the plan summaries on your dashboard. 

Suitable for both entrepreneurs and businesses looking for an interactive and visually appealing planning approach.

9. AchieveIt

Source: Screenshot from AchieveIt

AchieveIt stands as a versatile software for business plans, designed to simplify the planning process for businesses of all sizes and planning methods. With AchieveIt, you can easily build plans, ensuring alignment and engagement among your employees and optimizing plans for seamless execution.

Regardless of your preferred planning method, AchieveIt empowers you to construct plans effortlessly, providing a flexible solution for any planning use case. The software ensures your plans are well-aligned with your organization’s objectives, engaging all team members for successful plan execution.

The business plan tool provides robust tracking and reporting features, allowing businesses to monitor the progress of their plans and measure performance against set goals. Users can create customized dashboards to visualize key performance metrics, making it easier to identify trends and insights.

That said, In comparison to most business plan software, AchieveIt’s pricing might be relatively higher with its extensive features. On top of that, for users new to strategic planning software, AchieveIt may present a learning curve during the initial adoption phase.

The business plan software packages for AchieveIt varies based on factors like organization size, required functionality and the number of users. AchieveIt being an enterprise-level software offers custom pricing to cater to the specific needs of each business. For accurate pricing details, it’s best to contact their sales or customer support team.

AchieveIt allows team members, stakeholders and advisors to have shared access to the platform, providing them with visibility into the latest updates and progress on the plans. Users can assign tasks to team members and track their progress within the platform. 

Can AchieveIt integrate with existing systems?

AchieveIt’s Data Integration API lets you import key metric data from existing systems, saving time and reducing errors by eliminating the need for data entry in multiple places.

AchieveIt is best suited for medium to large-sized businesses and organizations that require a comprehensive and collaborative strategic planning platform. It caters to teams and enterprises seeking to improve their planning processes, track performance and drive organizational alignment to achieve business objectives effectively.

No idea what your business plan should look like? Check out these business plan examples for inspiration. 

When searching for the best business planning software, you may be wondering — what features should I look for in business plan software? You want to make sure it meets your specific requirements and streamlines the planning process effectively. Here are the top six factors to consider:

Ease of use

The software should have a user-friendly interface that simplifies the process of creating a business plan. Look for intuitive navigation, clear instruction and a layout that makes it easy to input and organize your information.

Features and business plan templates

Check the range of features and business plan templates the software offers. Look for a diverse selection of business plan templates catering to various industries and business types. The software should provide essential sections like executive summaries, market analysis, financial projections and more.

Financial modeling tools

Your business plan software should allow you to input financial data and generate accurate and comprehensive financial projections. These business plan creation tools are vital for assessing the financial viability of your business.

Collaboration and sharing

If you’ll be working with a team or seeking feedback from others, consider software that enables real-time collaboration and easy sharing. The ability to work together seamlessly can enhance productivity and improve the quality of your business plan.

Built for fast-moving teams that need to be on the same page, Venngage’s real-time collaboration enables you to polish your design with your team in real time, leave comments on each other’s work,and save your designs in one shared folder. With your  Venngage Business  account, you can easily invite and manage your team members to collaborate on a design, all in real time.

Security and data protection

Since a business plan contains sensitive information, prioritize software that prioritizes security. Ensure that the software uses encryption and data protection measures to keep your data safe from unauthorized access.

Exporting and sharing options

Check the software’s export options. You’ll likely want to share your business plan with others, so ensure it can be exported in popular formats like PDF or PowerPoint.

Are you an entrepreneur starting a new business or expanding your existing business? This guide on how to create a small business plan might come in handy for you. 

Creating business plans can be a crucial step in setting your entrepreneurial vision on the right track. To help you through the process, here are 7 steps to guide you in crafting a comprehensive business plan:

Step 1: Executive summary

Start with an attention-grabbing executive summary. This section provides an overview of your business. In your executive summary, make sure to highlight your mission, goals, products or services, target market and the unique value you offer. Keep it concise, yet compelling.

Step 2: Company description

Give a detailed description of your company. Explain your business’s history, its legal structure (e.g. sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation) and the reasons why your business will succeed in the market.

Step 3: Market analysis

Conduct thorough market research to understand your industry, target market and competition. Identify your ideal customers, their needs and preferences. Analyze your competitors and highlight your competitive advantages.

Step 4: Products and Services

Describe your products or services in depth. Explain their features, benefits and how they meet the needs of your target customers. Emphasize what sets your offerings apart from the competition.

Step 5: Marketing and sales strategy

Outline your marketing and sales strategies to reach your target audience. Explain your promotional activities, pricing strategies, distribution channels and sales tactics. Detail how you plan to acquire and retain customers.

Step 6: Financial projections

Project your financial performance over the next three to five years. Include estimated revenue, expenses and cash flow. Detail your startup costs and funding requirements if applicable. Be realistic and supported by market research.

Step 7: Implementation plan

Create a detailed roadmap for executing your business plan. Set specific goals and milestones. Break down tasks and assign responsibilities. Include timelines and a plan for measuring progress.

A great tip here is to start with a well-structured outline. This guide on how to create a business plan outline will help you in creating your blueprint to easily identify your business’ resource needs, including finances, personnel and equipment. 

Is my business data safe with business plan software?

Most reputable business plan software providers prioritize data security and employ encryption and other measures to keep your business data safe from unauthorized access.

What are the benefits of using business planning tools?

Business planning tools offer time efficiency, professional presentation, error reduction, collaborative features and accessibility, making it easier to create a comprehensive business plan that impresses investors and stakeholders.

Do I need any specific skills or expertise to use business plan software?

No, many business plan software solutions are designed to be user-friendly, requiring no specific skills or expertise. They often come with templates and step-by-step guidance to assist you through the planning process.

In the dynamic landscape of 2024, businesses are on the lookout for innovative tools to stay ahead of the curve and drive their growth. These 7 business plan software picks for 2024 offer a wide range of features, from user-friendly interfaces and real-time collaboration to sophisticated financial analysis tools and customizable dashboards.

Whether you’re looking for user-friendly platform business planning tools that aligns with your business planning processes or a business plan writing software that allows you to tailor the business plan according to your industry, goals and unique requirements — I’m quite certain I’ve got them all covered. 

The value of these business plan software options lies not only in their efficiency but also in their ability to save time and reduce errors. By integrating with existing systems through Data Integration APIs, users can seamlessly import key metric data, eliminating redundant data entry and streamlining the process.

If you’re still unsure about which is the right business plan software for your business, you can always take advantage of free trials or video tutorials and demos offered by software providers. Testing the platform firsthand will give you a practical understanding of its usability and suitability for your business.

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7 Best Business Plan Software for Startups in 2024

• Resources for Planning a Business
• Best Business Plan Software

Last Updated: April 26, 2024 By TRUiC Team

Launching a new startup is an exciting yet challenging endeavor. Crafting a comprehensive business plan is a critical first step for any founder to outline their vision, objectives, and strategy. It acts as a roadmap to help guide important decisions and next steps as a company grows.

With so many options available, finding the right business planning tool can be daunting. The best software should be affordable, user-friendly, and offer a robust set of features to aid in financial modeling, strategic planning, and more.

In this review, we'll explore some of the top business plan software solutions designed specifically for entrepreneurs. We'll compare capabilities, ease of use, templates and resources, integrations, pricing, and more. Whether you’re looking to create an investor-ready plan or simply organize your strategy, choosing the right tool can help you get started on the right foot.

Best Business Plan Software for Startups: LivePlan

Top Business Plan Software Solutions

In this review, we'll look at seven of the best business plan software platforms — discussing their pros, cons, features, pricing, and more — so you can decide which one is right for your startup.

Best Business Plan Software for Startups 2024:

• LivePlan - Best Overall
• Bizplan - Easiest to Use
• Enloop - Best Automation Features
• PlanGuru - Best Financial Forecasting
• IdeaBuddy - Best for Idea Validation
• iPlanner - Best for Nonprofits
• Wise Business Plans - Best Professional Services

The following tools all have their own great features. Based on its affordable pricing and usability, LivePlan is our top business plan software choice for startups.

Try LivePlan today or continue reading to explore your options!

Best Business Plan Software: LivePlan

LivePlan is the overall best business plan tool, offering a large number of features at an affordable price.

Visit LivePlan

1. LivePlan - $15/month to $30/month

We love LivePlan overall because it offers great value at an affordable cost. The software lets you quickly create a business plan from anywhere in the world using what is arguably the best business plan software available on the market. It does everything better than its competition and costs way less.

What’s more, the online “cloud-based” platform is easy to use and you are under no contract or obligation to keep paying for the service. Even better, if you decide to stop service for whatever reason, Palo Alto Software, the makers of LivePlan, will keep your account active and data preserved for at least a year should you decide to reactivate your account later.

• Create an unlimited number of business plans
• A forecast feature for those less mathematically inclined. Plug in data, and it will generate charts, graphs, figures, and even the profit and loss, balance sheet, and cash flow statements
• 500+ business plan templates spanning all major industries
• Real-time financial data tracking
• Performance dashboards track sales and budgeting
• Create one-page pitch plans for potential investors
• Milestone scheduling feature — Some people will use it when working with others on their plan; it will let you assign milestones to people.
• Low-cost annual plans
• Affordable pay-as-you-go plans
• No cancellation fees
• Data saved for 12-months, even after cancellation
• Clean, modern platform
• Cloud-based; works on any business machine (Linus, Windows, Mac)
• Integrates with Quickbooks and Xero to import your data easily
• Knowledgeable customer support to get help with your plan
• No valuation capabilities
• Templates built on Palo Alto Software’s earlier software Business Plan Pro require some modifications to be used on LivePlan

Insider Information

Talking to the nice people at LivePlan we learned some inside information that we wanted to share with our readers.

Here's what we learned:

• LivePlan has been used by contestants on ABC's hit show "Shark Tank" to win over angel investors to help them get their ideas and businesses funded.
• Accountants use LivePlan as an added-value service to sell to their clients.
• Businesses continue using LivePlan because of a feature called “Dashboard” which lets you manually enter your actuals or pull actuals from Quickbooks online to do comparative forecasting and analysis.
• LivePlan helps with business continuity planning (BCP).
• LivePlan executives use LivePlan to make important business decisions.
• "Dashboard" does profit and loss, cash flow, and balance sheet reports and lets you compare and contrast your actuals from your forecasts to be able to show to investors.
• LivePlan lets you create business plans in 1/5th the time it takes using templates.

Customer Reviews

LivePlan receives great feedback from customers. LivePlan reviews average 4.5 stars out of 5 on GetApp. LivePlan is an easy company for us to recommend for the best business plan software.

2. Bizplan - $29/month, $249/year, $349 lifetime

Bizplan rates high on our list because they offer a lifetime plan that gets you "forever access" to their business plan software. As an added bonus, you also receive free access to Startup Courses and LaunchRock, a landing page builder.

• Easy, "fill-in-the-blanks" plan builder
• Publish your business plan online
• Unlimited business plans
• Bizplan takes care of the financials
• Cloud-based (use any browser on any computer)
• Options to add more graphics and photos
• Low-cost yearly plans
• Create unlimited business plans
• Xero to import your data easily
• Excellent and responsive customer support (email/chat/phone)
• Free access to Startup.com and LaunchRock.com
• Discount at Fundable.com (connect with lenders and investors)
• Can't export in Word
• Doesn't currently integrate with QuickBooks
• No free trial
• No third-party app integrations

Talking with BizPlan insiders, we learned that the premise behind BizPlan is to help startups easily create professional business plans to give them a leg-up with lenders and investors.

Here's what else we learned:

• BizPlan's does all your financial calculations for you.
• BizPlan strives to be an all-in-one solution for Startups needing funding.
• BizPlan is constantly making improvements to its software.

BizPlan receives great feedback from customers. BizPlan reviews average 4.4 stars out of 5 on GetApp. Still a relatively new option, BizPlan already has over 30,000 satisfied customers. As their platform grows, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them integrate even more valuable features. Keep a close eye on this one.

3. Enloop - Free to $39.95/month

If you’re looking to try before you buy, Enloop is a strong choice as one of the only business planning software tools with a free trial.

• User-friendly platform
• Compare your financials against your industry's performance
• Bank ready financial statements (Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet, Cash flow)
• Lets multiple team members work on a business plan
• 36-Month detailed financial reports
• Sync date and text into your business plan
• Real-time performance rating
• Generated business plan Pass/Fail report
• Multiple currency formatting
• Seven-day free trial (no credit card required)
• Advanced financial ratios
• Financial projections
• Video tutorials to help you with the writing process
• No phone or chat support, just a "contact us" form.
• Three business plan limit per account
• Doesn't integrate with QuickBooks or Xero
• No financial forecasts beyond 36-months
• No 30-day money-back guarantee

We learned that the premise behind Enloop is to make business planning easier for entrepreneurs. Enloop achieves this by making software simple to navigate through and takes risks off the table with their no credit card needed seven-day free trial. Their business plan creation software offers financial forecasting features for up to 36 months.

• Enloop utilizes 16 financial ratios to get your business ready for investors.
• Enloop offers some sample business plans that are easy to modify.
• Enloop's performance score increases as you create your detailed plan.
• A new business or small businesses benefit the most from Enloop's solutions.

Enloop receives fair feedback from customers. Enloop's reviews average 3 stars out of 5 on PCMag. Enloop's main complaint is its lack of instructional text for writing mission statements and other key sections. What they rank high on is their efficiency and the speed at which the software lets you write a business plan.

Even beyond the free version, Enloop Basic is just $9.95/month ($6/month when paid annually), so they’re one of the least expensive tools for writing a business plan.

4. PlanGuru - $99/month to $299/month

PlanGuru is a good option if you’re looking for considerably more robust software that offers quite a bit more. The most notable feature we like is the valuation tool, only present on the desktop version of the software. PlanGuru lets you calculate the valuation of your business using three different methods. No other business plan software offers this that we know of.

PlanGuru also offers budgeting, forecasting, and performance tools to help you put together a business plan. In the main, PlanGuru allows you to get a custom-tailored three financial statement budget model up and running out of QuickBooks or Xero in a matter of minutes. PlanGuru's business plan writing software takes you through a setup process where it asks you questions such as:

• What's the first month of your fiscal year?
• How many historical years do you want to import?

And, once you answer these questions, PlanGuru then generates a model for you that you can then populate with your historical data if you have it. Then you can go through PlanGuru's 20+ projection methods.

Some financial data projection methods include:

• Expenses, like payroll, etc.
• Balance sheet items, like accounts receivable, accounts payable, crude expenses, prepaid expenses, loans, etc.

These are only a few of the features the business plan software offers. Here are some more.

• Budgeting/Forecasting Software
• Analytics Service for Financial Performance & KPIs
• Valuation calculations (desktop software only)
• Desktop and cloud-based options
• Free 14-day trial and 30-day money-back guarantee
• Great customer support and knowledgeable sales staff
• Lower-cost yearly plans offered
• Advanced financial calculations
• Business valuation calculations
• No contracts
• Integrates with QuickBooks and Xero
• Costlier than LivePlan and most other business plan software options
• Additional cost per user can add up quickly

The great thing about PlanGuru is that the only thing you have to worry about is the income statement and balance sheet projections because the cash flow statement is automatically generated.

Then once you have the cash flow statement, income statement, and balance sheet in place, you can then lock down the budget.

• PlanGuru's desktop version has three different types of valuation methods that calculate the worth of your business.
• PlanGuru has some really nice reporting tools that pull together your financial statements into table formats, say, for the bank, line-by-line.
• PlanGuru also has some nice charts, graphs, scorecards, and some easily digestible reports that can help you visualize how your company is performing.
• Exports to Excel, PDF, and Word documents --and, there's even a tool that lets you create customized reports.
• You can print your plan off too to show partners, lenders, and investors.
• PlanGuru now offers a cloud-based version of its software, though it will take some time to catch up to the rich features offered by the current desktop software version.
• With PlanGuru you also get free updates, bug fixes, and new releases as they become available.

Important Note: These tools are important because investors may want to see not only historical performance but also projections.

5. IdeaBuddy - Free to $35/month

IdeaBuddy makes our list because of what's behind their approach. IdeaBuddy focuses on helping entrepreneurs develop their idea first, then share it, and then refine it into a plan. If you have a business idea and don't know what to do next, IdeaBuddy could be what you're looking for in a business plan software.

• Single-page business plan pitch (Idea plan)
• Clean modern design platform combined with great financial tools
• Marketing plan for selling and promoting your products
• Market overview plan where you create targeted customer profiles, identify your competition and calculate the market potential
• Business plan creation that includes forecasting performance and cash flow projections
• A proprietary algorithm calculates a final score for your idea providing recommendations for improvement after you complete "Story Mode"
• Idea Journal, that is an internal business plan for you to show potential investors
• A lifetime plan costs only $178
• Great for developing ideas
• Great for doing market research
• Pay-as-you-go plans offered
• Email-only customer service
• Software lag time issues
• Fewer software options than most other small business options

IdeaBuddy has some great features that are fantastic from idea conceptualization down to cost projections and the laying out of steps to take to start a business. We would have liked, however, to been given more KPIs that would notify us of tasks, help with idea validation, and help us measure other objectives to better monitor the health of our business. Another thing lacking was the design of the finished plan--it contained some noticeable structural issues.

IdeaBuddy has received some outstanding customer reviews on GetApp. IdeaBuddy has earned a 4.6-star rating out of 5 possible stars.

6. iPlanner - Starts at $55/year

iPlanner is a comprehensive business plan software that has been aiding entrepreneurs since 2007, providing a robust framework for developing business plans, models, and financial forecasts online.

• Unlimited Team Members & Collaboration
• A La Carte Pricing Model vs Packages
• Discounts for Serial Entrepreneurs & Business Coaches
• Solid amount of industry knowledge and experience.
• They've got two trademarked business planning services, Startup Framework™ and Strategy Designer™
• All of their business planning packages allow you to have unlimited collaborators and assign people three different roles: Project Owners, Advisors, and Viewers.
•  Their Startup Framework software has a business modeling section where you can design a business model canvas and strategize as much as you need before diving into your plan.
• Doesn't have a month-to-month option for either of their services. Their Strategy Designer is payable only annually, while their Startup Framework is available for 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month payments.
• They don't offer refunds
•  Their website is pretty old school and tough to navigate.
•  Unlike other business planning software, iPlanner doesn't offer a free version or trial. However, you can take a tour of their Startup Framework software or view a demo of the Strategy Designer to get a feel for them.

iPlanner's Business Planning Software

If a simple framework is all you're looking for, iPlanner can help you out. They don't have many bells and whistles, but at these price points, they offer a good value for nonprofits and corporations.

7. Wise Business Plans - Pricing by Request

Wise business plans website is a little confusing to navigate, and pricing is by request only, which can get frustrating. They do have a lot of options for different kinds of business plans for various types of business types, which makes them versatile. They also have business building and funding options as well. And, if you wish to establish business credit, they offer net-30 accounts that get reported to Equifax business.

• Claim to be the only business plan company to write for Fortune 100 and 500 companies
• Business formation services
• Business license searches
• EIN services
• Digital marketing services
• Business website design and branding
• Has a lot of helpful information
• Helpful options for forming your business
• Options to help after you start your business
• Helps small businesses establish business credit
• Not an actual business plan software
• Expensive by comparison
• Website is difficult to navigate
• Pricing is by request only
• Limited products and features
• Turnaround is one month
• Requires some work on your end

Business Plan Software Pros and Cons

• By using business plan software providers, you’ll be able to create a solid outline for your business. Although some of the options above are better than others, each will walk you through from start to finish.
• No matter how you look at it, business plan software is cost-effective. As long as you actually use the tool, you’ll generate significantly more value than you’re spending on monthly subscription fees.
• If you spend the time to create a solid plan, you’re much more likely to hold yourself accountable. Think of planning software like an accountability buddy for entrepreneurship.
• Your business plan tool will help set realistic financial goals, and most can also keep your bottom line in check by integrating your accounting software.
• Business planning software enables you to collaborate with partners, mentors and investors.
• Some of the business plan tools don’t offer support and can have slightly buggy features. That said, if you’re serious about writing a solid plan, go with a tool that’s constantly updated and well made.
• Although some business plan tools have a collaboration feature, none of them can review it when you’re done. All business planning tools lack a human touch.

How to Choose the Right Business Plan Software

With the array of business planning tools available, it can be daunting to select the right one for your needs. Here are some tips for choosing a business plan software solution:

• Consider your skill level – Opt for software like a wizard-guided template if you are less experienced in writing plans. Choose more advanced software with greater flexibility once you know what you are doing. Look for drag-and-drop tools to easily organize sections.
• Determine your budget – Prices range from free to several hundred dollars. Know how much you can spend before shopping.
• Compare features – Look for software with the specific tools you need, like financial projections, sample text, customizable templates, and more.
• Evaluate the financial tool capabilities – The software should provide extensive financial tools like forecasting, modeling, projections, and dashboards to streamline financial planning.
• Check reviews and ratings – Get feedback from other users about their experience with the software. High reviews indicate easier, more user-friendly software.

Which Is the Best Business Plan Software?

You know the unique requirements of your startup better than we do. These are all quality services that offer business planning software tools for entrepreneurs like you. Feel free to read over our full reviews if you’d like to know more about any of them or even visit the websites directly.

In general, we do prefer LivePlan because they have a huge library of business plan templates, and we love their convenient dashboard. They're the planning software that is most likely to help you via customer support, continue updating their tool, and figure out ways to make your business experience better. Enjoy!

What is the purpose of a business plan?

The purpose of a business plan is to provide a structured outline and roadmap for a business's goals, strategies, and operations. It serves as a guide for decision-making, resource allocation, and management. 

Furthermore, it can be a crucial tool for attracting investors, securing loans, and ensuring that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of the business's direction and objectives.

What does business plan software do?

Business plan software assists entrepreneurs and businesses in creating, organizing, and refining their business plans. It provides tools, templates, and guidance to streamline the planning process. 

Features often include financial forecasting, market analysis, visual aids like charts and graphs, collaboration capabilities, and even integration with other business tools. This software aims to simplify the task of creating a thorough and professional business plan.

How do you write a business plan?

To write a business plan, start by writing an executive summary that provides an overview of your business idea, products/services, market opportunity, and projected growth. Outline your company description, industry analysis, target customers, competitive advantage, marketing and sales plans, operations, management team, and financial projections.

How long should a business plan be?

The length can vary based on the complexity of the business, its stage, and its intended audience. In general, it might range from 15-50 pages. However, the key is to ensure that the plan is comprehensive yet concise. 

For many situations, especially when seeking investment, a more detailed one is preferable. Yet, for internal purposes or for businesses at very early stages, a shorter, more concise plan might suffice.

Are there business plan templates on Word?

Yes, Microsoft Word has business plan templates you can download and customize. The templates provide section headings, instructions, sample text, and tables to input your specific business information.

What is Palo Alto Software?

Palo Alto Software is a company that's been around since the late 1980s. They created business management software for startups and existing businesses. The software has since been updated and rebranded as LivePlan and today happens to be one of the most sought-after business plan software available in the marketplace.

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Business Plan Pro Complete v 12

About this item.

• The answers you need - Over 9,000 industry profiles included so you have real numbers from real businesses like yours to guide your decisions
• Formats lenders prefer - Use familiar formatting tools to customize the overall appearance of your plan. Then create an output in the preferred format of bankers and SBA approved lenders.
• Fool proof error check - The Plan Review feature checks all your data twice for a flawless plan. Plus, the software checks for spelling and accuracy at every step.
• Over 2,000 business plans and examples included - Learn by example with plans in every industry, including education, automotive, computer, construction, entertainment, health care and so many more
• Give plans your personal touch - Includes everything you need by easily importing text, photos, images and charts. Then export to Word, Excel, PowerPoint or PDF.

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Product details

• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 1.25 x 5.25 x 7.5 inches; 4 ounces
• Item model number ‏ : ‎ PA-417
• Date First Available ‏ : ‎ June 22, 2011
• Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ Palo Alto Software, Inc.
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005LAM8KE
• #6 in Business Planning

Product Description

Expert guidance, writing your business plan just got easier.

We admit it. Writing a great business plan isn't exactly a breeze. But just like anything else, using the right tools makes it way easier. Business Plan Pro gives you the advice and guidance you need to forget your fears and start writing your plan with the confidence of an expert. And to get expert results!

Examples at every step

With over 500 sample plans included in the software, you've got examples to help you write every part of your plan. Say you're not sure what your Market Needs section should say. No problem--just click the example tab and view a handful of Market Needs descriptions. Cut and paste if you find one that works for you, or just get a sense of direction for writing your own. You don't have to wonder if you're doing it right, because you can easily measure your work against successful examples.

Let the software do the math

Just plug in your numbers and the calculations are done for you. Now you have instant access to business planning calculations, and an explanation of every financial term. Only Business Plan Pro offers powerful, integrated financial and spreadsheet support.

Easy-to-follow instructions

Wherever and whenever you need help, Business Plan Pro offers complete instructions for your every topic and table in your business plan.

A planning expert at your side

Tim Berry is the recognized authority on business planning. An expert business planner and principal author of Business Plan Pro, his advice and expertise guides you through every step of creating your business plan. He's a best-selling author and prolific writer, whose blogs can be found at TimBerry.com, Entrepreneur.com, Amex Open Forum, and others. Using Business Plan Pro is like having Tim sitting next to you while you write your business plan.

Finish your business plan and have time left to read War and Peace

Writing a business plan doesn't have to take forever. Business Plan Pro takes care of the details so you can focus on the meat of your plan, saving you time and letting you create the best possible plan for your business.

500+ sample plans

Say goodbye to writer's block and hello to getting your plan done quickly. Easily find, read, and edit sample plans that match your business type. Business Plan Pro software comes with more than 500 complete sample business plans for all sorts of company types.

The exclusive Sample Plan Browser lets you quickly find the plan that meets your needs. Then you can write up the plan in your own words (step-by-step guidance makes it a snap!). Or simply edit the text found in any of the 500+ real working sample plans. Every single plan can be opened and edited in Business Plan Pro to give you the jump-start you need.

Step-by-step instructions

You could spend weeks finding all the information you need to put together a complete, professional business plan. Or you could let the detailed instructions in Business Plan Pro guide you. Searchable help articles add an additional layer of information for you to pull from, saving you even more time by giving you all the tools you need to get your plan done fast.

Automatic charts and graphs

No need to spend time creating charts and graphs to go with all the tables in your plan. Business Plan Pro does it for you. As you input and update your numbers, your charts change automatically. You can choose the colors and types of charts you want to use, or go with the standard settings and not have to think about the charts again.

Great Presentations

Make your business plan the belle of the ball.

Business plans shouldn't all look alike. Every business is unique, and every business plan should be too. Make yours stand out from the rest with custom charts and graphs and easy PowerPoint presentations. Whether you're presenting to your boss or to a lender, be sure you wow your audience with a great looking plan.

Create a professional business plan

Every page is automatically organized and collated to produce a bulletproof plan that gets results, all in the preferred format of banks, investors, and SBA lenders.

Business Plan Pro even includes five professional PowerPoint templates so you can pitch your plan like a pro and impress any audience.

Easy export for presentations

You'll want to put your best foot forward when you present your plan to bankers, investors, or potential partners. Simply export to Microsoft Word, Excel, or Adobe PDF to share your plan. You can even export to PowerPoint to create a winning presentation.

Customize every page

Create a plan that is unique for your business. Rearrange the outline and add just what you need. Don't be squeezed into an inflexible, one-size-fits-all cookie-cutter planning product.

Illustrate your key points with great looking charts and graphs. They're generated automatically based on the information you've already input in your financials. Customize your charts for a plan that meets your specific needs.

Funding Tools

Business plan funding tools.

If you're showing your business plan to bankers, investors, or other lenders, you better make sure it's got all the information they're going to need to make a decision. Business Plan Pro is packed with tools to make sure your plan is complete and accurate, and even includes a database to help you find venture capital!

Matches the format preferred by banks, investors, and SBA lenders

Business Plan Pro uses a format that meets the most stringent requirements of banks, SBA lenders, angel investors, and venture capitalists.

Step-by-step financials

Expert guidance and a simple interface take you through every step of every financial table in Business Plan Pro. Detailed instructions and explanations to ensure that you build a solid plan. And the table wizard gives you feedback about your numbers to help you create a business plan that will get you the funding you need.

Real-world financial data

Business Plan Pro leverages more than 9,000 industry profiles to give you insight into how your business compares against similar companies in your industry. The most recent data from your industry gets pulled right into your plan, so you can show investors that your numbers are on target, or explain why they differ.

Easy Financials

Business planning financials made easy.

Don't fear the financial section of your business plan--you don't need an MBA to get it right. Business Plan Pro makes financial forecasts easy, with built-in formulas in all the spreadsheets and expert advice every step of the way.

Financials made easy

Business Plan Pro's table wizards guide you through creating your financial forecasts. You just plug in your numbers and the calculations are done for you. Plus, you have instance access to the methodology behind standard business planning calculations, and an explanation of every financial term. Only Business Plan Pro offers such powerful, integrated financial and spreadsheet support.

Create long-term financial forecasts

Business Plan Pro allows for long-term forecasting of your. Detailed financial forecasting is available through the first five years, while a long-term macro-view summary can be created for up to 10 years in the future.

Simplified forecasting

Create forecasts visually with a "drag and drop" graphic forecaster. The forecaster is a simple and powerful tool to streamline the forecasting process. You can easily change your sales and expenses estimates. Simply clicking your mouse button to move the line on your forecast chart or apply a growth rate to the whole year. Build forecasts using visual common sense.

Research Resources

A library of business planning resources.

You didn't know a business plan required so much research, did you? Don't worry, Business Plan Pro includes tons of current, accurate information about your industry, legal issues, and business planning in general. You won't need to run to the library or search random websites for the data you need to support your plan.

Business Plan Pro leverages more than 9,000 different industry profiles to give you insight into how your business compares against similar companies in your industry. The most recent data from inudstry gets pulled right into your plan, so you can show investors that your numbers are on target, or explain where they differ.

Answers to your legal questions

There are plenty of legal issues you have to think about when you're starting up a business. Business Plan Pro includes resources to help you navigate the legal waters, from "Trademark Basics for Naming Your Small Business" to the Nolo Small Business Law Center, you'll find answers to most of your legal questions.

Required reading for business planning

The Plan-As-You-Go Business Plan by Tim Berry

Every purchase of Business Plan Pro includes the e-book edition of The Plan-As-You-Go Business Plan. In this new book from Entrepreneur Press, celebrated planning expert Tim Berry describes his no-nonsense approach to business planning for small and growing businesses.

Hurdle: The Book on Business Planning by Tim Berry

Also included with Business Plan Pro is the e-book edition of Tim Berry's classic business planning guide. Hurdle is a practical, step-by-step guide to developing a business plan. Emphasizing real business plans that focus on concrete and measurable results, Berry's book covers all the basics including what to include in a plan, where to find information, and an excellent simple guide to business numbers that stands out for its explanation of cash flow.

Research your funding options

You could scour the Internet for a week and not find all the information we've amassed in our Venture Capital database. Over 1,200 profiles of venture capital firms worldwide are included. The database is searchable, so you can look for firms by business type, funding stage, location, or funding need.

But wait, there's more!

When you buy Business Plan Pro, you're not just getting the best-selling business plan software available. You're also getting tons of extra value from our partners who offer tools and services every business needs.

One-year subscription to Inc. Magazine (or $10 refund)

Your online purchase of Business Plan Pro software includes a one-year subscription (12 issues, valued at $10) to Inc., one of the most popular magazines for entrepreneurs and small businesses. If you are a current subscriber, your subscription will be extended for another year. Offer available to U.S. residents only, limit one per household.

Unparalleled customer service

At Palo Alto Software, we pride ourselves on providing quality, U.S.-based customer service. And we're not going to charge you for it. Whether you've lost your serial number, are having computer issues, or have questions about how to use Business Plan Pro, our in-house customer care team is highly trained and ready to help you.

Small business legal guide

Learn the ins and outs of small business legal issues and how to choose a legal structure for your business.

Trademark basics ebook

This ebook from Nolo gives you an overview of trademark law, doing business name searches, and much more.

Free business plan review

Business Plan Pro users get a free plan review from professional business plan writing consultants.

Professional PowerPoint templates

Business Plan Pro includes five professional PowerPoint templates, plus additional discounts on templates and designs.

Looking for specific info?

Customer reviews.

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers like the ease of use and quality of the software. For example, they say it's simple and easy to navigate, making writing a plan easy. They appreciate the great explanations and resources. That said, opinions are mixed on performance and examples.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the software easy to use. They say it's simple and easy to navigate, making it easy to write a business plan. They appreciate the great explanations and resources. Customers also say it provides clear examples and instructions that are easy to understand.

"...It is very in depth and takes a lot longer than a day to fill out...." Read more

"...It makes writting a plan easy ...." Read more

"...There are so many examples of different companies and different types of plans to use , there is no way you cannot build the perfect business plan...." Read more

"Good software did what I needed it to do. It provides clear examples as well as instructions that are easy to understand and the finished product..." Read more

Customers find the software great, and say it's perfect for their needs. They also say it’s a good program for writing business plans, with a huge collection of templates.

" This is a great program !..." Read more

" Great piece of software , much better than the on-line product they offer. It makes writting a plan easy...." Read more

"...However, I found this newer version and it is fantastic !..." Read more

" Software is installed on computer and working good. So far so good.Software did not have the type of business plan I wanted. ***..." Read more

Customers like the appearance of the software. They say the finished product looks very professional and helps their plan look more professional in less time.

"...Got it on Amazon for a GREAT price. Helps your plan look more professional in less time." Read more

"...as instructions that are easy to understand and the finished product looks very professional ." Read more

" Well designed ..." Read more

Customers are mixed about the performance of the software. Some mention that it works well, while others say that it doesn't work as expected, has glitches, and doesn''t fully function on their computer.

"...work computer to freeze while loading it, and it would also not load on my home computer , both running Windows 10...." Read more

"I was unable to get the software to fully function on my computer. It would not allow me to populate the spreadsheet numbers or line descriptions...." Read more

"Software is installed on computer and working good . So far so good.Software did not have the type of business plan I wanted. ***..." Read more

"...puts it in a solid format but the charts are glitchy and the functionality is so-so ." Read more

Customers have mixed opinions about the examples in the software. Some find them good and useful, while others say they don't have any examples they are interested in.

"...There are so many examples of different companies and different types of plans to use, there is no way you cannot build the perfect business plan...." Read more

"All I got for my money was a bunch of extended business plan examples ...." Read more

"It's ok. It has good examples to walk you through the process and puts it in a solid format but the charts are glitchy and the functionality is so-so." Read more

"I like the layout and features but it did't have any sample plans that I was interested in. But that's okay I went in a different direction in the end" Read more

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Manage your growth with a data-driven process

Markets change faster than ever and technology evolves at breakneck speed. Be ready to adapt quickly, stay focused, and make decisions that are best for your business with growth planning.

LivePlan will teach you this simple, repeatable, four-step process to help keep your business healthy — no matter what stage you’re at.

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If you ever get stuck, our team will help

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Create a plan and build your business dreams

Frequently asked questions, how does a business plan builder like liveplan compare to free templates or other tools.

LivePlan is way more than business planning software , and far more powerful than a business plan template. Not only does it guide you through each step of writing your business plan - which you won’t get from a template - you won’t have to use spreadsheets to do your financials or create charts and graphs. As your business evolves, LivePlan helps you track your performance, lets you define the tasks needed to grow your business, and contains competitive industry benchmarks. No other template or tool comes close to the support, guidance, and ease that LivePlan brings to creating a business plan.

Do I need to have anything ready, like research or financials, before using LivePlan to build my business plan

No! Using LivePlan you can dive right in to starting your business plan with no preparation necessary. Working through LivePlan, you’ll be guided through where you need to supplement your knowledge of your market and industry. Of course, as you create your business plan you may need to gather additional data to add important details to your plan.

What is SBA approved formatting and will LivePlan help me create a business plan for the SBA?

The Small Business Administration, or SBA, requires business plans to be formatted in a specific way and include details indicating your business is viable. All LivePlan business plans follow SBA-approved formatting so you can ensure they include everything the SBA would expect to see.

What are all the things I can do in LivePlan?

LivePlan contains a number of powerful tools packed into one easy-to-use software. With LivePlan you can: Build a pitch, write and share a business plan, hammer out financial forecasts, build a one-page business plan, compare your performance against industry benchmarks, and so much more .

Can I explore LivePlan before signing up?

Absolutely. To experience planning in LivePlan, visit our interactive product tour or watch some of our getting started videos .

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• May 6, 2024   •   29:23 R.F.K. Jr.’s Battle to Get on the Ballot
• May 3, 2024   •   25:33 The Protesters and the President
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• April 26, 2024   •   21:50 Harvey Weinstein Conviction Thrown Out
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The Protesters and the President

Over the past week, thousands of students protesting the war in gaza have been arrested..

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Jonathan Wolfe and Peter Baker

Produced by Diana Nguyen ,  Luke Vander Ploeg ,  Alexandra Leigh Young ,  Nina Feldman and Carlos Prieto

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Over the past week, students at dozens of universities held demonstrations, set up encampments and, at times, seized academic buildings. In response, administrators at many of those colleges decided to crack down and called in the local police to detain and arrest demonstrators.

As of Thursday, the police had arrested 2,000 people across more than 40 campuses, a situation so startling that President Biden could no longer ignore it.

Jonathan Wolfe, who has been covering the student protests for The Times, and Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent, discuss the history-making week.

On today’s episode

Jonathan Wolfe , a senior staff editor on the newsletters team at The New York Times.

Peter Baker , the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times covering President Biden and his administration.

Background reading

As crews cleared the remnants of an encampment at U.C.L.A., students and faculty members wondered how the university could have handled protests over the war in Gaza so badly .

Biden denounced violence on campus , breaking his silence after a rash of arrests.

There are a lot of ways to listen to The Daily. Here’s how.

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The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

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Jonathan Wolfe is a senior staff editor on the newsletters team at The Times. More about Jonathan Wolfe

Peter Baker is the chief White House correspondent for The Times. He has covered the last five presidents and sometimes writes analytical pieces that place presidents and their administrations in a larger context and historical framework. More about Peter Baker

Luke Vander Ploeg is a senior producer on “The Daily” and a reporter for the National Desk covering the Midwest. More about Luke Vander Ploeg

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Lawmakers and advocates make last-ditch push to extend affordable internet subsidy

Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., speaking about the Affordable and Connectivity Program, ACP, at the Shaw Library in Washington, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Advocacy groups and policymakers are pushing for Congress to fully fund the ACP, because April 2024 marks the last month of full funding. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., is seen leaving after speaking about the Affordable and Connectivity Program (ACP) at the Shaw Library in Washington, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Advocacy groups and policymakers are pushing for Congress to fully fund the ACP, because April 2024 marks the last month of full funding. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., reading over his remarks as he waits to speak about the Affordable and Connectivity Program, ACP, at the Shaw Library in Washington, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Advocacy groups and policymakers are pushing for Congress to fully fund the ACP, because April 2024 marks the last month of full funding. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez, speaking about the Affordable and Connectivity Program, ACP, at the Shaw Library in Washington, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Advocacy groups and policymakers are pushing for Congress to fully fund the ACP, because April 2024 marks the last month of full funding. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Chris Lewis, President and CEO of Public Knowledge, speaking about the Affordable and Connectivity Program, ACP, at the Shaw Library in Washington, Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Advocacy groups and policymakers are pushing for Congress to fully fund the ACP, because April 2024 marks the last month of full funding. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Twenty-three million families in the U.S. will have bigger internet bills starting in May. That’s because a federal broadband subsidy program they’re enrolled in is nearly out of money.

Dozens of people joined Biden administration officials, advocates and U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont, at a Washington public library on Tuesday to make a last-ditch plea to extend the Affordable Connectivity Program, a subsidy created by Congress and touted by President Joe Biden as part of his push to bring internet access to every U.S. household. The program, which is set to expire at the end of May, helps people with limited means pay their broadband bills.

“They need access to high-speed internet just like they need access to electricity,” Sen. Welch told the gathering. “This is what is required in a modern economy.”

The Affordable Connectivity Program, which Congress created with $14.2 billion through the bipartisan infrastructure law, provided qualifying households with a subsidy of $30 a month to help pay their internet bills. Households on tribal land received up to $75.

That help will be slashed starting in May, when enrolled households will only receive partial credits toward their internet bills. Barring any Congressional action to infuse the Affordable Connectivity Program with more cash, the subsidies will end completely at the end of the month.

“The money has run out,” FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks said at the event hosted by a group called Public Knowledge, a nonprofit proponent of broadband access. “Many households will have to face a tough choice: confront that rising internet bill or disconnect them and their household from the internet.”

Nearly 80 percent of households enrolled in the program said they would have to switch to a lower-tier plan or cancel their internet service altogether without the benefit, according to a survey conducted by the FCC at the end of 2023. Many have come to depend on internet access to complete homework assignments, work from home and meet other basic needs.

“This is not about can we find the money,” Sen. Welch said. “It’s about, are we committed to the priority and well-being of really wonderful people who are struggling?”

Welch and other lawmakers from both political parties introduced legislation earlier this year to extend the program through the end of the year with $7 billion. The White House has pushed for an extension but it has not happened so far.

Harjai is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Ford Pro is automaker's most powerful weapon — and it's no longer a secret

You don't hear panic in the voice of John Lawler, chief financial officer of Ford Motor Co.

Just the opposite, actually.

Despite the vast uncertainty gripping the automotive industry as it works through a dynamic landscape, evolving from traditional internal combustion engines toward electric motors, Lawler is forecasting strong profitability from operations this year.

The single most powerful weapon in the automaker's arsenal: Ford Pro, a unit within Ford that caters to small businesses, large companies and government. In fact, the unit is so successful it made the company $3 billion during the first three months of this year. That's how much the Ford Pro made during all of 2022, Lawler told investors during the first quarter earnings call on April 24.

"Ford Pro is kicking butt," Adam Jonas, head of automotive research at Morgan Stanley, said at the time. "This business is incredible. People would die to have this business. ... It's not a secret anymore."

As of Tuesday, the market value of Ford overall was $48.51 billion. Lawler predicts that in 2024 the company will see adjusted earnings before interest and taxes of $10 billion to $12 billion, and "tracking toward the high end of this range, and that would be a record for Ford." Ford said its record EBIT was $11.6 billion for 2015 .

Ford and its crosstown competitor General Motors have beat Wall Street expectations as they weather erratic consumer demand for electric vehicles by offering alternatives. Ford is seeing a spike in consumer demand for hybrid vehicles, which are powered by a traditional gasoline engine and one or more electric motors that use energy stored in batteries.

Tesla, an all-electric carmaker and longtime darling of Wall Street, reported its net income dropped 55% during the first quarter. CEO Elon Musk doesn't have a diversified portfolio to help offset fickle consumer trends.

Creating a multibillion-dollar niche

Not only does Ford Pro offer a mix of vehicles that includes internal combustion engines, hybrids and electric vehicles for its business clients, but those clients schedule big purchases that aren't affected by changing consumer moods and political winds.

Ford Pro is struggling to meet demand, CEO Jim Farley said during the earnings call.

"The demand on Pro is fundamentally different than retail. There's no doubt about it," Farley said. "Our retail customers are not refleeting. They're not doing roadwork and 5G infrastructure build-out. I mean, these are all fundamental drivers. The ambulance market in the U.S., the average ambulance is 15 years old. I mean, they've been waiting for (Ford) Transits for a long time. We're now increasing our capacity, which is great. But I mean, we're oversubscribed on the new Super Duty, 2-to-1. So I wish I could say we got that right. We didn't, but we are expanding capacity."

Dan Levy, a Wall Street analyst at Barclays, said during a Barclays conference in February, "People generally know when they think of Ford Pro, they just think of it as a fleet business."

But another reason Ford Pro is so valuable is because it involves not just the sales of trucks, vans and SUVs, but also ongoing technology services designed specifically for commercial customers.

"Ford Pro is a nearly $60 billion business within Ford that serves commercial customers with a one-stop shop of work-ready vehicles, service, software, charging and financing solutions that makes running a fleet simpler and more productive," Navin Kumar, Ford Pro chief financial officer, told Barclays.

Last year, Ford Pro generated more than $7 billion in earnings before interest and taxes. The all-new Super Duty played a key role. Yet the UAW strike , which disrupted the launch of the highly profitable Super Duty, cost Ford roughly $1 billion in profit, Kumar said.

"But in '24, you got full production," he said, and that's not all.

Ford Pro sells the idea and reality of productivity and uptime, terms that may sound like buzzy business school jargon until you think about what it means to everyday business owners to not take their vehicles out of service for repair or maintenance.

"It's a services ecosystem, vehicle, software and physical service," Kumar said.

Part of the momentum comes from software, with more than 560,000 paid subscribers with rapid growth with every passing month. Remote service repairs cater to Ford Pro 40% of the time now, Farley told analysts.

Commercial clients deliver high profit margins, fast growth

High profit margins and fast growth are key trends at Ford Pro, based on financial documents submitted to federal regulators.

"Capital investment from state and local governments has been up $75 billion last year due to, you know, the investment in infrastructure," Kumar said. "We expect that to continue."

By the end of 2026, Ford is expecting nearly 20% of its earnings before interest and taxes to come from service parts, services and software, Kumar told analysts. Ford is adding more than 3,000 dedicated commercial service bays as well as longer hours of service and technicians supporting the business. Technology allows Ford to alert commercial customers when oil changes, tire rotations and other services are needed so that they may be scheduled during down time and at the work site, again saving those customers money.

These clients are also working with Ford to learn how to adapt to electric vehicle use and charging.

The Ford Pro infusion of cash inoculates Ford as competitors including GM try to find money to pay for huge costs associated with electrification. Ford Blue , which focuses on traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, is expected to generate $6 billion to $7 billion in adjusted earnings. Meanwhile, Ford Model e is expected to see a loss of about $5 billion this year on the EV business. But Ford Pro is tracked to generate $8 billion to $9 billion in adjusted earnings, according to executives' statements to industry analysts.

Ford is the only automaker to separate its business units so that Wall Street can clearly track what's making money and what's losing money. The press noted that Ford's electric vehicle unit lost $1.3 billion during the first quarter, averaging to $132,000 for each of the 10,000 EVs sold. That formula, however, is overly simplistic because research and development costs are folded into the bottom line.

Still, costs are significant — and brutal. Ford is cutting its production costs, but big savings aren't realized, Lawler said. "On Mach-E, we've taken over $5,000 of cost out, but the revenue keeps dropping faster than we're able to take out the cost."

In February, Ford cut the price of its 2023 Mustang Mach-E by up to $8,100 and offered interest-free financing.

Ford is working to develop a profitable electric vehicle in the $25,000 to $30,000 price, Farley said.

Revealing that launch delays are part of the strategy

Wall Street analysts will need to accept that the way Ford is disclosing its business operations now, with more transparency, challenges will be highlighted and addressed in real time, which is no cause for panic, Farley said. For example, he explained that the automaker's slowdown of the F-150 launch, designed to reduce problems that lead to recalls and warranty costs, left Ford with 60,000 unsold 2024 F-150 pickups held for quality review.

Ford pushed back the "OK to buy date" three to six weeks, which hurt the first quarter, but the pain is temporary, Farley said.

"We avoided about 12 recalls on F-150," he said. "I'd like to be specific here. Normally, after a launch, we've seen about, in the last five years, about a 70% spike in our defects. The industry average is about 20%."

Ford Pro is less cyclical with strong loyalty, Lawler told Bank of America. "About 15% of the commercial vehicles reach their useful life every year. So they're tools that wear out."

Companies small and large use information provided by Ford computer systems that provides real-time information to keep everything running with few surprises.

"We will have predictive maintenance," Lawler said. "We will be able to, at a point in the future, guarantee uptime because we will be able to read all the systems on the vehicle and know if something's going to fail or if something's wearing out, wiper blades, tires, brakes. ... Get ahead of it and work with them to have the right time to service that vehicles so they're not of the road and they don't lose any business."

Tesla saw itself as a tech company, and Ford moved into software

Ford Pro launched in spring 2021. Dave Prusinski, Ford Pro chief revenue officer, said he was hired with the idea of changing the value of technology in vehicles much the way a cellphone now does more than simply make calls.

"The vehicle is connected, and we can find a problem — the need for an oil change or standard maintenance," Prusinski told the Free Press. "It used to be a vehicle was running around on the road and you didn't know. We get that data, and now you know. We can have a part ready at a dealership. In a previous world, you'd take a vehicle in to be diagnosed, order a part, have it delivered and then get the work done. What now takes hours once took days, and cost thousands of dollars a day. Hometown (HVAC) said it lost $12,000 to $22,000 a day every time a vehicle is off the road."

Ford works with micro fleets of just a handful of cars, all the way up to larger fleets of more than 1,000 vehicles, he said. "What's novel is bringing these solutions to small business. Now they have advantages that the larger fleets had in the past.

"Ford Pro is like a fast-growing software company," Prusinski said. "We’re very close to our customers, working with them. That benefit is, we’re seeing increase in the share of vehicles using our parts, services and solutions. ... With Lightning in 2024, we saw 40% (of commercial customers) are coming back buying model year 2024."

A fleet of five vehicles owned by an electrical company can see business plummet 20% if just one truck goes into the shop, and Ford Pro works to keep the small fleets running as much as the really big fleets such as the U.S. Postal Service with 9,250 E-Transit vans.

"We're leveling the playing field for the average Joe, really," Prusinski said.

'Huge iceberg of opportunity'

John Murphy, senior North American automotive equity research analyst at Bank of America, said during his company's summit on March 26 that "Ford has got its act in gear and doing as much as it possibly can."

He said Ford has "this huge iceberg of opportunity that is massive underneath" that is starting to be captured by Ford Pro, which hasn't "really scratched the surface."

As for Lawler's forecast of $12 billion in adjusted earnings this year, Murphy said, "I know you have to invest for the future, but those kinds of numbers in the core business are the kinds of numbers that, I've been doing this for 25 years, nobody would even dream could possibly ever happen."

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-222-6512 or [email protected] .Follow her on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, @phoebesaid . Read more on  Ford  and sign up for our  autos newsletter .

China's plan to be the dominant power in space is moving at breathtaking speed. The US needs to wake up, officials say.

• China is intensifying its bid to supplant the US as a major space power. 
• It is "moving at breathtaking speed," according to the US Space Force commander.
• China could use its control of space to target US satellites. 

After a meeting with Japanese and South Korean officials in Tokyo on Friday, US Space Force commander Gen. Stephen Whiting warned about a growing threat.

China, he said, is "moving at breathtaking speed in space," and is developing a range of weapons that threaten America's space supremacy, reported Stars and Stripes.

"They're also using space to make their terrestrial forces — their army, their navy, their marine corps, their air force — more precise, more lethal, and more far-ranging," he added. It's one of a series of warnings from top US military officials in recent months about the growing threat in space posed by China.

There is a very real risk, they say, that the US could soon lose its status as the world's dominant space power.

"We are at a pivotal moment in history," Troy Meink, principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office, which builds and operates the US fleet of spy satellites, said at a recent event in Colorado, as quoted by Space.com.

"For the first time in decades, US leadership in space and space technology is being challenged," Meink added. "Our competitors are actively seeking ways to threaten our capabilities, and we see this every day."

They echo comments by Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of space operations at the United States Space Force, who last year warned against taking US space supremacy for granted.

"I'm worried about a far more subtle form of complacency. One that grows out of the comfort of continuity, the comfort of our expertise, the comfort of our successes. What we have done and how we have done it has worked and worked well, but I fear we think it will work well forever," he said.

Space today is "far more contested and US access to space capabilities is not a given," Saltzman said.

US satellites under threat

In recent years, China has developed a sophisticated military program in space, where for decades, the US has been the dominant force.

Space is where military analysts believe the first shots could be fired in a war between major powers.

China has created technology capable of targeting US satellites, as well as for better monitoring Earth and developing coordination between land, sea, air, and space operations.

At a congressional hearing in February, Whiting said that China is also developing a "hypersonic glide vehicle" and other weapons capable of evading air defense systems and satellite warnings.

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Dominic Chiu, an analyst with the Eurasia Group, told Business Insider that plans for space warfare were at the heart of China's recent military reorganization.

"China's leadership believes elements such as space and cyber will play a bigger role, and that making them more operationally efficient is crucial to preparedness and success," he said.

The plans place China's aerospace units directly under the control of central command and mirror the US' creation of a Space Force under former President Donald Trump in 2018, said Chiu.

One of the main fronts in the rivalry is the race to the moon, and US officials are warning that China, under the guise of scientific research, could be planning on seizing control of regions of the lunar surface as part of its plans for military dominance.

With the Artemis mission, the US is planning on sending astronauts to the moon for the first time in 50 years. But China has its own moon landing program, and US lawmakers at a congressional hearing in January warned that delays to NASA's plans to get astronauts to the lunar surface by 2022 mean that China could get there first.

"The country that lands first will have the ability to set a precedent for whether future lunar activities are conducted with openness and transparency or in a more restricted manner," said Rep. Frank Lucas, chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.

Brig. Gen. Anthony Mastalir, commander of US Space Forces Indo-Pacific, told a conference in March that China could be planning to use its presence on the moon as part of covert plans to target US satellites.

"As in other domains, the US is the established power, and China is seeking to catch and, if possible, overtake it, using its race to the moon to increase funding," Graeme Thompson, an analyst at the Eurasia Group, told BI.

The US and allies monitor 'deep space' for threats

The US and its allies are responding to the threat by developing plans to monitor areas of space that China is seeking to dominate for potential threats.

In December, the AUKUS alliance, which comprises the US, Australia, and the UK, said it would develop radars to monitor threats in "deep space," around 22,000 miles from Earth.

"Both the US and China view outer space along with cyberspace as new and interlinked military domains, and both feature in US, UK, and Australian collaboration under the AUKUS agreement," said Thompson.

According to reports, the Pentagon is intensifying its bid to develop technology capable of countering China's plans to take out US satellites.

Tory Bruno, chief executive of United Launch Alliance, told NBC News that engineers are developing maneuverable satellites that could move out of the way of Chinese satellites that are fitted with robotic arms to take them out of orbit.

The stakes in the race for the dominance of space could not be higher, say experts. Whoever wins will not just have control over the moon, but will likely be the top power on Earth. And through complacency, America may fast lose its advantage, say critics.

"The truth is, whoever controls the space domain will dominate the future global economy," wrote analyst Arthur Herman for the conservative-leaning Hudson Institute in February.

"If America was the preeminent space power from Presidents John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan, we've let our edge slip away, while China and Russia aim to displace us all together."

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