Write this section last, but put it first. Say what your business does, how long you have been running, and why you are writing this plan now (a loan, a new partner, a growth push). A reader should understand your whole business after reading only this page.

Tell the story of the business so far. When did you start, what has changed, and what are you proudest of. List the milestones that show real progress: first year of profit, a big customer, a new location, a product that took off.

Describe what you sell today in plain words, including anything that has changed since you started. What does the customer receive, and what problem does it solve for them.

In plain words, say how the business is doing right now: is it profitable, growing, steady, or struggling in some way. Point to your Financial History and Ratios worksheet for the actual numbers rather than repeating them here.

Explain what is different now compared to when you started, or compared to last year: the market, your competition, your costs, your team, or your customers. This section is what makes an established plan different from a start-up plan, so be specific.

Describe exactly what you want to do next and why: open a new location, add a product line, hire staff, enter a new market. Say what has to happen, in what order, for this growth to actually take place.

If you are requesting money, say exactly what it will be spent on and how that spending leads to the growth described above. A lender wants to see the line between the dollar and the result.

In a short paragraph, summarize your revenue and profit over the last few years, and any pattern worth pointing out. The detailed numbers belong in the Financial History and Ratios worksheet, not here.

In a short paragraph, summarize what you expect to earn and spend going forward, and how that compares to your history. The detailed month-by-month or year-by-year numbers belong in your projection worksheets, not here.

Gather these and attach them behind the plan when you send it to a lender or partner. Check off what you already have.