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Simple one-page business plan

You do not need a 40-page binder to start. You need a clear one-pager you can update. Lenders and partners still want to see that you have thought it through; a short plan does that job.

By Rich Thurman, who spent about 15 years at Microsoft as an application-development consultant and has helped about 1,500 small businesses automate the busywork that eats their week. He still builds real software, AI and data systems today.

If you are applying for financing or signing with partners, confirm what they require. Numbers and projections are your responsibility — verify assumptions. Rules change and can differ by state. Before you act, check with your state, SBA.gov, or a lender or accountant. This guide is a simple starting point, not legal advice.

Why a plan still matters

Classic guidance said a good plan describes the mission, the goals, and how you will reach them. That has not changed. What has changed: you can draft faster with AI, then edit hard with human eyes.

Quick answers

Does a business plan still matter?

Classic guidance said a good plan describes the mission, the goals, and how you will reach them. That has not changed.

How do I use AI on my plan?

Paste rough notes and ask for a cleaner one-page outline — then cut fluff.

Should AI fill in market numbers?

Do not invent market stats. If a number matters, cite a real source or leave it out.

When do I need more than one page?

Loan packages often want projected financials (profit and loss, cash flow, balance sheet), resumes, and tax returns.

How do I keep the plan useful?

Update the one-pager when your offer, price, or channel changes.

One-page template (plain English)

  1. Who you help — one sentence. Not “everyone.”
  2. What you sell — product or service, price ballpark, how they buy.
  3. Why you — skill, location, speed, niche. Be honest.
  4. How you reach customers — first three channels you will actually use this month.
  5. Costs to start and run — tools, materials, fees, insurance, ads. Shoestring is fine; hidden costs are not.
  6. Money picture — expected sales for the next 90 days (low / medium / stretch) and break-even guess.
  7. Risks — top three things that could go wrong and what you will do.
  8. Next 7 days — three concrete actions with dates.

Using AI on the draft

  • Paste rough notes and ask for a cleaner one-page outline — then cut fluff.
  • Ask it to list questions a skeptical lender might ask; answer those yourself.
  • Do not invent market stats. If a number matters, cite a real source or leave it out.

When you need more than one page

Loan packages often want projected financials (profit and loss, cash flow, balance sheet), resumes, and tax returns. See our loans & grants overview. Expand the one-pager into those sections only when someone asks.

Related: Start a business — first week.

Sample prompts (edit heavily)

“Turn these rough notes into a one-page business plan with sections: customer, offer, channels, startup costs, 90-day money picture, risks, next 7 days. Keep it under 400 words. Do not invent statistics.”

“List ten tough questions a skeptical lender would ask about this plan. Do not answer them — leave blanks for me.”

Keep the plan alive

Update the one-pager when your offer, price, or channel changes. A plan that only exists for a loan application goes stale. A living one-pager becomes your weekly compass.

Watch AI used on real jobs, live and free

I feed it the actual copy of the post and then I get back from it the response to that Facebook post and I've gone from getting no likes on those to getting about 10 or 15 likes on people that have read those posts [...]

Russell Merchant
Rich Thurman

Every Tuesday at 5:30 PM Arizona time (4:30 Pacific · 6:30 Central · 7:30 Eastern), Rich teaches a free 30-minute AI training on everyday business jobs like the one on this page, then Q&A for the rest of the hour. Online, on Zoom, open to everyone.

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A simple starting point, not legal advice. Rules change, so check with your state, SBA.gov, or a lender or accountant.