Retext
GeminiAI AssistantBusiness Plan

Gemini Business Plan Prompt Template

You get a business plan that makes your assumptions explicit, connects them to a simple financial model, and shows what you will do first. This version is set up for Gemini: attach files or images the prompt refers to, or paste the text below the instructions. Below you'll find the prompt, how to run it in Gemini, a worked example and answers to common questions.

Installs as a snippet — type ;bizplan to paste this prompt anywhere on your Mac.
Prompt Template
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.

Context
- Reference material: [paste it below, or attach the file]

How to use this prompt

  1. 1

    Open Gemini

    Start a new chat in Gemini and paste the prompt.

  2. 2

    Give it context

    Attach files or images the prompt refers to, or paste the text below the instructions.

  3. 3

    Review and iterate

    Reply in the same chat to refine the result.

  4. 4

    Save what you repeat

    For a prompt you run often, save it as a Gem with custom instructions.

Working in Gemini

  • •Gemini accepts images and files as well as text, so attach a screenshot when the task is visual.
  • •Ask for the exact output format; otherwise answers tend to come with extra headings and summaries.
  • •If you use Google Docs or Sheets, ask for output you can paste straight in, such as a table.

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.
  • •If you use Google Docs or Sheets, ask for output you can paste straight in, such as a table.
  • •Avoid this: Letting the AI fill in market size and revenue forecasts from thin air, which a lender or investor will see through quickly.

Get the free prompt pack

Our best coding 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.

  1. Click Add to Retext. The prompt installs as a snippet with the trigger ;bizplan.
  2. Change the trigger in Retext if you prefer a different one.
  3. 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.

Can I save this prompt in Gemini?

Yes, as a Gem with the prompt as its instructions. A Retext snippet also works if you switch between Gemini and other tools.

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 coding prompts in one Markdown file, delivered by email. The templates here stay free either way — the pack just saves you the copying.