Business.gov.au provides a business plan template and guidance to help Australian businesses describe what they do, who they serve and how they intend to operate. You can use it as a starting point, then tailor the sections and level of detail to your business rather than treating it as a form that guarantees funding or success.
What the Business.gov.au Template Is
Business.gov.au is the Australian Government’s business information website. Its business-planning resources explain why a plan can be useful and provide a template that business owners can fill in. The template is designed to organise your thinking: it prompts you to explain the business, its market, the way it will reach customers, day-to-day operations and financial expectations.
It is a planning aid, not a government registration, licence application or approval. Completing it does not make a business eligible for a grant, loan or permit, and there is no single plan format that suits every purpose. A short plan may help an owner test an idea, while a lender, investor, partner or grant program may ask for specific information in a different format.
To find the current official resource, search business.gov.au for “business plan template” and check that the result is on the government website. Pages and downloadable file formats can change over time, so use the current version rather than relying on an old copy circulating elsewhere.
How to Use the Template
Start with a working draft, not a polished pitch. Write down what you know, mark assumptions that need checking and leave a section for later if you do not yet have reliable information. The plan should help you make decisions; it does not need impressive language or lengthy explanations.
A practical sequence is:
- Set the purpose. Decide whether the plan is for your own planning, a potential partner, a lender or another reader. Their needs affect what evidence and detail to include.
- Describe the offer and customer. Explain what you sell or provide, the problem it addresses and who is most likely to buy it.
- Research the market. Record what you found about customer demand, competitors, pricing and the conditions that could affect the business.
- Map delivery. Note the people, suppliers, equipment, location, systems and processes needed to serve customers.
- Build and review the financial picture. Use realistic assumptions for sales, costs and timing, and check that the figures match the operating plan.
- Revise it. Remove claims you cannot support, update changed assumptions and make the next actions clear.
Information to Gather Before You Write
Collect basic facts before filling out the sections. Useful material may include a description of the product or service, notes from conversations with prospective customers, competitor observations, supplier estimates, a draft price list and a list of start-up and ongoing costs. Depending on the business, you may also need information about premises, staffing, equipment, production capacity or seasonal demand.
Separate evidence from expectation. For example, “three local organisations said they would consider a trial” is a report of conversations; “we will win three contracts in the first month” is a forecast. The second statement needs assumptions behind it, such as the length of the sales process and the number of prospects required. This distinction makes the plan more useful and helps readers assess how much confidence to place in each claim.
Also decide who will maintain the plan and where its supporting records will be kept. A business plan is easier to update when someone owns the task and can find the research, quotes and calculations that support it.
Business Plan Template
| Plan section | Prompts to answer | Your notes |
|---|---|---|
| Business summary | What does the business do? What are its main goals? | |
| Business details | Where and how will it operate? Who is responsible? | |
| Products or services | What is offered, and what customer need does it meet? | |
| Customers and market | Who are the target customers? What evidence supports demand? | |
| Competitors and position | What alternatives do customers have? What makes this offer distinct? | |
| Marketing and sales | How will customers find, assess and purchase the offer? | |
| Operations | What people, suppliers, premises, equipment and processes are needed? | |
| Risks and responses | What could disrupt the plan, and what practical response is possible? | |
| Financial overview | What are the main income, cost and cash-flow assumptions? | |
| Goals and actions | What needs to happen next, by when, and who will do it? |
Fictional sample: “Banksia Bike Repairs” is an invented mobile repair service for commuters in a fictional regional town. Its first goal is to interview local cyclists and test whether scheduled workplace repair visits are wanted. The owner would record customer evidence, travel costs, tools required and a trial schedule before committing to a launch date.
What to Put in Each Section
Summary and details: Write a concise overview after the other sections, even if the template places it first. State the business idea, intended customers, current stage and near-term goals. Keep business details factual and avoid including personal information that is not needed for the plan.
Offer and market: Describe the product or service in terms a customer would understand. Identify a specific customer group instead of saying “everyone”. A home meal service, for instance, might focus on time-poor households in a defined area; it can then investigate their routines, alternatives and willingness to pay. Explain how you gathered market information, and be clear when a conclusion is still a hypothesis.
Marketing, operations and risk: Connect your promotion to the way customers actually buy. A service that depends on appointments needs a booking and delivery process, while a product business may need inventory, packaging and fulfilment arrangements. List plausible risks such as a key supplier delay, weak demand or a seasonal slowdown, then identify steps that could reduce disruption. Avoid presenting a risk response as a guarantee.
Financial overview and actions: State the assumptions behind expected revenue and costs, including when sales and payments may occur. A business can appear profitable on paper but still face a cash shortfall if customers pay later than suppliers are due. Use consistent time periods and explain major estimates. End with actions that can be checked, such as obtaining a supplier quote or testing a sales channel, rather than broad intentions such as “grow the business”.
Tailor the Plan to the Business and Its Reader
A template is deliberately general, so adapt it to your business model. A shop may need to explain stock, opening hours, foot traffic and supplier terms. A consultant may focus more on expertise, client acquisition, capacity and project delivery. A manufacturer may need to describe inputs, equipment, production limits and quality processes. A seasonal tourism business may need to show how it will manage busy and quiet periods.
Keep the main document readable and put detailed evidence in an appendix if it helps. For example, a short market summary can point to customer interview notes or a competitor comparison table. A reader should be able to understand the main argument without having to sift through every supporting document.
If someone has requested the plan, ask what they need before spending time reshaping it. They may have a required form, word limit, financial schedule or assessment criteria. The business.gov.au template can still help you prepare, but it may not replace those requirements.
Common Problems and Misconceptions
- Writing only for approval: A plan is not a promise that a lender, investor or grant provider will say yes. Make it useful for decision-making first, and follow any separate application instructions.
- Using unsupported market claims: Replace statements such as “there is no competition” with researched observations. Customers may solve the same problem through substitutes, informal providers or doing nothing.
- Overstating precision: Forecasts are estimates, not known outcomes. Show the assumptions and review them when actual results differ.
- Making the plan too long: Extra pages do not make an idea stronger. Keep relevant detail, remove repetition and attach evidence only when it clarifies a decision.
- Filling it in once and forgetting it: Prices, suppliers, customer behaviour and business goals can change. Set a regular review point and update the plan after important changes.
Another common misconception is that every business must produce a formal plan before it can begin. A plan is useful in many situations, but the format and level of detail depend on the business and the task at hand. Some people begin with a one-page outline and expand it when they need to test a bigger decision or communicate with another party.
Alternatives and Related Planning Documents
If a full plan feels premature, start with a lean outline covering the customer problem, proposed offer, evidence of demand, costs, delivery method and next test. This is helpful for exploring an early idea, but it may not provide enough detail for a party that asks for a comprehensive plan.
Other documents serve different purposes. A business model canvas summarises how a business creates and delivers value; a marketing plan concentrates on customers, positioning and promotion; a cash-flow forecast focuses on expected money in and out over time. These can complement a business plan, but none automatically replaces a document required by a funder or program. For complicated regulatory, tax or financial-planning questions, ask a qualified professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Business.gov.au business plan template free?
Business.gov.au provides its business-planning guidance and template as a public resource. Check the official website for the current page and any current download or usage details.
Does using the template guarantee a business loan or grant?
No. A completed plan is not an approval or eligibility guarantee. A provider may apply its own criteria and request additional information or a different format.
How long should a business plan be?
There is no universal required length. Make it long enough to explain the business, evidence, operations, assumptions and actions for its intended reader, while removing material that does not help them understand or decide.
Can I use the template for a small or home-based business?
Yes. Adapt the prompts to the scale and type of business. Include relevant details such as how customers will find you, how work will be delivered and what resources or permissions you need to investigate.
How often should I update my business plan?
Review it at a regular interval that suits the business and whenever a major assumption changes, such as customer demand, costs, operations or goals. Update forecasts and actions to reflect what has actually happened.