How to Write a Business Plan

Writing a business plan is essential to turn an idea into a concrete and credible project. As a true roadmap, it helps structure your business vision, define your objectives, and convince financial partners of your project’s viability.

At Mallette, we support entrepreneurs, SMEs, and organizations across Quebec in developing solid, clear, and data-driven business plans.

What Is a Business Plan?

A business plan is a structured document that outlines the vision, objectives, and resources required to ensure the success of an entrepreneurial project. It helps you organize your ideas, plan your actions, and assess the feasibility of your project from financial, operational, and commercial perspectives.

More than a simple writing exercise, the business plan is a strategic tool that guides decision-making and supports business growth. It helps identify risks, evaluate resource needs, and plan next steps with clarity and method.

There are several types of business plans depending on your company’s development stage:

• Startup Plan: Designed to structure the launch of a new business and validate project feasibility.

• Growth Plan: Used to support expansion, plan new investments, or enter new markets.

• Recovery Plan: Essential for repositioning an organization after a challenging period and redefining key strategic priorities.

7 Steps to Writing an Effective Business Plan

1. Executive Summary

This section explains who you are and what you do. Present your business, its legal status, your products or services, and the added value that sets you apart in the market.

You should also highlight your team, their expertise, experience, and complementary skills.

2. Project and Team Overview

Cette section permet d’expliquer qui vous êtes et ce que vous faites. Présentez votre entreprise, son statut juridique, son offre de produits ou services, et la valeur ajoutée qui vous distingue sur le marché.

Mettez également en avant votre équipe, ses compétences, son expérience et sa complémentarité.

3. Market and Competitor Analysis

A strong business plan relies on a thorough market analysis. This section must outline your target customer segments, industry trends, and the factors influencing demand.

Conduct a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) to position your business within its competitive environment. Identify direct and indirect competitors and explain how you plan to differentiate yourself, whether through quality, pricing, customer experience, or innovation.

4. Marketing and Sales Strategy

This part explains how you will attract and retain customers. Define your market positioning, value proposition, and your distribution channels (direct sales, online commerce, partnerships, etc.).

Detail your communication strategy, including branding, advertising campaigns, digital presence, and public relations. Conclude with your pricing strategy, sales forecasts, and customer retention methods.

5. Operational Plan

The operational plan outlines how your business will run on a day-to-day basis. Describe your internal organization, production processes, key partners, and required resources (human, material, and technological).

Include a deployment timeline or roadmap highlighting the project’s key milestones. This section demonstrates your ability to execute the plan within realistic deadlines.

6. Financial Plan

The financial section is often the one that determines the credibility of your business plan. It must include 3- to 5-year financial projections: expected revenues, operating costs, margins, and cash flow forecasts.

Calculate your break-even point and, if possible, conduct a sensitivity analysis to evaluate how your project would perform under different economic scenarios.

7. Legal and Administrative Considerations

A company’s legal structure has a direct impact on taxation, governance, and administrative obligations. In Quebec, choosing the right legal form is essential to support your business model and long-term objectives.

The most common structures include:

• Sole Proprietorship: Simple to set up, but the entrepreneur is personally responsible for business debts.

• Corporation: Provides greater protection for personal assets and attractive tax advantages for SMEs.

• General Partnership (S.E.N.C.): Ideal for multi-partner ventures, but liability is shared among partners.

• Cooperative: A collective model based on member participation, frequently used for community or agricultural projects.

• Non-Profit Organization (NPO): Designed for social, cultural, or environmental activities.

This section should also clarify capital distribution and the roles of each partner or director. Include share ownership percentages, responsibilities, and decision-making procedures.

Finally, consider protecting your intellectual property:

• Register your trademark with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO)

• Protect your patents, industrial designs, or copyrights

• Secure your domain names and visual assets (logo, brand identity)

Early legal and accounting support will help you choose the right structure, draft partnership agreements, and ensure full compliance with Quebec and Canadian regulations.

Turn Your Vision into Action with Mallette’s Support

At Mallette, our experts assist entrepreneurs, SMEs, NPOs, and municipalities across Quebec through every stage of business planning: market studies, feasibility analysis, strategic planning, financial modelling, and funding strategies. We turn your ideas into clear, realistic, and measurable action plans.

Contact a Mallette expert today and move from vision to execution with confidence.