Start-up | |
Requirements | |
Start-up Expenses | |
Legal | $3,000 |
Accounting | $2,000 |
Brochures | $2,500 |
Consultants | $0 |
Insurance | $0 |
Rent | $0 |
Research and Development | $0 |
Expensed Equipment | $15,000 |
Other | $0 |
Total Start-up Expenses | $22,500 |
Start-up Assets | |
Cash Required | $213,500 |
Start-up Inventory | $0 |
Other Current Assets | $0 |
Long-term Assets | $9,000 |
Total Assets | $222,500 |
Total Requirements | $245,000 |
Non-readers rely on visual images as a form of communication, a replacement for the more typical text that readers are able to understand. The first component of the software is a digital cookbook of recipes. The software displays pictures of the different ingredients needed for the recipe. The pictures are then printed allowing the individual to take the picture to the grocery store facilitating the purchasing of the groceries. On each picture is also text explaining what the item is. Within each recipe is the ability to print the different utensils and pots needed to complete the item. While the recipes are meant to be cooked with support, the main goal is to allow the individual to have independent shopping.
The user first sees a bunch of different pictures of food dishes with names below the pictures. The user then chooses a dish and is brought to a screen where the ingredients are listed by picture and also the different utensils/pots/pans needed are listed. Once the user chooses what they want to prepare they can then print up a list of the different ingredients. The list is picture based (with text) and they are able to take the picture list to the grocery to assist them in purchasing the ingredients independently.
The second component of the software is the social occasion/party planning module. This is the fun part (in addition to the fun food pictures). Everyone likes to plan for party. The screen opens with pictures showing different occassions such as a picnic in the park, friends and movie night, birthday party, holiday event, pool party, etc. When the user clicks on the chosen image they hear 30 seconds of background music in a theme matched to the event that they have chosen. Once they have chosen the event the software takes them through the different steps of food preparation for the event. These food preparation steps are the previously explained food component that is now organized not by dish but by event. If a picnic in a park is chosen there will be several dishes to be made, all of them cold as there is no way of heating the dishes while you are in the park. All users of this module will be entertained by the background sounds as well as the excitement of planning for a party.
This component is especially important in the individual’s development. Planning activities are especially important for a population that is so isolated. Without socialization skills such as parties, the clients end up learning the skills and then sit in their apartment alone.
Ultimately, FoodFun’s software product combines two of the most important lifeskills/transition training areas, food preparation and social leisure. The food component allows the non-reading individuals with developmental disabilities to become more independent in their daily activities. The social planning module leverages the existing food module and assists the users in panning for social occassions centered around food. This module is designed to be entertaining to capture the interest and imagination of the user, drawing them into the software, creating the desire to use the product.
The software product will be developed by three contract programmers. The software will be upgraded yearly.
The market for lifeskills training software can be segmented into four groups. The first is centers for independent living, the second is school districts, the third is proactive parents, and the last is agencies charged with special education administration. Each of the four segments is distinct and will be communicated with in different ways. These four segments have been chosen because they are the main purchasers of products for individuals with developmental disabilities.
The software industry for individuals with developmental disabilities has just begun to grow. Only within the last few years has there been a significant increase in the number of computers found in classrooms using specialized software. Competing with the software companies are products that have printed pictures on them, typically laminated cards. While these cards are helpful, they are less interactive.
FoodFun LIS has identified four distinct market segments for their products:
Market Analysis | |||||||
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 | |||
Potential Customers | Growth | CAGR | |||||
Centers for Independent Living | 6% | 3,245 | 3,440 | 3,646 | 3,865 | 4,097 | 6.00% |
School Districts | 5% | 14,856 | 15,599 | 16,379 | 17,198 | 18,058 | 5.00% |
Proactive Parents | 8% | 824,555 | 890,519 | 961,761 | 1,038,702 | 1,121,798 | 8.00% |
Agencies | 6% | 5,354 | 5,675 | 6,016 | 6,377 | 6,760 | 6.00% |
Total | 7.93% | 848,010 | 915,233 | 987,802 | 1,066,142 | 1,150,713 | 7.93% |
These four target segments were chosen because they have the greatest likelihood of purchasing FoodFun’s products.
There are several companies making products that specifically address learning needs for individuals with developmental disabilities. While some of the companies’ products are also suitable for traditional students, most companies in this industry specialize on products for developmental disabilities.
Within the industry there are a wide range of products. There are many different product groups that target specific types of disabilities. There are also different products targeted on a specific disability. Some might concentrate on spelling, reading comprehension, counting, sentence construction, etc. Lastly, within each specific category products take different forms, some may be CDs, software, cards, audio tapes, etc.
There are three main companies that are direct competitors to FoodFun Lifeskills Instructional Software, focusing on individuals with developmental disabilities or individuals with autism (75% of individuals with autism are developmentally disabled and non-readers).
FoodFun’s marketing strategy will be to raise visibility of the software product among the decision makers who are in charge of purchasing aids and instructional tools. The campaign will be targeted to reach these people/organizations so that they are aware of the options they have in developing the skills of individuals with developmental disabilities. Lastly, the sales strategy will seek to convince the prospective customers that there can be significant gains in learning through FoodFun’s carefully designed software.
A table with sales forecast information and charts displaying monthly and yearly sales projections follows.
FoodFun LIS’ competitive edge is their clever incorporation of entertaining fun within the education software. Currently, there are several different vendors that are marketing software for this niche, however, the software is strictly educational. While this is well and good for developing skills, the students are not always that eager to use the software. FoodFun has adopted the philosophy that if they can make the education/training fun, the students will use it far more often, having fun while they are learning valuable skills.
Two different studies (not developmental disability specific studies, but the results are still applicable) have shown that if students are enjoying themselves, they will spend 2.4 times as long using the software that they perceive as fun. What this means is that the student is spending 2.4 times as long developing necessary skills when they are enjoying the software. FoodFun has incorporated entertainment aspects to their software to utilize this phenomenon.
FoodFun’s marketing strategy reflects their perception of the industry: that most of the companies operating today are operated by educators; that they make nice products; but not many people know about the products, and overall awareness is poor. The reality is that so many prospective customers in the United States are unaware of the different available products. FoodFun will employ an aggressive marketing strategy to raise awareness of their products among customers who are in need of these products, and thereby increasing software purchases. FoodFun will be advertising heavily in various industry journals and magazines as a proven method of reaching the target audience. The ads will generate awareness of FoodFun LIS and will lead the customers to FoodFun’s website where they can demo the software. This strategy is based on the philosophy that you can have a great product, but if no one knows about it you are not going to be successful.
FoodFun will use an aggressive sales campaign that will rely on conference participation as well as target cold calling. There are numerous industry conferences throughout the country that are specifically for educators. The conferences are the places where people get together and share strategies that work with their colleagues in different departments and different states. While the conferences are not typically packed with vendors, FoodFun LIS will be present since the conferences are a captive assortment of the right people – the educators that are in the trenches working with the special students. The conferences will be an excellent networking opportunity and should develop significant sales.
The second prong of the sales strategy will be a campaign aimed at contacting key decision makers and introducing them to FoodFun LIS and their products. Autism consultants for school districts comprise one group that will be targeted. The districts often take the consultants’ recommendations when making purchasing decisions for special education. Research will be done to determine states’ education districts structures to determine if it is the ESD (educational service district) that is providing the services or if the money has been given to agencies to disperse to various service providers. This information will be valuable in determining who is the proper consumer for the special software. These personal contacts will help generate significant sales.
The following table and charts present sales forecasts in a monthly format as well as yearly projections. Forecasts have been conservatively estimated to increase the likelihood of attainment. Sales has been broken down by customer group.
A fulfillment house will be contracted to produce, package, and ship the hard copy software product to purchasers. Download of the software from the FoodFun LIS website will be available. This will drastically reduce cost of goods if purchasers use the download only purchase option.
Sales Forecast | |||
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
Sales | |||
Centers for Independent Living | $23,439 | $96,957 | $118,616 |
School Districts | $43,405 | $179,550 | $219,660 |
Proactive Parents | $9,983 | $41,297 | $50,522 |
Agencies | $19,966 | $82,593 | $101,044 |
Total Sales | $96,793 | $400,397 | $489,842 |
Direct Cost of Sales | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
Centers for Independent Living | $1,641 | $6,787 | $8,303 |
School Districts | $3,038 | $12,569 | $15,376 |
Proactive Parents | $699 | $2,891 | $3,537 |
Agencies | $1,398 | $5,782 | $7,073 |
Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales | $6,776 | $28,028 | $34,289 |
FoodFun LIS has several milestones, presented in the following table and chart, which will be instrumental in the success of the organization.
Milestones | |||||
Milestone | Start Date | End Date | Budget | Manager | Department |
Business plan completion | 1/1/2004 | 2/15/2004 | $0 | Sue | Busines Development |
Beta version completed | 2/1/2004 | 4/15/2004 | $0 | ABC | Programming |
Organizational hiring complete | 3/15/2004 | 5/1/2004 | $0 | Sue | HR |
Public release of software | 4/15/2004 | 5/15/2004 | $0 | ABC | Programming |
Profitability | 5/15/2004 | 5/30/2005 | $0 | Sue | Accounting |
Totals | $0 |
FoodFun will develop a website that will be used as both a marketing and sales tool. On the site interested parties can receive more information regarding the company and the current product list. Once the beta version of the software is ready interested customers can download a trial version of the software for their evaluation. The website will also provide people with company contact information to allow them to ask any questions that they may have.
Online sales will be contracted to one of the third party Internet sales businesses, such as Yahoo! Shopping. The site will provide customers with a download only purchase option.
The website will be marketed using simple yet effective means. The first method is inclusion of the URL address in all promotional activities. This will be especially important because it will allow all interested parties to view screen shots of the software and download a trial version of the product. FoodFun LIS recognizes that no ad will be able to communicate everything, therefore FoodFun will rely on the website to provide the additional information. The second marketing tool for the website will be comprehension search engine submission. The submission process will provide FoodFun will many visitors to the website. This will be accomplished when an interested party searches on “autism software” or some other set of keywords. The search engine will then list a number of “hits” that correspond to the search terms.
FoodFun will employ one computer science student for the design and development of the website. Development will occur concurrently with the development of the software.
Sue spent eight years teaching at Northwestern. While she taught a number of general special education classes, her passion was lifeskills for individuals with developmental disabilities, focusing on life transitions. In addition to teaching, Sue served as a member of the board of several different nonprofit agencies. Her time spent on the different boards was quite pleasing since it provided her with a bit more direct experience with the individuals in need. In the school setting most of her interactions was specifically with graduate and undergraduate students.
Sue began to realize as much as she enjoyed teaching, she felt isolated from the students that she was trying to help. She recognized that her work as an educator would in effect benefit the students, but she was looking for a different connection. Because she had an amazing amount of knowledge about the subject of special education, Sue began to brainstorm some ideas of starting a business that would serve individuals with developmental disabilities. While this intrigued Sue, she did not feel she had the requisite business experience, so she took several business courses to help develop this new skill set. While taking these course (and teaching at the same time) Sue began to realize that while there were many different study aids on the market, they were all strictly educational. Sue believed (and studies would indicate) that if a fun component was added to the aid, students would use it more often and learn more. With this information in hand, Sue began to create an idea for some software that was both educational and entertaining at the same time. This was the beginning of FoodFun Lifeskills Instructional Software.
FoodFun LIS will require the following employees:
Personnel Plan | |||
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
Sue | $22,000 | $26,000 | $30,000 |
Accounting | $16,200 | $21,600 | $21,600 |
Software Documentation | $19,800 | $26,400 | $26,400 |
Product Development | $15,400 | $26,400 | $26,400 |
Customer Service/ Tech Support | $19,800 | $26,400 | $26,400 |
Customer Service/ Tech Support | $19,800 | $26,400 | $26,400 |
Marketing/ Sales | $27,000 | $36,000 | $36,000 |
Marketing/ Sales | $27,000 | $36,000 | $36,000 |
Total People | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Total Payroll | $167,000 | $225,200 | $229,200 |
The following sections outline important financial information.
The following table details important financial assumptions.
General Assumptions | |||
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
Plan Month | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Current Interest Rate | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% |
Long-term Interest Rate | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% |
Tax Rate | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% |
Other | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The Break-even Analysis is shown below.
Break-even Analysis | |
Monthly Revenue Break-even | $20,959 |
Assumptions: | |
Average Percent Variable Cost | 7% |
Estimated Monthly Fixed Cost | $19,492 |
The table and charts illustrate the projected profit and loss.
Pro Forma Profit and Loss | |||
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
Sales | $96,793 | $400,397 | $489,842 |
Direct Cost of Sales | $6,776 | $28,028 | $34,289 |
Other Costs of Goods | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Total Cost of Sales | $6,776 | $28,028 | $34,289 |
Gross Margin | $90,018 | $372,369 | $455,553 |
Gross Margin % | 93.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% |
Expenses | |||
Payroll | $167,000 | $225,200 | $229,200 |
Sales and Marketing and Other Expenses | $6,600 | $7,200 | $7,200 |
Depreciation | $1,800 | $1,800 | $1,800 |
Rent | $10,450 | $11,400 | $11,400 |
Utilities | $5,500 | $6,000 | $6,000 |
Insurance | $5,500 | $5,500 | $5,500 |
Payroll Taxes | $25,050 | $33,780 | $34,380 |
Programming | $12,000 | $0 | $0 |
Total Operating Expenses | $233,900 | $290,880 | $295,480 |
Profit Before Interest and Taxes | ($143,882) | $81,489 | $160,073 |
EBITDA | ($142,082) | $83,289 | $161,873 |
Interest Expense | $9,134 | $9,566 | $9,943 |
Taxes Incurred | $0 | $21,577 | $45,039 |
Net Profit | ($153,017) | $50,346 | $105,091 |
Net Profit/Sales | -158.09% | 12.57% | 21.45% |
The following chart and table show projected cash flow.
Pro Forma Cash Flow | |||
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
Cash Received | |||
Cash from Operations | |||
Cash Sales | $24,198 | $100,099 | $122,460 |
Cash from Receivables | $46,108 | $217,218 | $342,905 |
Subtotal Cash from Operations | $70,306 | $317,317 | $465,366 |
Additional Cash Received | |||
Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Received | $0 | $0 | $0 |
New Current Borrowing | $0 | $0 | $0 |
New Other Liabilities (interest-free) | $0 | $0 | $0 |
New Long-term Liabilities | $0 | $40,000 | $0 |
Sales of Other Current Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Sales of Long-term Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 |
New Investment Received | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Subtotal Cash Received | $70,306 | $357,317 | $465,366 |
Expenditures | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
Expenditures from Operations | |||
Cash Spending | $167,000 | $225,200 | $229,200 |
Bill Payments | $75,294 | $124,114 | $152,785 |
Subtotal Spent on Operations | $242,294 | $349,314 | $381,985 |
Additional Cash Spent | |||
Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Paid Out | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Principal Repayment of Current Borrowing | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Other Liabilities Principal Repayment | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Long-term Liabilities Principal Repayment | $16,227 | $16,227 | $16,227 |
Purchase Other Current Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Purchase Long-term Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Dividends | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Subtotal Cash Spent | $258,521 | $365,541 | $398,212 |
Net Cash Flow | ($188,214) | ($8,224) | $67,154 |
Cash Balance | $25,286 | $17,062 | $84,215 |
The following table presents the projected balance sheet.
Pro Forma Balance Sheet | |||
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
Assets | |||
Current Assets | |||
Cash | $25,286 | $17,062 | $84,215 |
Accounts Receivable | $26,487 | $109,566 | $134,042 |
Inventory | $1,408 | $5,824 | $7,126 |
Other Current Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Total Current Assets | $53,180 | $132,452 | $225,383 |
Long-term Assets | |||
Long-term Assets | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 |
Accumulated Depreciation | $1,800 | $3,600 | $5,400 |
Total Long-term Assets | $7,200 | $5,400 | $3,600 |
Total Assets | $60,380 | $137,852 | $228,983 |
Liabilities and Capital | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
Current Liabilities | |||
Accounts Payable | $7,124 | $10,477 | $12,744 |
Current Borrowing | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Other Current Liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Subtotal Current Liabilities | $7,124 | $10,477 | $12,744 |
Long-term Liabilities | $83,773 | $107,546 | $91,319 |
Total Liabilities | $90,897 | $118,023 | $104,063 |
Paid-in Capital | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 |
Retained Earnings | ($22,500) | ($175,517) | ($125,171) |
Earnings | ($153,017) | $50,346 | $105,091 |
Total Capital | ($30,517) | $19,829 | $124,920 |
Total Liabilities and Capital | $60,380 | $137,852 | $228,983 |
Net Worth | ($30,517) | $19,829 | $124,920 |
The following table outlines some of the more important ratios from the Computer Software industry. The final column, Industry Profile, details specific ratios based on the industry as it is classified by the Standard Industry Classification (SIC) code, 5045.9903.
Ratio Analysis | ||||
Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Industry Profile | |
Sales Growth | 0.00% | 313.66% | 22.34% | 1.51% |
Percent of Total Assets | ||||
Accounts Receivable | 43.87% | 79.48% | 58.54% | 29.71% |
Inventory | 2.33% | 4.23% | 3.11% | 39.18% |
Other Current Assets | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 19.28% |
Total Current Assets | 88.08% | 96.08% | 98.43% | 88.17% |
Long-term Assets | 11.92% | 3.92% | 1.57% | 11.83% |
Total Assets | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Current Liabilities | 11.80% | 7.60% | 5.57% | 43.83% |
Long-term Liabilities | 138.74% | 78.02% | 39.88% | 9.87% |
Total Liabilities | 150.54% | 85.62% | 45.45% | 53.70% |
Net Worth | -50.54% | 14.38% | 54.55% | 46.30% |
Percent of Sales | ||||
Sales | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Gross Margin | 93.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% | 24.10% |
Selling, General & Administrative Expenses | 251.09% | 80.43% | 71.55% | 15.49% |
Advertising Expenses | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.58% |
Profit Before Interest and Taxes | -148.65% | 20.35% | 32.68% | 2.35% |
Main Ratios | ||||
Current | 7.46 | 12.64 | 17.69 | 1.86 |
Quick | 7.27 | 12.09 | 17.13 | 0.86 |
Total Debt to Total Assets | 150.54% | 85.62% | 45.45% | 5.06% |
Pre-tax Return on Net Worth | 501.42% | 362.71% | 120.18% | 56.70% |
Pre-tax Return on Assets | -253.42% | 52.17% | 65.56% | 11.68% |
Additional Ratios | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
Net Profit Margin | -158.09% | 12.57% | 21.45% | n.a |
Return on Equity | 0.00% | 253.90% | 84.13% | n.a |
Activity Ratios | ||||
Accounts Receivable Turnover | 2.74 | 2.74 | 2.74 | n.a |
Collection Days | 54 | 83 | 121 | n.a |
Inventory Turnover | 9.55 | 7.75 | 5.30 | n.a |
Accounts Payable Turnover | 11.57 | 12.17 | 12.17 | n.a |
Payment Days | 27 | 25 | 27 | n.a |
Total Asset Turnover | 1.60 | 2.90 | 2.14 | n.a |
Debt Ratios | ||||
Debt to Net Worth | 0.00 | 5.95 | 0.83 | n.a |
Current Liab. to Liab. | 0.08 | 0.09 | 0.12 | n.a |
Liquidity Ratios | ||||
Net Working Capital | $46,056 | $121,975 | $212,639 | n.a |
Interest Coverage | -15.75 | 8.52 | 16.10 | n.a |
Additional Ratios | ||||
Assets to Sales | 0.62 | 0.34 | 0.47 | n.a |
Current Debt/Total Assets | 12% | 8% | 6% | n.a |
Acid Test | 3.55 | 1.63 | 6.61 | n.a |
Sales/Net Worth | 0.00 | 20.19 | 3.92 | n.a |
Dividend Payout | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | n.a |
Sales Forecast | |||||||||||||
Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 | ||
Sales | |||||||||||||
Centers for Independent Living | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $540 | $1,350 | $1,944 | $2,970 | $3,918 | $4,023 | $4,266 | $4,428 |
School Districts | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,000 | $2,500 | $3,600 | $5,500 | $7,255 | $7,450 | $7,900 | $8,200 |
Proactive Parents | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $230 | $575 | $828 | $1,265 | $1,669 | $1,714 | $1,817 | $1,886 |
Agencies | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $460 | $1,150 | $1,656 | $2,530 | $3,337 | $3,427 | $3,634 | $3,772 |
Total Sales | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $2,230 | $5,575 | $8,028 | $12,265 | $16,179 | $16,614 | $17,617 | $18,286 | |
Direct Cost of Sales | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 | |
Centers for Independent Living | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $38 | $95 | $136 | $208 | $274 | $282 | $299 | $310 | |
School Districts | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $70 | $175 | $252 | $385 | $508 | $522 | $553 | $574 | |
Proactive Parents | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $16 | $40 | $58 | $89 | $117 | $120 | $127 | $132 | |
Agencies | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $32 | $81 | $116 | $177 | $234 | $240 | $254 | $264 | |
Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $156 | $390 | $562 | $859 | $1,133 | $1,163 | $1,233 | $1,280 |
Personnel Plan | |||||||||||||
Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 | ||
Sue | 0% | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 |
Accounting | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,800 | $1,800 | $1,800 | $1,800 | $1,800 | $1,800 | $1,800 | $1,800 | $1,800 |
Software Documentation | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 |
Product Development | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 |
Customer Service/ Tech Support | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 |
Customer Service/ Tech Support | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 | $2,200 |
Marketing/ Sales | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
Marketing/ Sales | 0% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 |
Total People | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | |
Total Payroll | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $16,400 | $16,400 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 |
General Assumptions | |||||||||||||
Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 | ||
Plan Month | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
Current Interest Rate | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | |
Long-term Interest Rate | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | 10.00% | |
Tax Rate | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | |
Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pro Forma Profit and Loss | |||||||||||||
Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 | ||
Sales | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $2,230 | $5,575 | $8,028 | $12,265 | $16,179 | $16,614 | $17,617 | $18,286 | |
Direct Cost of Sales | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $156 | $390 | $562 | $859 | $1,133 | $1,163 | $1,233 | $1,280 | |
Other Costs of Goods | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
Total Cost of Sales | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $156 | $390 | $562 | $859 | $1,133 | $1,163 | $1,233 | $1,280 | |
Gross Margin | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $2,074 | $5,185 | $7,466 | $11,406 | $15,046 | $15,451 | $16,384 | $17,006 | |
Gross Margin % | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% | 93.00% | |
Expenses | |||||||||||||
Payroll | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $16,400 | $16,400 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | |
Sales and Marketing and Other Expenses | $0 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 | $600 | |
Depreciation | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | $150 | |
Rent | $0 | $950 | $950 | $950 | $950 | $950 | $950 | $950 | $950 | $950 | $950 | $950 | |
Utilities | $0 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | |
Insurance | $0 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | |
Payroll Taxes | 15% | $0 | $300 | $300 | $2,460 | $2,460 | $2,790 | $2,790 | $2,790 | $2,790 | $2,790 | $2,790 | $2,790 |
Programming | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $3,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
Total Operating Expenses | $3,150 | $8,000 | $8,000 | $24,560 | $21,560 | $24,090 | $24,090 | $24,090 | $24,090 | $24,090 | $24,090 | $24,090 | |
Profit Before Interest and Taxes | ($3,150) | ($8,000) | ($8,000) | ($24,560) | ($19,486) | ($18,905) | ($16,624) | ($12,684) | ($9,044) | ($8,639) | ($7,706) | ($7,084) | |
EBITDA | ($3,000) | ($7,850) | ($7,850) | ($24,410) | ($19,336) | ($18,755) | ($16,474) | ($12,534) | ($8,894) | ($8,489) | ($7,556) | ($6,934) | |
Interest Expense | $823 | $812 | $801 | $790 | $779 | $767 | $756 | $745 | $733 | $722 | $710 | $698 | |
Taxes Incurred | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
Net Profit | ($3,973) | ($8,812) | ($8,801) | ($25,350) | ($20,265) | ($19,673) | ($17,380) | ($13,428) | ($9,777) | ($9,361) | ($8,416) | ($7,782) | |
Net Profit/Sales | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | -908.73% | -352.87% | -216.49% | -109.48% | -60.43% | -56.35% | -47.77% | -42.56% |
Pro Forma Cash Flow | |||||||||||||
Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 | ||
Cash Received | |||||||||||||
Cash from Operations | |||||||||||||
Cash Sales | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $558 | $1,394 | $2,007 | $3,066 | $4,045 | $4,153 | $4,404 | $4,572 | |
Cash from Receivables | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $56 | $1,756 | $4,243 | $6,127 | $9,297 | $12,145 | $12,485 | |
Subtotal Cash from Operations | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $558 | $1,450 | $3,763 | $7,309 | $10,172 | $13,450 | $16,549 | $17,057 | |
Additional Cash Received | |||||||||||||
Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Received | 0.00% | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
New Current Borrowing | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
New Other Liabilities (interest-free) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
New Long-term Liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
Sales of Other Current Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
Sales of Long-term Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
New Investment Received | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
Subtotal Cash Received | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $558 | $1,450 | $3,763 | $7,309 | $10,172 | $13,450 | $16,549 | $17,057 | |
Expenditures | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 | |
Expenditures from Operations | |||||||||||||
Cash Spending | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $16,400 | $16,400 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | $18,600 | |
Bill Payments | $127 | $3,917 | $6,661 | $6,722 | $8,733 | $6,766 | $6,140 | $7,096 | $7,096 | $7,413 | $7,261 | $7,361 | |
Subtotal Spent on Operations | $127 | $5,917 | $8,661 | $23,122 | $25,133 | $25,366 | $24,740 | $25,696 | $25,696 | $26,013 | $25,861 | $25,961 | |
Additional Cash Spent | |||||||||||||
Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Paid Out | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
Principal Repayment of Current Borrowing | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
Other Liabilities Principal Repayment | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
Long-term Liabilities Principal Repayment | $1,291 | $1,302 | $1,313 | $1,324 | $1,335 | $1,346 | $1,357 | $1,369 | $1,380 | $1,392 | $1,403 | $1,415 | |
Purchase Other Current Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
Purchase Long-term Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
Dividends | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
Subtotal Cash Spent | $1,419 | $7,219 | $9,974 | $24,446 | $26,468 | $26,712 | $26,098 | $27,064 | $27,076 | $27,404 | $27,265 | $27,375 | |
Net Cash Flow | ($1,419) | ($7,219) | ($9,974) | ($24,446) | ($25,910) | ($25,262) | ($22,335) | ($19,755) | ($16,904) | ($13,955) | ($10,715) | ($10,319) | |
Cash Balance | $212,081 | $204,862 | $194,888 | $170,441 | $144,531 | $119,269 | $96,934 | $77,178 | $60,274 | $46,320 | $35,604 | $25,286 |
Pro Forma Balance Sheet | |||||||||||||
Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 | ||
Assets | Starting Balances | ||||||||||||
Current Assets | |||||||||||||
Cash | $213,500 | $212,081 | $204,862 | $194,888 | $170,441 | $144,531 | $119,269 | $96,934 | $77,178 | $60,274 | $46,320 | $35,604 | $25,286 |
Accounts Receivable | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,673 | $5,798 | $10,063 | $15,019 | $21,026 | $24,190 | $25,258 | $26,487 |
Inventory | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $844 | $454 | $892 | $1,033 | $1,246 | $1,279 | $1,357 | $1,408 |
Other Current Assets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Total Current Assets | $213,500 | $212,081 | $204,862 | $194,888 | $170,441 | $147,047 | $125,520 | $107,889 | $93,231 | $82,546 | $71,789 | $62,218 | $53,180 |
Long-term Assets | |||||||||||||
Long-term Assets | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 | $9,000 |
Accumulated Depreciation | $0 | $150 | $300 | $450 | $600 | $750 | $900 | $1,050 | $1,200 | $1,350 | $1,500 | $1,650 | $1,800 |
Total Long-term Assets | $9,000 | $8,850 | $8,700 | $8,550 | $8,400 | $8,250 | $8,100 | $7,950 | $7,800 | $7,650 | $7,500 | $7,350 | $7,200 |
Total Assets | $222,500 | $220,931 | $213,562 | $203,438 | $178,841 | $155,297 | $133,620 | $115,839 | $101,031 | $90,196 | $79,289 | $69,568 | $60,380 |
Liabilities and Capital | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 | Month 4 | Month 5 | Month 6 | Month 7 | Month 8 | Month 9 | Month 10 | Month 11 | Month 12 | |
Current Liabilities | |||||||||||||
Accounts Payable | $0 | $3,695 | $6,440 | $6,429 | $8,506 | $6,562 | $5,904 | $6,860 | $6,849 | $7,171 | $7,016 | $7,115 | $7,124 |
Current Borrowing | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Other Current Liabilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Subtotal Current Liabilities | $0 | $3,695 | $6,440 | $6,429 | $8,506 | $6,562 | $5,904 | $6,860 | $6,849 | $7,171 | $7,016 | $7,115 | $7,124 |
Long-term Liabilities | $100,000 | $98,709 | $97,406 | $96,094 | $94,770 | $93,435 | $92,089 | $90,731 | $89,363 | $87,983 | $86,591 | $85,188 | $83,773 |
Total Liabilities | $100,000 | $102,404 | $103,846 | $102,523 | $103,276 | $99,997 | $97,992 | $97,591 | $96,211 | $95,154 | $93,607 | $92,303 | $90,897 |
Paid-in Capital | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 | $145,000 |
Retained Earnings | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) | ($22,500) |
Earnings | $0 | ($3,973) | ($12,784) | ($21,585) | ($46,935) | ($67,200) | ($86,872) | ($104,252) | ($117,680) | ($127,458) | ($136,819) | ($145,235) | ($153,017) |
Total Capital | $122,500 | $118,527 | $109,716 | $100,915 | $75,565 | $55,300 | $35,628 | $18,248 | $4,820 | ($4,958) | ($14,319) | ($22,735) | ($30,517) |
Total Liabilities and Capital | $222,500 | $220,931 | $213,562 | $203,438 | $178,841 | $155,297 | $133,620 | $115,839 | $101,031 | $90,196 | $79,289 | $69,568 | $60,380 |
Net Worth | $122,500 | $118,527 | $109,716 | $100,915 | $75,565 | $55,300 | $35,628 | $18,248 | $4,820 | ($4,958) | ($14,319) | ($22,735) | ($30,517) |
Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.
No thanks, I prefer writing 40-page documents.
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When you’re starting a business, developing a strong business plan will be one of the first steps you take. Your business plan will cover everything from a detailed explanation of your products or services and pricing model to at least three years of financial projections—plus much more. Therefore, whether you’re not sure how to get started or you’re just looking to make the process easier, you may want to turn to business plan software for help.
In this guide, we'll break down five of the best business plan software options—discussing their pros, cons, features, pricing, and more—so you have all the information you need to decide which solution is right for your small business.
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The right business plan software will make the process of writing your business plan much simpler. Like many business software solutions, however, there are a number of different business plan software options out there—each of which has a unique set of features, user experience, and price.
This being said, if you're looking for a place to start your search for the best business plan software, you can explore the five top options below:
with Fundera by NerdWallet
We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.
Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.
Best overall business plan software.
If you want template-rich, modern-feeling business plan software, then LivePlan may be the right pick for you. LivePlan excels with their user interface, which feels updated and slick, and also offers intuitive, easy-to-use features and options.
Their step-by-step instruction will help you kick things off from the beginning, and you can take advantage of their online learning center to continue to gain business skills.
Affordable plans, including pay-as-you-go option
No long-term contracts or cancellation fee; 60-day money-back guarantee
Modern, intuitive interface; cloud-based, can be used on Mac, PC, as well as tablets
Ability to create unlimited plans in one account; over 500 customizable templates
Variety of business resources including video tutorials, step-by-step instruction, and general customer support
Limited integration options
Challenging to enter your own financial modeling projections
Can be difficult to learn
Ability to create an unlimited number of business plans on one account
More than 500 business plan templates spanning various industries
Integration with Xero and QuickBooks Online
Real-time tracking of financial data with accounting integrations
Ability to export your business plan to Word or PDF
Expert advice and step-by-step instruction included
Performance dashboards for tracking against budgets and sales goals
Ability to create and export a one-page pitch executive summary
Annual plan: $15 per month, billed every 12 months
Six-month plan: $18 per month, billed every six months
Pay-as-you-go plan: $20 per month, billed once every month
Best for multiple business management tools in one platform.
Next on our list of the best business plan software options is GoSmallBiz, which is much more than just a business plan software. With GoSmallBiz, you have access to business continuity planning software with features that cover creating a roadmap, working through business and legal forms, building a website, and more.
In this way, GoSmallBiz is great for startups or newer businesses looking to access multiple business management tools through one platform.
Unlimited business consultation and extensive library of online resources
Multiple business tools in one software
Website consultation analysis and business assessment
Industry-specific business plan templates with emphasis on financial projections and statements
Expensive monthly cost compared to alternatives
Limited business plan features
Entire business plan can only be exported to Microsoft Word
Outdated interface
Industry-specific business plan templates with step-by-step building wizard
Ability to create financial statements and projections
Free website hosting and website builder
Customer relationship manager with integration with MailChimp
Digital marketing dashboard with social media and Google Analytics integrations
HR document builder
Corporate minutes writer
Business documents library
Business courses library
Unlimited business consultation
$39 per month, no contracts, free cancellation
Best for simple, fast business plan creation.
If you're looking for free business plan software, Enloop will be one of your closest options—they offer an all-inclusive seven-day free trial, no credit card required. Additionally, unlike some of the other options on our list, Enloop is strictly dedicated to business plan creation, including automated text writing, financial forecast comparisons, and a real-time performance score that tracks your progress.
This being said, if you'd prefer the most straightforward, fast, and simple way to write your business plan, Enloop will be a platform worth considering.
Simple and straightforward software, solely dedicated to business plan creation
Seven-day free trial
Automatic text generation available to streamline the writing process
Affordable plans with annual discount option
Limited additional educational resources
Only one template option
No integration options
Ability to create three business plans with customizable text, images, tables, charts, and over 100 currency symbols and formats
Includes automatic text generation for each plan section that you can then customize
Automatically generated financial statements
Includes financial performance comparison analysis (using three ratios with Detailed plan and 16 with Performance plan)
Real-time performance score to track your progress
Ability to invite users to edit (two with Detailed plan, five with Performance plan)
Pass/fail report and certificate to help you identify issues with your plan
Free plan: Seven-day free trial with no credit card required
Detailed plan: $19.95 per month or $11 per month, paid annually
Performance plan: $39.95 per month, or $24 per month, paid annually
Best for startups looking to acquire funding or find investors.
Part of the Startups.com suite, Bizplan gets top marks for their user interface—it’s intuitive, easy to use, and modern. You’ll work with a step-by-step business plan builder to get exactly what you’d like from your business plan. It may remind you of a modern website builder, since it has drag-and-drop tools to build templates.
Moreover, for one subscription fee, you have access to all of the tools in the Startups.com network, including self-guided courses, how-to guides, masterclass videos, and more. All in all, with a direct connection to Fundable, Bizplan is a top business plan software option for startups looking to acquire funding and find investors.
Subscription gives you access to all Startups.com tools
Lifetime access subscription option
User-friendly drag-and-drop business plan builder
Excellent educational resources
Connection to Fundable great for businesses looking for capital
No free trial
No templates based on industry
No mobile access
Drag-and-drop templates for business plan building
Financial command center to track all business financials in one place
Unlimited account collaborators
Ability to share business plan online with investors
Online resources including self-guided courses, masterclass videos, how-to guides, mentorship access
Unlimited software use for Fundable, Launchrock, and Startups.com
Monthly plan: $29 per month
Annual plan: $20.75 per month, billed at $249 per year
Lifetime access: $349 one-time fee
Best for financial planning and budgeting.
Finally, for some of the strongest financial features among business plan software options, including budgeting and forecasting, you might check out PlanGuru. Whereas the other solutions we've reviewed were first and foremost focused on writing a business plan, PlanGuru is dedicated to business financial planning —providing the tools you need to create budgets, financial forecasts, reports, and more.
Therefore, if you need a software solution that can streamline the financial piece of your business planning processes, PlanGuru will certainly have the most to offer.
Extensive financial tools and detailed forecasting, budgeting, and reporting capabilities
Substantial library of resources
Cloud-based and desktop options
14-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee
Expensive, especially for additional users
Only focuses on the financial aspect of business planning; no templates or tools for basic business plan writing
Difficult to use without prior financial knowledge
Cloud-based version of software, as well as locally installed Windows version (desktop version has a few more features)
Works with QuickBooks Online, Xero, and Excel
Budgeting and forecasting for up to 10 years
Over 20 standard forecasting methods
Formula builder to create custom methods
Ratios and KPIs
Dashboard and reporting tools
Help guides, video tutorials, knowledgebase, and live U.S.-based customer support
14-day free trial
$99 per month (additional users $29 per month)
$899 per year (additional users $299 per year)
Ultimately, it's up to you to decide, which, if any, of the best business plan software solutions on our list is right for your business.
So, if you're trying to figure out how to choose between the various options out there, it might be helpful to compare your top choices based on the following criteria:
Features: As we've seen different business plan software solutions offer different features. You'll want to look carefully at the feature list of any software and determine what features are most important for your business needs. Do you need an extensive library of templates with detailed customization? Would you prefer software that includes an online learning center for business skills? Are you looking for a solution that combines business plan writing with other tasks? It may be useful to list out your ideal feature set, so you can compare individual software plans to that list.
Price: Although you might be able to find some free business plan software options (or at the very least, free trials), in most cases, you'll need to pay a subscription fee to access the platform you choose. Therefore, you'll want to think about what your budget is for this business tool and what type of software is most cost-effective for your needs.
User experience: User experience can vary widely among different business plan software options. You’ll find some programs that are newer or have been recently updated. Others might have the kind of interfaces that felt new years ago but are now pretty out of date—and, subsequently, make them a little harder to use. The right user experience for your needs is genuinely a matter of opinion and comfort—nevertheless, it's worth testing thoroughly testing out a platform to ensure that it can truly work for you before investing in a monthly or annual subscription.
There's no doubt that properly crafting your business plan is important for the future growth and success of your small business. Luckily, the right business plan software should make the process much simpler.
This being said, whether you opt for one of the best business plan software options listed here, or another platform entirely, you'll want to take the time to compare multiple solutions and ensure you choose the one that's right for your business.
As we mentioned, it can be helpful to think about the features you're looking for, your budget, and your user-experience preferences ahead of time—that way, you'll have a set of criteria in mind as you explore different solutions.
Ultimately, perhaps the best thing you can do to find the right software is to actually test out the platforms themselves—either by using a free trial or a money-back guarantee.
This article originally appeared on JustBusiness, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.
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Praburam Srinivasan
Growth Marketing Manager
February 14, 2024
All software developers and software project managers know that without effective project management, even the best software idea won’t fulfill its promise.
Project management and software development , of course, can be complex. Any chance you take to make it a little more efficient is welcome.
Enter software development templates.
They won’t replace the actual development and coding work your software development teams do. But with the right templates, those essential functions can take center stage and ease the burden on project managers.
The result is better software and a higher chance of completing software projects on time and on budget.
What makes a good software development template, 1. clickup software development plan template, 2. clickup impact effort matrix template, 3. clickup product roadmap template, 4. clickup software change log template, 5. clickup software comparison template, 6. clickup app development plan template, 7. clickup development schedule template, 8. clickup app scope outline template, 9. clickup product requirements template, 10. clickup agile project management template.
A software development template is one of the best solutions to efficiently streamline all the tasks and organizational pieces of the software development process, using a standard outline to organize key details, systems, software features, and other project requirements .
This allows your engineering and software teams to focus on the in-depth work and decision-making that ultimately makes or breaks the end product. It’s also key for project managers and product managers to stay on top of their project management.
Software development templates focus on the larger development plan. They might include collaborative documentation and instructions covering:
Beyond their individual function, software development templates also keep your team and external stakeholders in the loop on the project’s bigger picture.
Even though their specific function may differ, all great software development templates share a few commonalities for project managers to better manage projects:
Finally, the right templates simplify the software project development process, which is possibly the most important feature. Using these solutions should not complicate things but allow a greater focus on the software phases.
Flexibility is the calling card of all modern software development. So it shouldn’t be surprising that no two software development plan templates are exactly the same. The best solutions to manage projects are those that are tailored to your specific needs and goals, helping with the finer details of your next software sprint.
Look no further if you’re searching for a single template to solve many needs. The ClickUp Software Development Template breaks down the core components from strategy, planning, and roadmapping, to user research, sprint management, and release tracking.
Here are the features and prebuilt processes the template includes:
Software development is a constant give and take of figuring out where to focus your efforts and resources. The ClickUp Impact Effort Matrix Template can help you simplify that process.
It’s a simple structure that rates all to-dos on a two-dimensional scale of effort and impact. Low-effort and high-impact tasks are low-hanging fruit, whereas you probably don’t have to worry about high-effort and low-impact tasks. Regardless, it’s all available in a single view, helping you and your team to focus and prioritize the necessary steps and when to achieve them.
Using the actual template is simple. Add tasks to the Whiteboard, and rate them according to both impact and effort. Place them in the appropriate quadrant, and the overview is complete.
From there, it’s just a matter of keeping your impact effort matrix up to date as the development project progresses. At regular checkpoints with your team, you can quickly remove complete tasks and add new ones coming up.
The software you build needs a roadmap showing how you go from ideation to the final product. And when you’re looking to build that map, a few templates are better than the Product Roadmap Template by ClickUp .
The core of this template is the map itself. It’s where you outline exactly how you get from points A, B, and C.
Narrow down your overall project into weekly execution charts showing the immediate tasks needed to keep the project on track, and capture any release notes you want to communicate with internal and external stakeholders. You can even build and share product workflows to make sure everyone knows how their tasks align with others.
Add this product roadmap template to your process mapping tool , and it will surprise you how straightforward your development project management becomes.
Iteration is the name of the game, especially once you get past your minimum viable product. That means part of your project documentation has to include keeping track of the changes you’re making to the next iteration.
Enter the Software Change Log Template by ClickUp .
This simple Doc will become your go-to resource for any project. Describe the change that needs to happen, the date of discovery, add a priority level, and assign a task owner. Not only can you keep track of the process to solve it, but you’ll also keep a constant overview of everything in chronological order that needs fixing before the software moves to the next stage.
This Software Comparison Template by ClickUp is built for more general decision-making than just software development. But applied correctly, it can still be valuable to numerous use cases.
The core of the template helps outline comparisons between different software tools. Fields like customer rating, price, design software, and features give an easy overview of the options that might make sense for engineering teams at a given time.
One way you can use it is for competitive analysis. This involves assessing various alternatives that cater to similar audience needs in order to identify a gap that your new solution could fill.
Discovering your product’s niche can guide your software development team in creating features that meet the expectations of your target audience and help your software stand out among competitors.
Mobile app development is a special type of software development with plenty of unique nuances and considerations. The App Development Plan Template by ClickUp is built to plan and track your mobile app development.
The App Development Plan view allows you to build core tasks for every stage, from research to market launch. Milestones allow you to break up those processes into key accomplishments. The project’s Timeline and List views provide a more visual look at where things stand at any given time.
With much of the structure prebuilt, you can focus on the tasks your team needs to accomplish to achieve a great output.
Building a new software product that matches audience needs while filling a market gap is challenging, particularly when you work on a tight deadline and with limited resources. The ClickUp’s Development Schedule Template helps you stay on track, no matter how complex things get.
Define the core tasks in each product stage, assign a task owner, and update the task status in real time. Outline exactly when those tasks must begin and end for the software development project to stay on schedule. Track your estimated completion time for tasks and stages against your actual time to see where you won or lost within your timeline.
From there, you can expand beyond the List view. The Product Development Gantt Chart shows a quick overview, while the Product Development Stage and Activities views go deeper into the sectors required to get things done.
These views directly interact with each other, turning your development schedule into a single source of truth that every software development team member can refer to.
Developing your software or app solution depends in part on the project management structure you choose. One thing is clear regardless of your approach: the development process has to stay within scope; otherwise you’ll risk blowing the budget, timeline, or business goals you’ve established at the beginning of the software development.
The App Scope Outline Template by ClickUp looks to make that process simple. The one-page overview outlines the problem, the desired app experience, key objectives, business requirements, and more.
The best part about this template is that you can easily share it internally and externally. That means you can establish a common idea of scope with your client while also communicating that scope with your software development team, keeping everyone on track and moving in the right direction.
In theory, even the best software product matters little when it can’t fulfill the core requirements that were the reason for its build in practice. The Product Requirements Template by ClickUp allows all stakeholders involved in the development process to come together to define these core needs so everyone stays on the same page throughout the build.
It starts with a simple name, description, and purpose of each feature included in the end product. You can track the defined release month and its progress status throughout the building stage. And you can identify the time frame for developing the feature and decide who will take core responsibility for it.
Looking for more advanced features? You can set priorities and add custom tags, fields, and even dependencies within the distinct features. That way, by the time the product is released, you can be sure that it meets all core requirements.
We finish this guide with a general template for agile tools that can naturally guide your software development process. The Agile Product Management Template by ClickUp prebuilds an iterative software development and project approach that allows you to quickly build, provide feedback, and pivot as needed throughout the process.
To start, you get multiple views. Reserve your List view for the epics, initiatives, and agile user stories. Move to the board for a Kanban organization of to-dos and the workload to identify potential bottlenecks or productivity opportunities. Finally, the mind map can turn a complex roadmap into simpler, actionable pieces.
And advanced users can benefit even further. ClickApps allow you to build sprints, milestones, and dependencies more quickly. Add custom progress status reports for in-progress tasks, and you have the perfect agile tool to create your development workflow.
Beyond the coding, what’s the most significant variable contributing to successful software development?
Every developer probably answers this question in a slightly different way. But most of them will have themes around goal setting, prioritization, scoping, and resources.
Those are the most significant factors around the edges. And those are the exact factors the right software development plan template can solve for you.
That’s especially beneficial if the templates you use can integrate directly into your productivity tool . Now you don’t just have an overview; that overview directly connects with existing tasks, timelines, and reports.
And that’s where ClickUp comes in. We built our platform for developers, whether you need the features or the templates. Start a Workspace for free today !
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CEO/Co-founder of Jelvix. Expert in the development and implementation of operational policies and strategic plans. Since 2008 he has been dedicated to raising Jelvix company, supervising it and assisting its growth. C lients’ business goals are Jelvix’s top priority. Under his direction, Jelvix has grown from a startup to one of the global leaders in software development .
A software development plan describes the development process step by step. It covers planning, ideation, development, documentation, deployment, launch, and sometimes maintenance.
Software development project plans allow product owners, stakeholders, and developers to optimize development. The goal of a software development plan is to provide clear answers to the following questions:
If there’s a conflict or a team bumped into a dead end, they should be able to come back to the development plan and find the solution to their concerns. Preventing miscommunication and organizing the process is the main SDP meaning .
To write a software development plan, you need to get all participants of the project on the same page. You can organize remote meetings via Zoom or Skype to discuss the plan’s structure and the main points.
After the whole team discusses preferences regarding the plan’s contents, assign a responsible manager who will take responsibility for the plan’s completion. Usually, at this stage, business analysts and project managers carry the most responsibility for the document.
The first step in writing a software development plan is establishing its key components. In this part, we will examine the sections of a typical software development plan, and give you a checklist about their contents with a sample of a software development project plans .
This section describes the purpose of the software development project and product. Your goal is to define which type of development the document describes, finalize the product’s overall concept, and your team’s main expectations.
A software development plan should depict the team’s structure, assign the managers of the project, and their responsibilities. You can create a table with all project participants and describe their functions in detail – here’s an excerpt from a software development planning template .
In this section, the team should describe any involved external groups – other teams and experts that developers will interact with. Typically, a software development project involves the following groups:
The project organization section allows teams to increase transparency. All participants know who works on the project and are aware of everybody’s responsibility. If there’s a bottleneck, you’ll have no issues with tracing the responsible team member.
This section of a software development plan describes the stages of the software development project, estimates the workload , and provides estimates.
The management section of a software development plan should be constantly revisited throughout the project. The team’s estimates, resources, and deliverables will likely change, and software development plans should reflect these shifts. However, it’s crucial to keep the first version of the document intact, so stakeholders can always point at initially planned objectives.
Read more about the most common software development strategies and take a look at benefits and drawbacks.
This section describes actions and approaches that the team and stakeholders will take to oversee the quality of the project and the team’s efficiency. It’s important to define your metrics beforehand, so all members know what they agree to. Here’s a checklist for planning project monitoring – and a software development plan example .
After the development process is finalized, the cooperation between developers and the product owner rarely ends. Technical assistance will likely be required throughout the entire lifecycle of the product . A trustworthy software development partner understands this and documents this process in a software development plan – long before starting the project.
Having a detailed plan on maintenance, support, and documentation practices allows product owners to avoid vendor lock-in. The software development team should describe which information and assistance they will provide to the owner.
Setting up a clear algorithm for further support of the project ensures its long-term viability and scalability.
Obviously, things can go wrong as early as at the planning stage. Some aspects of development can’t be objectively defined before the team actually starts working on the project, whereas others require experience. If you’ve never written a software development plan, take a look at these most common software development risks . In our experience, these are the issues that typically sabotage planning – but the good news is that most of them can be avoided.
A software development team should emphasize that there’s no 100% certainty in cost and time estimates. If a vendor promises to deliver everything at some definite time and on a budget, chances are, these experts lack experience in planning. A trustworthy team always takes margins of error into account.
The size of the project is another crucial aspect that influences the success of a plan. When a team is preparing documentation for large-scale projects, they only see a bird-eye view of the project. The more stages there are in the project, the more bottlenecks can occur. A dead-end on one development phase will cause a delay in another one. It’s a natural process that needs to be taken into account.
A software development plan has to be revisited all the time. When developers and business analysts create software development plans, they still lack a full understanding of project specifics. During the projects, the team’s and owner’s vision of the project can change dramatically. It’s necessary to rewrite a software development plan and make sure it always suits the latest project needs.
Make sure never to skip user research and direct communication. Defining your target audience and talking to potential clients is the key stage of successful software development planning. If the project’s scope and requirements didn’t undergo user validation, you risk developing an irrelevant solution.
If a software development team cooperates with external teams, they should also be included in the process of software development planning. Ideally, the goal is to organize a meeting where all members, internal and external, are present. Having at least 1-2 common calls will help you keep everyone in the loop and understand their vision of product development. Getting everyone up to the same speed early on will help avoid conflicts and miscommunications at the later stages.
To succeed in software development planning, you just need to follow standard best practices. They are very feasible – you won’t need much time to incorporate them into your cooperation, but in the end, these details will make a difference.
Creating the entire plan in one sitting is an impossible mission. You will need to break the process down into manageable chunks. We suggest using a module system: define each section as a module and assign responsible team members. Set a deadline for each module and make sure that all teams are transparent about their work scope.
Research is an indispensable process during software development planning. The results of market research, user reviews, interviews with focus groups, and analysis of similar projects should be available to all team members in real-time. If there are updates, all members must receive them simultaneously.
Software development planning is an ongoing process. The scope of priorities of software development is constantly evolving. Software development has to be relevant, which is why the team needs to revisit it on a regular basis. Be sure to keep the previous versions as well, just in case there’s a dispute during the project. You can use color codes to keep track of different versions – take a look at software development plan examples .
After the feature has been defined as done, a team has to test it on actual users. The findings should be reflected in a software development plan. Interactions with users might inspire the team to shift focus from one developmental approach to another or highlight a need to acquire new resources. All these changes have to be documented in the plan.
Software development planning is just as impactful as the development itself. It sets a foundation for your product’s success and provides the team with an opportunity to introduce stakeholders to their methods, methodologies, and standards. It’s a long-term investment: a software development plan will be one of your main documents for years. You can even reuse approaches in other projects and for other products.
At Jelvix , we take software planning seriously. Our goal is to provide clients with objective project estimates, risk evaluation, cooperate with potential users, and define tangible metrics for evaluating project success. Our business analysts and project managers would be happy to share their insights – just drop us a line with a brief description of your project’s scope.
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Launching a new startup is an exciting yet challenging endeavor. Crafting a comprehensive business plan is a critical first step for any founder to outline their vision, objectives, and strategy. It acts as a roadmap to help guide important decisions and next steps as a company grows.
With so many options available, finding the right business planning tool can be daunting. The best software should be affordable, user-friendly, and offer a robust set of features to aid in financial modeling, strategic planning, and more.
In this review, we’ll explore some of the top business plan software solutions designed specifically for entrepreneurs. We’ll compare capabilities, ease of use, templates and resources, integrations, pricing, and more. Whether you’re looking to create an investor-ready plan or simply organize your strategy, choosing the right tool can help you get started on the right foot.
Our #1 Pick: LivePlan
Save time and create a professional business plan with intuitive tools and step-by-step guidance.
Unsure if LivePlan is right for you? Continue reading our comprehensive review below to learn more and explore your options.
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In this review, we’ll look at seven of the best business plan software platforms — discussing their pros, cons, features, pricing, and more — so you can decide which one is right for your startup.
Best Business Plan Software for Startups 2024:
The following tools all have their own great features. Based on its affordable pricing and usability, LivePlan is our top business plan software choice for startups.
Try LivePlan today or continue reading to explore your options!
Best Business Plan Software: LivePlan
LivePlan is the overall best business plan tool, offering a large number of features at an affordable price.
We love LivePlan overall because it offers great value at an affordable cost. The software lets you quickly create a business plan from anywhere in the world using what is arguably the best business plan software available on the market. It does everything better than its competition and costs way less.
What’s more, the online “cloud-based” platform is easy to use and you are under no contract or obligation to keep paying for the service. Even better, if you decide to stop service for whatever reason, Palo Alto Software, the makers of LivePlan, will keep your account active and data preserved for at least a year should you decide to reactivate your account later.
Talking to the nice people at LivePlan we learned some inside information that we wanted to share with our readers.
Here’s what we learned:
LivePlan receives great feedback from customers. LivePlan reviews average 4.5 stars out of 5 on GetApp. LivePlan is an easy company for us to recommend for the best business plan software.
Bizplan rates high on our list because they offer a lifetime plan that gets you “forever access” to their business plan software. As an added bonus, you also receive free access to Startup Courses and LaunchRock, a landing page builder.
Talking with BizPlan insiders, we learned that the premise behind BizPlan is to help startups easily create professional business plans to give them a leg-up with lenders and investors.
Here’s what else we learned:
BizPlan receives great feedback from customers. BizPlan reviews average 4.4 stars out of 5 on GetApp. Still a relatively new option, BizPlan already has over 30,000 satisfied customers. As their platform grows, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them integrate even more valuable features. Keep a close eye on this one.
If you’re looking to try before you buy, Enloop is a strong choice as one of the only business planning software tools with a free trial.
We learned that the premise behind Enloop is to make business planning easier for entrepreneurs. Enloop achieves this by making software simple to navigate through and takes risks off the table with their no credit card needed seven-day free trial. Their business plan creation software offers financial forecasting features for up to 36 months.
Enloop receives fair feedback from customers. Enloop’s reviews average 3 stars out of 5 on PCMag. Enloop’s main complaint is its lack of instructional text for writing mission statements and other key sections. What they rank high on is their efficiency and the speed at which the software lets you write a business plan.
Even beyond the free version, Enloop Basic is just $9.95/month ($6/month when paid annually), so they’re one of the least expensive tools for writing a business plan.
PlanGuru is a good option if you’re looking for considerably more robust software that offers quite a bit more. The most notable feature we like is the valuation tool, only present on the desktop version of the software. PlanGuru lets you calculate the valuation of your business using three different methods. No other business plan software offers this that we know of.
PlanGuru also offers budgeting, forecasting, and performance tools to help you put together a business plan. In the main, PlanGuru allows you to get a custom-tailored three financial statement budget model up and running out of QuickBooks or Xero in a matter of minutes. PlanGuru’s business plan writing software takes you through a setup process where it asks you questions such as:
And, once you answer these questions, PlanGuru then generates a model for you that you can then populate with your historical data if you have it. Then you can go through PlanGuru’s 20+ projection methods.
Some financial data projection methods include:
These are only a few of the features the business plan software offers. Here are some more.
The great thing about PlanGuru is that the only thing you have to worry about is the income statement and balance sheet projections because the cash flow statement is automatically generated.
Then once you have the cash flow statement, income statement, and balance sheet in place, you can then lock down the budget.
Important Note: These tools are important because investors may want to see not only historical performance but also projections.
IdeaBuddy makes our list because of what’s behind their approach. IdeaBuddy focuses on helping entrepreneurs develop their idea first, then share it, and then refine it into a plan. If you have a business idea and don’t know what to do next, IdeaBuddy could be what you’re looking for in a business plan software.
IdeaBuddy has some great features that are fantastic from idea conceptualization down to cost projections and the laying out of steps to take to start a business. We would have liked, however, to been given more KPIs that would notify us of tasks, help with idea validation, and help us measure other objectives to better monitor the health of our business. Another thing lacking was the design of the finished plan–it contained some noticeable structural issues.
IdeaBuddy has received some outstanding customer reviews on GetApp. IdeaBuddy has earned a 4.6-star rating out of 5 possible stars.
iPlanner is a comprehensive business plan software that has been aiding entrepreneurs since 2007, providing a robust framework for developing business plans, models, and financial forecasts online.
If a simple framework is all you’re looking for, iPlanner can help you out. They don’t have many bells and whistles, but at these price points, they offer a good value for nonprofits and corporations.
Wise business plans website is a little confusing to navigate, and pricing is by request only, which can get frustrating. They do have a lot of options for different kinds of business plans for various types of business types, which makes them versatile. They also have business building and funding options as well. And, if you wish to establish business credit, they offer net-30 accounts that get reported to Equifax business.
With the array of business planning tools available, it can be daunting to select the right one for your needs. Here are some tips for choosing a business plan software solution:
You know the unique requirements of your startup better than we do. These are all quality services that offer business planning software tools for entrepreneurs like you. Feel free to read over our full reviews if you’d like to know more about any of them or even visit the websites directly.
In general, we do prefer LivePlan because they have a huge library of business plan templates, and we love their convenient dashboard. They’re the planning software that is most likely to help you via customer support, continue updating their tool, and figure out ways to make your business experience better. Enjoy!
The purpose of a business plan is to provide a structured outline and roadmap for a business’s goals, strategies, and operations. It serves as a guide for decision-making, resource allocation, and management.
Furthermore, it can be a crucial tool for attracting investors, securing loans, and ensuring that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of the business’s direction and objectives.
Business plan software assists entrepreneurs and businesses in creating, organizing, and refining their business plans. It provides tools, templates, and guidance to streamline the planning process.
Features often include financial forecasting, market analysis, visual aids like charts and graphs, collaboration capabilities, and even integration with other business tools. This software aims to simplify the task of creating a thorough and professional business plan.
To write a business plan, start by writing an executive summary that provides an overview of your business idea, products/services, market opportunity, and projected growth. Outline your company description, industry analysis, target customers, competitive advantage, marketing and sales plans, operations, management team, and financial projections.
The length can vary based on the complexity of the business, its stage, and its intended audience. In general, it might range from 15-50 pages. However, the key is to ensure that the plan is comprehensive yet concise.
For many situations, especially when seeking investment, a more detailed one is preferable. Yet, for internal purposes or for businesses at very early stages, a shorter, more concise plan might suffice.
Yes, Microsoft Word has business plan templates you can download and customize. The templates provide section headings, instructions, sample text, and tables to input your specific business information.
Palo Alto Software is a company that’s been around since the late 1980s. They created business management software for startups and existing businesses. The software has since been updated and rebranded as LivePlan and today happens to be one of the most sought-after business plan software available in the marketplace.
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In the real world, projects have deadlines to hit, budgets to stick to, and requirements to meet. No matter what process you use to get work done, you’ve got to have a plan to ensure your software project stays on schedule for a successful delivery.
Our software development plan template can help you put a clear plan into motion quickly and easily. Use this basic foundation to build out your process and track important tasks and milestones from research to deployment.
A software development plan is simply a timeline of your project. It shows when each phase of your software project is scheduled to begin and end, as well as the steps required to complete each phase of work.
A software project plan gives your development team a big-picture understanding of what it will take to get the job done on time and budget, including:
Most software developers use an Agile framework to get work done. And we get it: Agile makes it easy to ship a product and keep iterating on it.
But it’s still important to have a plan. There are time frames around your work—even when you’re iterating—and that means your project needs a clearly defined start and end date. And someone on your team should always have an eye on the bigger picture to make sure you’re making progress on your goals.
Using a gantt chart to outline your plan ensures important milestones, like approval or launch dates, don’t get lost in the rush and enables you to account for dependencies between tasks or work phases. It also gives you clear visibility into how work stacks up across all your projects so you can take active steps to keep your team from being overloaded.
Don’t worry: Formalizing your plan doesn’t mean everything’s set in stone. Plans are meant to be flexible, so feel free to adapt your plan to fit your team’s process, whatever that may be. For example, why not build Agile sprints into your gantt chart ? This hybrid approach allows you to:
Now that you know why a software development plan’s important, let’s talk about how to build one. Here are some common phases most software projects include. Consider these key steps when developing your own project plan.
Before diving right into a complex software project, take time to understand the full scope of work and detailed requirements that will lead to a solid finished product. Talk to stakeholders, team members, and even potential users to get their take on how the finished product should function to meet everyone’s needs.
Once you have a clear grasp on the scope and requirements, use a gantt chart to map out your project timeline and resource assignments. Regardless of your team’s workflow, you’ll need to account for people’s time and include important checkpoints for approvals in the project schedule.
While some teams can jump into simultaneous design and development sprints, the design team typically needs to visually bring the idea to life before any coding can begin. Don’t forget to build time into your plan for collecting feedback and getting final approval on the design work from stakeholders to ensure a smooth and timely hand-off to developers.
Does any groundwork need to be laid before development begins? Be sure it’s included in your plan. For example, you may need to schedule in time to set up staging, production, and/or QA environments—depending on what’s important to your team’s testing process.
A good software development plan encompasses every step of a sprint, including:
There’s no limit to the number of sprint cycles your plan can include, so rinse and repeat the process for as many iterations as you need. Just be sure you’re also planning time for retrospectives and backlog grooming between sprint cycles.
Don’t forget to keep track of your backlog too! Add a backlog section to your plan so you can add tasks for functionality changes or new user stories as the project progresses.
Every software project is different, and the tasks you include in each phase of your plan will vary based on the work you’re doing. A template provides a great starting point and can be easily customized to fit your process and project needs.
Ready to map out a timeline for your next software project? Give our software development plan template a try! This free gantt chart template gives you access to the following features to enhance your software project planning:
Flexibility is everything when it comes to software projects. With TeamGantt, you can view your plan in a variety of formats so it’s easy for anyone on your team to visualize tasks.
Let’s look at some examples of how you can use TeamGantt’s different views to manage your software development plan.
Visualize work phases—sprints included!—in a simple timeline format. Here’s a quick glance at a few helpful features you’ll find in the gantt chart view.
The flexible drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to move things around on the schedule as needed if (and when) things change. Drag entire groups of tasks to quickly reschedule a sprint cycle. Easy as that!
Tasks may need to be completed in a particular order in your project plan. For example, you most likely won’t deploy anything before ensuring that you’ve done at least one round of testing. Ensure work gets done in the right order with dependencies .
Call out key dates, deadlines, approvals, or deliverables in a project by using milestones , and hit your launch date right on schedule!
Need to add more sprint cycles to your plan? Simply duplicate task groups to save time on task setup. Then, drag and drop to reschedule it in your timeline.
Make sure everyone’s aware of how their work fits into the bigger plan by assigning teams and resources to tasks .
Looking for a quick rundown of the project work? This view is easy to digest and shows you what each phase of the plan includes with expected delivery days. Use List view to check in at your next standup meeting.
Use Calendar view to get an intuitive look at when work will fall on the monthly calendar. It’s a great tool for touching base with stakeholders so you can plan reviews around dates that work for them.
Ready to get started on your next software project? We’ve created a free software development plan template for you in TeamGantt so you can jump right in!
Customizing the template is quick and easy, thanks to TeamGantt’s drag and drop simplicity. And since everything’s online, your whole team can collaborate on activities in real time.
Sign up for a free TeamGantt account today , and save time on project setup with this free software development plan template!
For planning your business finance
Best budget, best established, best for speed.
The best business plan software makes it simple and easy to plan your business finances in order to present them to a bank or investors.
1. Best overall 2. Best budget 3. Best basic 4. Best established 5. Best for speed 6. FAQs 7. How we test
The whole point of a business plan is that it allows you to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, not least via your Unique Selling Point (USP) ,and make product or service comparisons with competitors.
Of course, even the best business plan relies on estimates and guesstimates, as it's impossible to predict market changes, developments, and future performance under such conditions.
Ultimately, though, a business plan will demonstratively prove why your business is a solid enough investment to risk putting money into, and shows that you have properly and thoroughly researched your market, and details the real potential of a new business opportunities.
Here then are the best business plan software providers currently available.
You may also be interested in our featured business guides on best business laptops , best business computers and best business smartphones .
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Reasons to avoid.
Bizplan is the online business planning tool that claims usage of 30,000 startup founders from the Startups.co platform. They use a guided creator that can break the big project down into the component pieces that get tracked with a Progress Tracker, and expert guidance each step of the way including templates that can be dropped in, and completed, along with simple integration of visuals along the way.
Additional resources are also provided via the Bizplan Academy, with lessons on relevant topics, for example, “Building a Brand: How to Tell a Powerful Brand Story,” and “Critical Path Your Way to Higher Revenues,” among the many offerings. Those that need even more assistance also can take advantage of an expert consultation from a financial expert.
PlanGuru is a comprehensive, and powerful software package in the business planning space. Education is provided via a series of case studies at their PlanGuru University and a whole slew of video tutorials.
The feature set includes flexible budgeting that can handle a simple small business, or a larger multi-department operating budget, and financial forecasting that uses multiple methods, including intelligent and turn-key methods - twenty methods in total. Historical results can also be imported with the general ledger import utility which can then applied to produce a rolling forecast. They also offer PlanGuru Launch, a service to bring in expertise and is charged per hour of assistance.
A significant downside is Planguru charges a higher cost than other software options. The cheapest option is around $75 per month for one business entity when billed annually. While there is no free trial, PlanGuru does offer a 30 day money back guarantee.
Our expert review:
Enloop is a great choice for business planning software for the cash strapped business as it is the rare offering that has a free tier. Step up up to the next tier, and this is no barebones product, as it has over 100 currency symbols, can automatically generate bank-ready financial reports, and even has automated text writing that can sync with financial data to turn it into text. There is also a real time performance score assigned, that dynamically changes as the business plan is strengthened.
The plans start with the Free tier, which is limited to a single business plan with simple text, no images, and does not offer any advanced features. The next plan up is the Detailed plan, that supports three business plans, and offers a significant 55% discount when paid annually, making it even better value. This plan costs around $20 per month. For a more comprehensive package you can buy the Performance plan costing around $40 per month.
Read our full Enloop business plan software review .
LivePlan is business planning software that offers a simple pricing scheme as there is only a single plan to choose from. As they have a 15+ year track record, they offer a clean and simple interface, that can create business plans that look like they were done by an expert consultant, and the software includes a live dashboard that can track day-to-day performance. Those with writer’s block will benefit from the over 500 included sample plans that can be turned to for inspiration.
Rather than complicate things with too many tiers to choose from, LivePlan only has a single plan which can be paid for monthly or annually.
Business Sorter promises to simplify and speed up business planning and claims to be able to flesh out a plan in an hour or two, via a novel 273 card sort system that covers many common situations.
The ability to reword cards is included, or also to add cards to the already expansive deck, so no worries if there is not a pre-made card for your situation. Unlike some sites that have videos, the educational resources here are provided as PDFs and Word files, which can be quicker to access, but harder to follow for some learners.
The lowest tier plan, Basic is fully featured, and includes up to three team leaders.
Read our full Business Sorter review .
We've only covered some of the most popular business plan software platforms out there, but there are a number of other notables worth mentioning, plus a wide variety of providers of business plan templates. Below we'll briefly cover a range of some of the additional options out there that are worth considering to get your business plan right.
Go Business Plans is more of a consultancy than a software solution, but is worth mentioning for the simple fact that it's one of America's biggest business plan companies. While software might be able to do the job for you, if you're looking for significant funding, it's probably useful to get some professional advice, not least in terms of strategic planning, feasibility studies, and financial projections to ensure you have a solid base for your business plan.
Wise Business Plans provides a very wide range of templates to work from in constructing a business plan. These are particularly designed with funding in mind, no matter what kind of business you run. What is especially helpful is that Wise doesn’t simply deal with business plan templates for a diverse range of business types, the company also provides plan templates for franchises and non-profits.
Plan Writers is another bespoke service that essentially listens to what you want and then puts the plan together for you. Again, this technically falls outside of business plan "software", but the chances are you'll use a software package as a platform to build from, and Plan Writers can then help you build up from that base.
Bplans is another provider of business plan templates, but goes beyond that with additional pitch and SWOT analysis templates. There are also business plan guides, industry reports, and a free course on writing a business plan. Bplans also publishes a lot of free-to-use articles on business planning, financials, and tax reporting, to help ensure you can keep your figures and projections accurate and compliant.
We've also listed the best free software for small business .
A business plan is essentially your roadmap to profitability from an initial investment. Whether it's your own money, or a loan from a bank, it's still a good idea to set up a business plan for yourself.
Main things to look to are a SWOT analysis to provide an idea of your business idea's strengths and weaknesses, as well as identify a unique selling point (USP) that will give your business an edge.
While business plans inevitably demand the use of figures, and while these can be impossible to be accurate with, at least by making intelligent guesses you can set yourself targets to work towards.
That's another common feature of a plan, so that specific periods you can review your business progress and make adjustments to your plan as required. This allows you to use real figures for your projections, allowing you to better plan ahead.
When deciding which business plan software to use, first consider what your actual needs are, as sometimes free platforms may only provide basic options, so if you need to use advanced tools you may find a paid platform is much more worthwhile. Additionally, free and budget software options can sometimes prove limited when it comes to the variety of tools available, while higher-end software can really cater for every need, so do ensure you have a good idea of which features you think you may require.
To test for the best business plan software we first set up an account with the relevant software platform, whether as a download or as an online service. We then tested the service to see how the software could be used for different purposes and in different situations. The aim was to push each business plan software platform to see how useful its basic tools were and also how easy it was to get to grips with any more advanced tools.
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Jonas P. DeMuro is a freelance reviewer covering wireless networking hardware.
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Embarking on the journey of creating software is akin to building a house; without a blueprint, the process can become a labyrinth of confusion. Let’s face it, a software development plan is your compass in the digital wilderness. It delineates the terrain, plotting a course from nebulous ideas to polished, functional software.
In this realm, precision is paramount. Lacking a detailed itinerary can send resources spiraling and timelines into chaos. You’re craving a master plan, and that’s precisely the treasure map we’re about to unfold.
Within these lines, you’ll unearth the bedrock principles of project timelines , requirement analysis , and the venerated Agile methodology .
By article’s end, anticipate having your own quiver of strategies – from code repositories to testing strategies – ready to launch any software venture.
Delve into the architecture of a plan that champions quality assurance and steers clear of technical debt . Master the art of sprint planning and evolve beyond bug tracking to a symphony of deployment schedules that resonate success.
We’re not just building software; we’re crafting legacies in code. Join me, and harness the power of a plan that propels visions into reality.
Every software development project, whether following the Waterfall model or Scrum methodology , has some features in common.
The process starts with conceiving an idea. Next comes its design, realization, and programming, all crucial in the development lifecycle .
It should also encompass the later parts of the application’s life cycle, including software maintenance and user acceptance testing (UAT) .
In its simplest form, a software development plan is a timeline of the project . It showcases the scheduling for each phase, indicating when it starts and when it concludes. This planning aids in task tracking and sprint planning .
Zooming in on a phase reveals the different substeps, code reviews , and integration testing that it entails.
A software development plan communicates the approach that the project will undertake, the required product roadmap software tools and platforms, and the needed resources. This clarity is vital for the project team members, as well as clients and other stakeholders. You can use a flipbook software to document your plan, capturing elements like technical specifications and presenting it in an interactive way, so your team and clients can effortlessly grasp it.
The development plan answers the following questions:
There are various elements that managers may incorporate in the software management plan. These essentials include:
The functionality details might remain undefined at this juncture. However, the plan should document the outputs and their relevance in the project scope .
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To construct an effective software development plan, it’s vital to understand its importance and how it fits into the broader software design and architecture landscape.
Below are the most common phases of a software development project, often seen in both Agile development and the Waterfall model . Use them as a guide when detailing the phases and elements of any project.
After a client puts in a request for the development of software, the management team, including those familiar with project management and Scrum methodology , sits down to plan. These are some important elements to consider:
Get all the involved departments together , ensuring task tracking and sprint planning . This includes developers, project managers, security, quality assurance teams, and other stakeholders. Using a product planning software tool is an excellent way to manage all this, ensuring adherence to coding standards and maintaining a clear documentation .
When defining the goals of the project, specify intentions, visions, and preferred endpoint . Such clarity makes it easier to predict the outcome of the project, both for the client and the company. This definition stage is crucial for setting a proper project scope . Something that is often overlooked leading to project scope creep, a major project plan risk that could have been easily avoided.
Defining the goals is also essential to write a realistic, concise project plan that accounts for software maintenance and user acceptance testing (UAT) phases.
Software should automate certain tasks, boost productivity, streamline processes, and align with the chosen functionality to address problems. The exact goal and how it fits into the development phases should be clear.
With that in mind, define how to quantify the success of the project, considering milestones , deadlines , and deliverables . Many managers make use of a Gantt chart or even source code management tools to visualize and track this part.
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Updated: Aug 1, 2024, 11:10am
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Writing a business plan not only helps you stay on track as you start a new business but it can also help you secure funding. You can create one from scratch with a simple template, but business plan software often has features to make it easier, more nuanced and overall better. It could even make the difference between bringing investors on board and going it alone. So, Forbes Advisor Canada found the best business plan software that has the features you need at an affordable price.
Business sorter, forbes advisor ratings, methodology, how to choose a business plan software, benefits of business plan software, frequently asked questions (faqs).
Free; $9.80 USD ($13.17 CAD) per user
Roadmapping.
Wrike is a project management (PM) tool that works well as business plan software because it gives you tools to help you gather and compare your data. Wrike makes it easy to start your business plan with its collaboration tools, business plan templates, drag-and-drop interface and goal management features. Another benefit of using Wrike to build your plan is that you see your ideas and goals from multiple views: Gantt chart, calendar or board views.
There are a few reasons why it’s a good idea to use Wrike for your business plan. First, you can map out exactly what your business goals are in a project, invite teammates to collaborate and message business partners to discuss everything. Plus, you can export your data when you’re ready to put all the details into a presentation to hand over to potential investors.
Wrike offers a free plan that’s good for putting your vision down in task and project form, but you may want to upgrade to a paid plan to invite collaborators, get custom workflows and add more views and automations. Paid plan pricing ranges from $9.80 USD ($13.17 CAD) per user, per month, to $24.80 USD ($33.27 CAD) per user, per month, both billed annually.
Who should use it: Wrike makes it easy for any new business owner to create a business plan and collaborate with others on financial and operational goals. Plus, it provides value after you finalize your business plan because it’s a good pick for a PM tool.
$9 CAD per user, per month
(billed annually)
(added cost)
Using PM software like Smartsheet is a good idea for starting a business plan because it includes all the tools you need to collaborate and plan across multiple teams or stakeholders. It’s especially good for real-time goal management. Get your ideas in place, go over market and competitive research from other teammates and finalize everything together.
Smartsheet won’t help you write your business plan, but it does give you a place to compile all the data and then you can use one of its free business plan templates. As you figure out your milestones, you can invite an unlimited number of viewers to see how it’s going. The only downsides are that Smartsheet doesn’t have a native messaging app (you’ll have to use an integration), only commenting is allowed and there’s no free plan.
Paid plans from Smartsheet cost $9 CAD per user, per month, or $33 CAD per user, per month (billed annually for both). The low-priced Pro plan limits you to 10 editors, but the Business plan allows unlimited editors (but it also has a three-user minimum).
Who should use it: Smartsheet lets you make changes in real-time, so it’s a good option for those who are just starting to piece together a plan and looking for a way to manage ideas and goals before finalizing a business plan.
$15 USD ($20.12 CAD) per month
One of the strongest cases for using LivePlan to create your business plan is its financial forecasting. It isn’t just a single feature, rather it’s a tool that lets you turn your balance sheet and cash flow statements into charts, graphs and what-if situations to help you show possible investors the best- and worst-case scenarios for your business.
There are two plans available: Standard or Premium (there is no free plan). The low-priced plan, which costs $15 USD ($20.12 CAD) per month (billed annually), doesn’t limit your contributors or guests and includes instructions to help you complete a business plan. It even includes financial forecasting features and more than 500 sample plans to get you started.
The Premium plan costs $30 USD ($40.24 CAD) per month (billed annually), but it’s full-featured. You get a milestone planner and industry benchmark data, which can save you research time. Another timesaver: At this plan level, you can integrate QuickBooks or Xero to add your financial data seamlessly.
Who should use it: LivePlan is business plan software that includes prompts and accounting software integrations, making it great for new business owners that want easy financial forecasting.
$59 USD ($79.12 CAD) per user, per month
Every business plan starts with strategy and Aha! makes it easier to map out what you plan to do to get from point A to point Z. Aha! is primarily roadmapping software that product teams use to plan features, products or bug fixes. Any business in any industry can use it to shape ideas and strategy into plans and milestones.
Much like product development, business plans have phases and Aha! is ideal for the first few phases of business planning. Although you won’t find a scorecard feature with Aha! Roadmaps, you can score and prioritize your business vision and goals. Finally, you can present your plan to viewers (stakeholders) before you create your official business plan and secure funding.
There are three plans from which you can choose: Premium at $59 USD ($79.12 CAD) per user, per month; Enterprise at $99 USD ($132.75 CAD) per user, per month; and Enterprise+ at $149 USD ($199.80 CAD) per user, per month, all billed annually. The only reason to upgrade to either Enterprise plan is if you want to add on automation, development tools and custom worksheets and tables.
Who should use it: Aha! Roadmaps is a great tool to help you strategize and get your ideas for your business in one place. You can use the presentation feature to share your business’s roadmap on your way to creating your finalized business plan.
$20.75 USD ($27.82 CAD) per month
Bizplan is specifically for business plan creation. It offers a guided walkthrough of each section you need for a complete business plan to use for funding or pitching to partners. Plug in the information, from your mission and goals to financial forecasts, and Bizplan will do the math and create the visual charts you need to get your point across.
Bizplan is very easy to use because it includes prompts and questions that take away the manual effort of figuring out what you need, so you can simply focus on providing the answers. When you’re satisfied you included all the data needed, you can invite stakeholders and consultants to look it over and add comments for approval or change requests. A unique feature of Bizplan is it gives you access to Fundable, a crowdfunding platform, on which you can share your business plan to try to generate funding.
Monthly pricing costs $29 USD ($38.89 CAD), but you can opt for annual pricing that averages to $20.75 USD ($27.82 CAD) per month. If you expect to need business plan software for much longer than a year, there’s a lifetime access option for $349 USD ($468.01 CAD) flat. All plans come with all features and access, including business courses, business planning tools and a route to investors.
Who should use it: If it’s your first time creating a business plan, Bizplan is a great choice to help guide you through all the sections you need to include in your plan for potential investors and partners.
Free; $7 CAD per month
IdeaBuddy is a basic business plan tool that lets you start for free, which is great for beginners who aren’t quite ready to create a plan. The idea plan feature is great because it lets you lay out your business plan on one page, giving you an overview. There are built-in sticky notes for brainstorming and custom templates to start you off with a bit of a guide (or just create your own).
Another great feature of IdeaBuddy is the whiteboard, which lets you drag and drop various elements, draw on them and collaborate with others to come up with your perfect business idea. That feature is locked behind the highest tier, so you’ll have to pay $26 CAD per month (billed annually) to use it. However, that plan also gives you up to 10 collaborators and 10 ideas.
Other plans are more limiting: The free plan is for a solopreneur who has a single idea to work on and the Dreamer plan is $7 CAD per month while the Founder plan is $13 CAD per month, both billed annually. The Dreamer plan is also limited to one idea, but you get one collaborator, while the Founder plan gives you up to three ideas and three collaborators. Plus, you’ll get access to the paid plans to export and share your plan with viewers.
Who should use it: IdeaBuddy is just what it sounds like: It’s best for ideation. You can create a full-fledged business plan, but this program is best suited for the very beginning stages of business creation.
$59 USD ($79.12 CAD) for one year
Business plan software doesn’t have to be fancy to be effective, and iPlanner certainly fits that bill. It’s been around since 2007 and it doesn’t appear to have updated its look or functions. The browser-based business planning software gives you a place to build out your business model and a business plan.
There are two different software options from iPlanner: Strategy Designer and -Framework. The Strategy Designer costs $59 USD ($79.12 CAD) for three plans, but it’s a one-time fee for the year. Choose it if you want a more condensed and no-frills kind of business plan. You can export it to Word or as a PDF.
Who should use it: iPlanner is best for those who have created a business plan before and don’t need hand-holding or fancy features.
$11 USD ($14.75 CAD) per month
Enloop is a unique business plan app that generates a business plan for you based on the information you provide. You can edit the text Enloop writes for you to make it more specific or change numbers in your financial forecasts as you see fit. Enloop offers a scorecard that updates as you change things, finish sections and make your business plan overall better.
Then Enloop compares your financial forecasts to industry standards, so you don’t have to do the research. The software shows you up to 16 ratios, such as sales, inventory and payables and then shows you what the average is for your industry as it compares to your financials. Enloop then gives you either a pass or fail so that you can modify your plan before you put anything into play.
Although Enloop doesn’t offer a free plan, there is a free trial for one week so you can see if it’s right for you. The Detailed plan costs $11 USD ($14.75 CAD) per month while the Performance plan is $24 USD ($32.18 CAD) per month, both billed annually. The biggest difference between the two plans is how many financial ratios Enloop analyzes: The Detailed plan only gets three ratios and Performance plan gets 16.
Who should use it: Enloop is best for those who have some experience creating business plans, not necessarily for those who are starting from scratch as there are no brainstorming or strategizing tools included. Use Enloop to create business plans quickly.
Contact sales
Not everyone wants to go it alone when creating business plans and consultants are often hired for industry expertise and business plan creation. AchieveIt offers generous plans that won’t limit the number of plans and projects you can create, so you can work on multiple business plans at one time.
Specifically, AchieveIt is planning software meant for medium to large teams to work on projects simultaneously. For business planning, it’s a great option for those strategizing and analyzing a variety of data points with multiple people—all of AchieveIt’s plans have a minimum requirement of 20 users.
Unfortunately, pricing is only available by contacting the sales department. There is no pricing listed on company’s website
Who should use it: AchieveIt is a good choice for large businesses that need planning software and for business plan purposes, it makes most sense for established consultant groups.
$10 USD ($13.41 CAD) per month
When you’re ready to craft your business plan, it can help immensely to have business planning software like Business Sorter. The cloud-based app makes it easy for you to start a plan and kicks off your business planning with a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). Then, you can follow a guide to build your plan with each section divided by areas. After which, you can choose cards to help steer you toward the right objectives and goals for your business.
You won’t find roadmapping tools in Business Sorter, but the card system keeps you on track (and even gives you goals you may not have considered). As you prioritize goals, you’ll find steps you need to take that guide you to completing your business plan. Every plan allows multiple users, so you can collaborate on what takes precedence.
Plans start at $10 USD ($13.41 CAD) per month, billed annually, and allow you to have three users on board. For 10 users, the Medium plan costs $30 USD ($40.23 CAD) per month, billed annually, and if you need 30 users, the Large Team plan will run you $80 USD ($107.29 CAD) per month, billed annually. It’s one of the most affordable business planning apps for teams.
Who should use it: Although Business Sorter doesn’t offer a messaging tool, it’s still one of the best options for teams. You don’t have to pay per person, but you can add multiple people to the account to work on creating business plans.
Company | Forbes Advisor Rating | Starting Price | Team messaging | Learn More CTA text | Learn more CTA below text | LEARN MORE | Roadmapping |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wrike | Free; $9.80 USD ($13.17 CAD) per user, per month | Yes | Yes | ||||
Smartsheet | $9 CAD per user, per month (billed annually) | Yes (added cost) | Yes | ||||
LivePlan | $15 USD ($20.12 CAD) per month (billed annually) | Yes | Yes | ||||
Aha! | $59 USD ($79.12 CAD) per user, per month (billed annually) | Yes (added cost) | Yes | ||||
Bizplan | $20.75 USD ($27.82 CAD) per month (billed annually) | Yes | No | ||||
IdeaBuddy | Free; $7 CAD per month (billed annually) | No | No | ||||
iPlanner | $59 USD ($79.12 CAD) for one year | No | No | ||||
Enloop | $11 USD ($14.75 CAD) per month (billed annually) | No | Yes | ||||
AchieveIt | Contact Sales | No | No | ||||
Business Sorter | $10 USD ($13.41 CAD) per month (billed annually) | No | No |
IMAGES
COMMENTS
Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P's: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a software company business plan, your marketing strategy should include the following: Product: In the product section, you should reiterate the type of software company that you documented in your company overview.
Writing a software company business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan: 1. Executive Summary. An executive summary is the first section planned to offer an overview of the entire business plan. However, it is written after the entire business plan is ready ...
Cost of launching a website - $1,000. Cost of throwing a grand opening party - $5,000. Miscellaneous - $8,000. From the following report, we would need an estimate of $300,000 to be able to start and successfully set up a software development company in San Francisco - California.
The Best Business Plan Software of 2024. Wrike: Best overall. Smartsheet: Best for goal management. LivePlan: Best for financial forecasting. Aha!: Best for roadmapping. Bizplan: Best for ...
Develop A Software Company Business Plan - The first step in starting a business is to create a detailed software company business plan that outlines all aspects of the venture. This should include potential market size and target customers, the services or products you will offer, pricing strategies and a detailed financial forecast.
Let's go through the content of each section in more detail! 1. The executive summary. In your software development company's business plan, the first section is the executive summary — a captivating overview of your plan that aims to pique the reader's interest and leave them eager to learn more about your business.
How to Write a Software Development Business Plan in 7 Steps: 1. Describe the Purpose of Your Software Development Business. The first step to writing your business plan is to describe the purpose of your software development business. This includes describing why you are starting this type of business, and what problems it will solve for ...
The executive summary of a software business plan is a one- to two-page overview of your entire business plan. It should summarize the main points, which will be presented in full in the rest of your business plan. Start with a one-line description of your software company. Provide a short summary of the key points in each section of your ...
8. Acquire software development equipment and supplies. Starting a software development business requires the right equipment and supplies to ensure your team can work efficiently and effectively. From high-performance computers to agile project management tools, investing in quality resources is essential.
A software development plan is what it claims to be: an overview of your development project. To be more specific, it would contain documents outlining the tasks and timeline of the project, as well as the following information: ... Assessing Business Needs Assessing business needs involves understanding the requirements, goals, and challenges ...
5 Best Business Plan Software and Tools in 2023 for Your Small Business. Entrepreneurs who write formal business plans are 16% more likely to achieve success than entrepreneurs who don't. 1 This software can help. Data as of 3/13/23. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
FoodFun LIS is a start-up organization. The following assets and professional services will be needed for the formation and start of operations. Legal services for company formation. Accounting services to set up the accounting shell of the company QuickBooks Pro software. Computer programmers (3) to rapidly develop the software.
Six-month plan: $18 per month, billed every six months. Pay-as-you-go plan: $20 per month, billed once every month. 2. GoSmallBiz. Best for multiple business management tools in one platform. Next ...
5. ClickUp Software Comparison Template. Compare different tools and services side-by-side in one place. This Software Comparison Template by ClickUp is built for more general decision-making than just software development. But applied correctly, it can still be valuable to numerous use cases.
The structure of the software development project plan. The first step in writing a software development plan is establishing its key components. In this part, we will examine the sections of a typical software development plan, and give you a checklist about their contents with a sample of a software development project plans.
LivePlan is an easy company for us to recommend for the best business plan software. Visit Site. 2. Bizplan - $29/month, $249/year, $349 lifetime. Bizplan rates high on our list because they offer a lifetime plan that gets you "forever access" to their business plan software.
A software project plan gives your development team a big-picture understanding of what it will take to get the job done on time and budget, including: Estimated time to complete work/sprints Important milestones, dependencies, deadlines, and deliverables
As with tax preparation software, it's reassuring when the business planning software solution defines terms, provides sample data, and explains the sort of information expected in each field ...
The best business plan software makes it simple and easy to plan your business finances in order to present them to a bank or investors. Best business plan software of 2024: quick menu. (Image ...
A software development plan sets out a rough definition of the project phases at an early stage. The timeline, which is integral to the software development lifecycle (SDLC), gives a detailed plan of the needed steps and their deadlines. This is the moment to divide project goals into manageable tasks.
The Best Business Plan Software of 2024. Wrike: Best overall. Smartsheet: Best for goal management. LivePlan: Best for financial forecasting. Aha!: Best for roadmapping. Bizplan: Best for ...
A good business plan guides you through each stage of starting and managing your business. You'll use your business plan as a roadmap for how to structure, run, and grow your new business. It's a way to think through the key elements of your business. Business plans can help you get funding or bring on new business partners.
Step-by-step Guide for Writing a Software Development Proposal. Here is a Step-by-step Guide for Writing a Software Development Proposal. Ensure you follow these steps to create an inclusive and persuasive software development proposal. 1. Title Page. Even before you start writing the proposal, you should develop a title page.
A Sample Software Development Business Plan Template. 1. Industry Overview. The software development industry has grown in the space of a century from an almost on-existent industry to one that is not only a billion dollar industry but an indispensable one, especially as software form the basis of modern gadgets and devices.
Including development and testing phases in your implementation plan ensures a smooth transition. Choose the correct software vendor for your business needs Choosing a software vendor is pivotal, demanding meticulous evaluation of various aspects.
ADOBE WORKFRONT Plan, assign, and execute work from one place. Build a marketing system of record by centralizing and integrating work across teams and applications with the industry-leading enterprise marketing work management application.
Software EngineerWhat you can expectIn this role, you will be responsible for collaborating with project managers and internal business teams to develop project plans, and create related tasks. You will coordinate across teams to ensure high-quality project delivery, independently design product technical architectures, and write code to complete complex tasks. Your role also involves solving ...