Starting: How Long Should Your Business Plan Be?

Recently, I did a post entitled Avoid These 8 Mistakes in Your Business Plan. The first mistake was that plan drafts are typically too long. So how long should a business plan be?

I surveyed SCORE counselors and experts around the country on this question. Then I did a quick Google book search. Below are the numbers and caveats.

Advice On Length From The Experts

Greg Nelson, SCORE Naples

At the end of the day, the business plan needs to be long enough to address all the key areas so that the reader is not left with serious questions, concerns and red flags…Most businesses should be able to present an adequate business plan in less than 20 pages. Simple businesses can probably do a decent job in 8-10 pages. In cases where there is complicated market research involved in a product, much of the supporting information can be placed in appendices, making the core business plan shorter, more concise and to the point and therefore, more effective.

Jeff Lippincott, SCORE Princeton

I suggest 25 to 35 pages typed. Less than that and the plan is too superficial. And longer than that and some of what is in the plan no doubt should be in an appendix instead.

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3 Comments November 18, 2008