Write a one-page business plan you will actually use

State who you serve and the problem you solve

Write one sentence: we help this type of customer solve this problem. If you cannot finish that sentence clearly, sales and marketing will also struggle. Be specific: "factories that need calibrated equipment" is more useful than "businesses".

Describe how you make money

List your main products or services, the price of each, and which ones bring the most profit. Note how customers find you today. This section often shows that a small number of offers produce most of the income.

Set three priorities for the next 12 months

Choose at most three goals, each with a number and a date. A goal such as "grow sales" cannot be checked, while "win 10 new monthly clients by December" can. More than three usually means none get proper attention.

Name the owner and the first step

Give every priority one responsible person and the first action to take this month. Shared ownership often means nobody is accountable.

Review it every month

Keep the page visible and spend 15 minutes each month on one question: are we on track, and what must change? Update the page whenever the facts change.

A plan is a working tool, so it does not need to look polished. It needs to be short enough that people read it.