Business Plan Prompt Templates
You get a business plan that makes your assumptions explicit, connects them to a simple financial model, and shows what you will do first. The prompt below works in any AI assistant. It comes with a worked example, the mistakes that make AI output for this task weak, and variations for common situations.
Help me write a business plan. ## The business What it is: [one or two sentences] Location and stage: [e.g. Portland, OR, not yet open] Who it is for: [target customers] ## What I know Customers and demand: [research, conversations, presales, competitors nearby] Pricing: [what you will charge] Costs: [startup costs and monthly costs you know of] Funding: [your savings, loans, investors, amount needed] ## Purpose of the plan [e.g. bank loan application, planning for myself, partner pitch] ## Instructions - Write sections: summary, problem and customer, offer, market and competition, marketing, operations, financial plan, risks, first 90 days. - List every assumption I am making in the financial plan, with the number. - Show a simple break-even calculation from my pricing and costs. - Use only figures I provide. Mark missing numbers as [estimate needed]. - Keep the language plain. No filler. ## Output format The plan in markdown, with the assumptions table and break-even math in the financial section.
How to use this prompt
- 1
Copy the prompt
Use the copy button, or type its Retext trigger in any app to paste it.
- 2
Open your AI assistant
Start a new chat in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or whichever assistant you use, so earlier messages don't steer the answer.
- 3
Fill in the brackets
Replace every [bracketed] part with your real details. Specific inputs are what make the answer specific.
- 4
Check and refine
Read the result against the goal above, then reply with one change at a time.
Worked example
What you give it
Business: a mobile dog grooming van. Location: Austin, TX, not started. Customers: busy dog owners in suburbs, especially owners of large dogs. Pricing: $95 average per groom. Costs: van build-out $60,000 (loan); monthly costs: loan payment $1,100, fuel $600, insurance $300, supplies $400, phone and software $100. Purpose: bank loan.
What a good answer looks like (shortened)
Financial plan Assumptions - Average price per groom: $95 - Fixed monthly costs: $2,500 (loan $1,100, fuel $600, insurance $300, supplies $400, phone and software $100) - Grooms per day: [estimate needed] - Working days per month: [estimate needed] Break-even $2,500 / $95 = 26.3, so about 27 grooms a month cover fixed costs, before paying yourself. If you can do 5 grooms a day for 20 days, that is 100 grooms and $9,500 in revenue, leaving $7,000 before taxes and your salary. Risks - Fuel and supplies are treated as fixed, but they rise with the number of grooms. Recalculate them per groom. - Weather or van repairs can stop all income at once. First 90 days: book 20 presale appointments in two target neighborhoods before the van is finished.
Tips for better results
- •Be detailed in the Costs line. Every missing cost makes break-even look better than it is.
- •Fill every [estimate needed] marker with a number you can defend, such as how many grooms you can really do in a day.
- •Name the Purpose. A bank plan should lead with repayment and collateral, while a plan for yourself can focus on the first 90 days.
- •Avoid this: Letting the AI fill in market size and revenue forecasts from thin air, which a lender or investor will see through quickly.
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Our best AI prompts in one Markdown file, delivered by email. The templates here stay free either way — the pack just saves you the copying.
Variations
One-page plan
Change Output format to: A one-page plan with one short paragraph per section and the break-even calculation.
Scenario model
Add this line to Instructions: Show the financial plan at low, expected and high volume, and what changes in each.
Lean canvas
Replace the section list with: problem, customer segments, unique value, solution, channels, revenue, costs, key metrics, unfair advantage.
Save it as a Retext snippet
Retext is a free text expander for Mac. Save this prompt once, then type ;bizplan in any app (ChatGPT, Claude, your editor, a browser tab) and the full prompt is pasted in.
- Click Add to Retext. The prompt installs as a snippet with the trigger ;bizplan.
- Change the trigger in Retext if you prefer a different one.
- Type the trigger wherever you want the prompt, then fill in the brackets.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use an AI-written business plan for a bank loan?
You can use it as a draft, but every number must come from your research and quotes, and you need to be able to explain it. Lenders also often have their own required format.
What is the most important part of a business plan?
For most small businesses, the financial assumptions and break-even point. They show whether the idea can pay its costs and you.
How do I reuse this prompt without copying it every time?
Click Add to Retext to save it as a snippet. Then type ;bizplan in any Mac app, including your AI tool, and the full prompt is pasted in.
Related Templates
Get the free prompt pack
Our best AI prompts in one Markdown file, delivered by email. The templates here stay free either way — the pack just saves you the copying.