FerroxLabs Business Planner
When to Use
Use this skill when:
- The user wants to create a comprehensive business plan with financial projections and market analysis
- The user needs help with Business Model Canvas, lean startup methodology, or go-to-market strategy
- The user is preparing a business plan for a bank loan, investors, or internal stakeholders
- The user needs competitive analysis frameworks or revenue model design
Do NOT use this skill when:
- The user is building a pitch deck specifically for investors (use pitch-deck-builder instead)
- The user needs deep competitive intelligence beyond the business plan (use competitive-analyst instead)
- The user wants to run a specific type of business and needs operational guidance (use the relevant business-type skill)
Process
Gather requirements. Ask the user clarifying questions about their specific context, goals, constraints, and experience level.
Analyze the situation. Review the information provided and identify key factors, challenges, and opportunities relevant to business planner.
Develop the framework. Create a structured approach tailored to the user's needs, incorporating best practices and domain-specific considerations.
Deliver actionable output. Present specific, implementable recommendations with clear rationale, timelines, and success criteria.
Address edge cases. Proactively identify potential issues, alternative approaches, and contingency plans.
Use this skill when:
- User needs guidance on business planner
- User asks about business planner best practices or techniques
- User wants a structured approach to business planner
Do NOT use this skill when:
- A more specialized skill exists for the specific subtopic
- The request is outside the scope of business planner
A structured, expert-level business planning skill that guides users through every component of a professional business plan -- from executive summary to financial projections. Built on proven frameworks including the Business Model Canvas, Lean Startup methodology, and standard financial modeling practices.
Questions to Ask the User First
Before generating any business plan content, gather these critical inputs:
- What is your business idea in one sentence?
- What stage are you at? (Idea only / Validated concept / Already operating / Scaling)
- Who is your target customer? (Be as specific as possible)
- What problem do you solve, and how do you solve it differently?
- What is your revenue model? (Subscription, one-time sale, marketplace, freemium, advertising, etc.)
- What is your funding goal? (Bootstrapping / Seeking investment / Grant application)
- What is your timeline? (Planning horizon: 1 year, 3 years, 5 years)
- What industry/sector are you in?
- Do you have any existing traction? (Revenue, users, LOIs, partnerships)
- Who is on your team currently?
Step 1: Executive Summary
Write the executive summary LAST but place it FIRST in the document. It should be 1-2 pages max.
Executive Summary Template
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Company Name: {{company_name}}
Founded: {{founding_date}}
Location: {{headquarters}}
Industry: {{industry}}
MISSION STATEMENT
{{company_name}} exists to {{mission_verb}} {{target_audience}} by {{unique_approach}}.
THE PROBLEM
{{Describe the pain point in 2-3 sentences. Use data to quantify the problem.}}
OUR SOLUTION
{{Describe your product/service in 2-3 sentences. Focus on the value delivered.}}
TARGET MARKET
Our primary market is {{target_segment}}, representing a ${{TAM}} total
addressable market. We are initially focused on {{beachhead_segment}},
a ${{SAM}} serviceable market.
BUSINESS MODEL
We generate revenue through {{revenue_model}}. Our average revenue per
customer is ${{ARPU}} with a customer acquisition cost of ${{CAC}}.
TRACTION TO DATE
- {{metric_1}}: {{value_1}}
- {{metric_2}}: {{value_2}}
- {{metric_3}}: {{value_3}}
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS ({{projection_years}}-Year Projection)
- Year 1 Revenue: ${{year1_revenue}}
- Year 3 Revenue: ${{year3_revenue}}
- Break-even: {{break_even_timeline}}
- Gross Margin: {{gross_margin}}%
THE ASK
We are seeking ${{funding_amount}} in {{funding_type}} to {{primary_use_of_funds}}.
This funding will allow us to {{milestone_1}} and {{milestone_2}} within
{{timeline}}.
TEAM
{{founder_name}}, {{title}} - {{relevant_experience}}
{{cofounder_name}}, {{title}} - {{relevant_experience}}
Step 2: Business Model Canvas
The Business Model Canvas was created by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur (Strategyzer AG). The original canvas is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 (CC BY-SA 3.0). For the complete methodology, see Osterwalder and Pigneur's Business Model Generation and strategyzer.com.
Complete each of the nine blocks systematically.
Canvas Template
+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+
| KEY PARTNERS | KEY ACTIVITIES | VALUE |
| | | PROPOSITIONS |
| Who are your | What must you | |
| key partners | do to deliver | What value do |
| and suppliers? | your value | you deliver to |
| | proposition? | the customer? |
| 1. {{partner_1}} | | |
| 2. {{partner_2}} | 1. {{activity_1}}| 1. {{value_1}} |
| 3. {{partner_3}} | 2. {{activity_2}}| 2. {{value_2}} |
| | 3. {{activity_3}}| 3. {{value_3}} |
+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+
| KEY RESOURCES | | CUSTOMER |
| | | RELATIONSHIPS |
| What key | | |
| resources does | | What type of |
| your value | | relationship |
| proposition | | does each |
| require? | | segment expect? |
| | | |
| 1. {{resource_1}}| | 1. {{rel_type_1}}|
| 2. {{resource_2}}| | 2. {{rel_type_2}}|
+-------------------+-------------------+-------------------+
| COST STRUCTURE | REVENUE STREAMS |
| | |
| What are the most important costs? | For what value |
| | are customers |
| Fixed: {{fixed_costs}} | willing to pay? |
| Variable: {{variable_costs}} | |
| Economies of: {{scale_or_scope}} | 1. {{stream_1}} |
| | 2. {{stream_2}} |
+---------------------------------------+-------------------+
| CHANNELS | CUSTOMER |
| | SEGMENTS |
| How do you reach your customers? | |
| | Who are your |
| Awareness: {{awareness_channel}} | most important |
| Evaluation: {{eval_channel}} | customers? |
| Purchase: {{purchase_channel}} | |
| Delivery: {{delivery_channel}} | 1. {{segment_1}} |
| After-sales: {{support_channel}} | 2. {{segment_2}} |
+---------------------------------------+-------------------+
Validation Checklist
For each canvas block, verify:
- Value Proposition directly addresses a validated customer pain
- Customer Segments are specific (not "everyone")
- Channels match where your customers actually spend time
- Revenue Streams are testable and measurable
- Key Resources include intellectual property, human capital, and financial
- Key Activities distinguish what YOU do vs. what partners do
- Key Partnerships have clear mutual value exchange
- Cost Structure separates fixed from variable costs
- Customer Relationships define acquisition, retention, and upsell
Step 3: Market Analysis
3A: Market Sizing (TAM/SAM/SOM)
MARKET SIZING WORKSHEET
TOTAL ADDRESSABLE MARKET (TAM)
Method: Top-down
Industry size (global): ${{tam_global}}
Growth rate (CAGR): {{tam_cagr}}%
Source: {{tam_source}}
Method: Bottom-up
Total potential customers: {{total_customers}}
x Average revenue per customer: ${{arpu}}
= Bottom-up TAM: ${{tam_bottom_up}}
SERVICEABLE ADDRESSABLE MARKET (SAM)
Geographic constraint: {{geography}}
Segment constraint: {{segment_filter}}
Technology constraint: {{tech_filter}}
SAM = ${{sam_value}}
SERVICEABLE OBTAINABLE MARKET (SOM)
Realistic market share in Year 1: {{share_pct}}%
Based on: {{share_justification}}
SOM = ${{som_value}}
3B: Industry Analysis (Porter's Five Forces)
Rate each force from 1 (low) to 5 (high):
| Force | Rating | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| Threat of New Entrants | {{1-5}} | {{barriers_to_entry}} |
| Bargaining Power of Suppliers | {{1-5}} | {{supplier_power_analysis}} |
| Bargaining Power of Buyers | {{1-5}} | {{buyer_power_analysis}} |
| Threat of Substitutes | {{1-5}} | {{substitute_analysis}} |
| Competitive Rivalry | {{1-5}} | {{rivalry_analysis}} |
Overall Industry Attractiveness: {{high/medium/low}}
3C: Customer Persona
CUSTOMER PERSONA: {{persona_name}}
Demographics:
Age: {{age_range}}
Gender: {{gender}}
Income: ${{income_range}}
Education: {{education}}
Location: {{location}}
Job Title: {{job_title}}
Psychographics:
Goals: {{top_3_goals}}
Frustrations: {{top_3_frustrations}}
Values: {{core_values}}
Information sources: {{where_they_learn}}
Buying Behavior:
Decision process: {{how_they_decide}}
Budget authority: {{yes_no}}
Purchase triggers: {{what_triggers_purchase}}
Objections: {{common_objections}}
Quote: "{{A sentence this person would actually say about the problem}}"
Step 4: Competitive Landscape
Competitive Matrix
| Feature/Factor | Your Company | Competitor A | Competitor B | Competitor C |
|---------------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
| Price | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} |
| Core Feature 1 | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} |
| Core Feature 2 | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} |
| Customer Support | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} |
| Ease of Use | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} |
| Market Share | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} |
| Funding/Resources | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} |
| Key Differentiator | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} |
Positioning Statement
For {{target_customer}} who {{need_or_opportunity}},
{{product_name}} is a {{product_category}}
that {{key_benefit}}.
Unlike {{primary_competitor}},
we {{key_differentiator}}.
Step 5: Go-to-Market Strategy
GTM Framework
PHASE 1: VALIDATE (Months 1-3)
Target: {{beachhead_segment}}
Channel: {{primary_channel}}
Goal: {{validation_metric}} (e.g., 50 paying customers)
Budget: ${{phase1_budget}}
Key actions:
1. {{action_1}}
2. {{action_2}}
3. {{action_3}}
PHASE 2: ESTABLISH (Months 4-9)
Target: {{expanded_segment}}
Channels: {{channel_1}}, {{channel_2}}
Goal: {{establishment_metric}} (e.g., $10K MRR)
Budget: ${{phase2_budget}}
Key actions:
1. {{action_1}}
2. {{action_2}}
3. {{action_3}}
PHASE 3: SCALE (Months 10-18)
Target: {{full_target_market}}
Channels: {{all_channels}}
Goal: {{scale_metric}} (e.g., $100K MRR)
Budget: ${{phase3_budget}}
Key actions:
1. {{action_1}}
2. {{action_2}}
3. {{action_3}}
Step 6: Financial Projections
6A: Revenue Projections
REVENUE MODEL: {{model_type}}
ASSUMPTIONS:
Customer growth rate (monthly): {{growth_rate}}%
Average revenue per customer: ${{arpu}}
Churn rate (monthly): {{churn}}%
Conversion rate (free to paid): {{conversion}}%
MONTHLY REVENUE FORECAST:
| Month | New Customers | Churned | Total Active | MRR |
|-------|--------------|---------|-------------|------------|
| M1 | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | ${{}} |
| M2 | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | ${{}} |
| M3 | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | ${{}} |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| M12 | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | ${{}} |
ANNUAL REVENUE SUMMARY:
Year 1: ${{year1}}
Year 2: ${{year2}}
Year 3: ${{year3}}
6B: Profit & Loss Statement
PROJECTED P&L (ANNUAL)
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
REVENUE
Product/Service Revenue ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
Other Revenue ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
TOTAL REVENUE ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
COST OF GOODS SOLD
Direct costs ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
GROSS PROFIT ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
GROSS MARGIN {{}}% {{}}% {{}}%
OPERATING EXPENSES
Salaries & Wages ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
Marketing & Sales ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
Rent & Utilities ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
Software & Tools ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
Professional Services ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
Other Operating ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
TOTAL OPEX ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
EBITDA ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
NET INCOME ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
NET MARGIN {{}}% {{}}% {{}}%
6C: Cash Flow Projection
CASH FLOW STATEMENT (QUARTERLY)
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
OPENING BALANCE ${{}} ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
CASH IN
Revenue collected ${{}} ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
Investment received ${{}} ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
Other income ${{}} ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
TOTAL CASH IN ${{}} ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
CASH OUT
COGS ${{}} ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
Payroll ${{}} ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
Marketing ${{}} ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
Operations ${{}} ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
Capital expenditure ${{}} ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
TOTAL CASH OUT ${{}} ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
NET CASH FLOW ${{}} ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
CLOSING BALANCE ${{}} ${{}} ${{}} ${{}}
6D: Break-Even Analysis
BREAK-EVEN CALCULATION
Fixed Costs (monthly): ${{fixed_monthly}}
Variable Cost per Unit: ${{variable_per_unit}}
Average Selling Price: ${{asp}}
Contribution Margin: ${{asp}} - ${{variable}} = ${{contribution}}
Contribution Margin %: {{cm_pct}}%
Break-Even Point (units): {{fixed}} / {{contribution}} = {{be_units}} units/month
Break-Even Point (revenue): ${{be_revenue}}/month
Expected month to reach break-even: Month {{be_month}}
Step 7: Funding Requirements
FUNDING REQUIREMENTS
Total Raise: ${{total_amount}}
Instrument: {{equity / convertible_note / SAFE / debt}}
Pre-money Valuation: ${{valuation}} (if equity)
USE OF FUNDS:
| Category | Amount | % of Total |
|----------------------|-----------|------------|
| Product Development | ${{}} | {{}}% |
| Sales & Marketing | ${{}} | {{}}% |
| Hiring | ${{}} | {{}}% |
| Operations | ${{}} | {{}}% |
| Working Capital | ${{}} | {{}}% |
| TOTAL | ${{}} | 100% |
MILESTONES THIS FUNDING ENABLES:
1. {{milestone_1}} by {{date_1}}
2. {{milestone_2}} by {{date_2}}
3. {{milestone_3}} by {{date_3}}
RUNWAY: {{months}} months at projected burn rate of ${{monthly_burn}}/month
Step 8: Risk Analysis
Risk Matrix
| Risk | Likelihood (1-5) | Impact (1-5) | Score | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| {{risk_1}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{mitigation_1}} |
| {{risk_2}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{mitigation_2}} |
| {{risk_3}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{mitigation_3}} |
| {{risk_4}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{}} | {{mitigation_4}} |
Common risk categories to address:
- Market risk: Demand does not materialize as projected
- Competitive risk: Incumbent or new entrant captures market
- Execution risk: Team cannot deliver product on time
- Financial risk: Insufficient funding or revenue shortfall
- Regulatory risk: Compliance requirements change
- Technology risk: Platform or infrastructure failures
Lean Startup Integration
For early-stage businesses, supplement the full plan with:
Build-Measure-Learn Loop
HYPOTHESIS: We believe {{customer_segment}} will {{expected_behavior}}
because {{reason}}.
EXPERIMENT: To test this, we will {{experiment_description}}.
METRIC: We will measure {{metric}} and consider the hypothesis
validated if {{success_criteria}}.
TIMELINE: {{duration}} to run experiment.
RESULT: {{actual_outcome}}
DECISION: [ ] Persevere [ ] Pivot [ ] Kill
MVP Definition
MVP SCOPE:
Core features (must-have):
1. {{feature_1}}
2. {{feature_2}}
3. {{feature_3}}
Nice-to-have (post-MVP):
1. {{feature_4}}
2. {{feature_5}}
Explicitly excluded:
1. {{excluded_1}}
2. {{excluded_2}}
MVP success criteria: {{criteria}}
MVP timeline: {{weeks}} weeks
MVP budget: ${{budget}}
Output Checklist
Before delivering the final business plan, verify:
- Executive summary is compelling and stands alone
- Problem/solution fit is clearly articulated
- Market size uses both top-down and bottom-up methods
- Financial projections have stated assumptions
- Competitive analysis includes at least 3 competitors
- Go-to-market has specific, actionable phases
- Team section highlights relevant experience
- Ask/funding requirements are specific and justified
- Risk analysis addresses top 5 threats with mitigations
- All numbers are internally consistent
Output Format
Deliver the response as a structured document with clear headings and actionable content. Use tables for comparisons, numbered lists for sequential steps, and bullet points for options. Include specific examples where applicable.
[Business Planner deliverable]
1. Context and objectives
2. Analysis or framework
3. Specific recommendations with rationale
4. Action items with timeline
Example
Input: "Help me with business planner for a mid-size project."
Output: A complete business planner framework tailored to the specific context, with actionable steps, relevant considerations, and measurable outcomes.
Edge Cases
- Incomplete information: Ask clarifying questions before proceeding rather than making assumptions
- Conflicting requirements: Identify trade-offs explicitly and present options with pros and cons
- Scale mismatch: Adapt recommendations to match the user's context (individual vs. team vs. organization)
- Domain crossover: When the request overlaps with other skill domains, address what falls within scope and reference specialized skills for the rest