reaperinvest Business Plan Writer
When to Use This Skill
- Starting a new business and need a structured plan
- Preparing to pitch investors or apply for a loan
- Pivoting an existing business and need to rethink strategy
- Annual strategic planning session
- Entering a new market or launching a new product line
Core Principle
EVERY BUSINESS PLAN MUST ANSWER THREE QUESTIONS: What problem do you solve? Who pays you? How do you make money?
Workflow
Phase 1: Discovery Interview
Ask the user these questions (skip any they've already answered):
- What does your business do in one sentence?
- Who is your ideal customer? (demographics, psychographics, where they hang out)
- What problem do you solve and how do people currently solve it without you?
- How do you make money? (revenue streams, pricing)
- Who are your top 3 competitors?
- What's your unfair advantage?
- What stage are you at? (idea, pre-revenue, revenue-generating, scaling)
- What's the purpose of this plan? (internal guide, investor pitch, loan application)
DO NOT proceed to Phase 2 until you have answers to at least questions 1-4.
Phase 2: Market Analysis
- Define the Total Addressable Market (TAM), Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM), and Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM)
- Identify 3-5 market trends supporting the opportunity
- Build a competitive landscape table with positioning
- Identify the gap the business fills
Phase 3: Draft the Plan
Write these sections in order:
- Executive Summary (1 page max) — Problem, solution, market size, revenue model, funding ask if applicable
- Company Description — Mission, vision, legal structure, founding story
- Market Analysis — TAM/SAM/SOM, trends, competitive landscape
- Products & Services — What you sell, pricing, key features, roadmap
- Marketing & Sales Strategy — Customer acquisition channels, sales process, partnerships
- Operations Plan — Team, tools, key processes, milestones
- Revenue Model & Financial Projections — Revenue streams, cost structure, 12-month P&L projection, break-even analysis
- Funding Requirements (if applicable) — Amount needed, use of funds, expected ROI
Phase 4: Financial Projections
Build a 12-month projection table:
| Month | Revenue | COGS | Gross Profit | Operating Expenses | Net Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $X | $X | $X | $X | $X |
- Use conservative estimates (70% of optimistic projections)
- Include assumptions beneath every projection
- Calculate break-even month
Phase 5: Review & Polish
- Verify executive summary can stand alone as a 1-page pitch
- Check all financial numbers are internally consistent
- Ensure competitive analysis is honest (not dismissive of competitors)
- Confirm the plan matches its purpose (investor plans need ROI focus; internal plans need operational detail)
Examples
Example 1: Online Fitness Coaching Business
Discovery answers:
- Business: Personalized online fitness coaching for busy professionals
- Customer: Working professionals aged 30-50 who want to get fit but can't commit to gym schedules
- Problem: Generic workout apps don't account for individual schedules, injuries, or goals
- Revenue: $197/month coaching subscription, $47 one-time workout plan
Executive Summary output:
FitFlow Coaching solves the #1 barrier to fitness for working professionals: lack of personalization. While generic apps like Peloton and Nike Training Club offer one-size-fits-all workouts, FitFlow pairs each client with a certified coach who builds custom weekly plans around their schedule, equipment access, and health history.
The online fitness coaching market is projected at $11.6B by 2027. FitFlow targets the underserved mid-market ($150-250/month) between cheap apps ($10-30/month) and premium in-person training ($400+/month).
Revenue model: $197/month subscription (target: 50 clients by month 6 = $9,850 MRR) plus $47 one-time starter plans as a funnel entry point. Break-even projected at month 4 with $3,200/month in operating costs.
12-Month Projection (excerpt):
| Month | Subscribers | MRR | Starter Plans | Total Revenue | Expenses | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | $985 | 12 × $47 = $564 | $1,549 | $3,200 | -$1,651 |
| 3 | 18 | $3,546 | 8 × $47 = $376 | $3,922 | $3,400 | $522 |
| 6 | 50 | $9,850 | 15 × $47 = $705 | $10,555 | $4,100 | $6,455 |
| 12 | 120 | $23,640 | 20 × $47 = $940 | $24,580 | $6,800 | $17,780 |
Example 2: Handmade Candle E-commerce Brand
Executive Summary output:
WickCraft Studio creates small-batch, hand-poured soy candles with unique scent profiles inspired by travel destinations. Unlike mass-produced candles from Bath & Body Works or Yankee Candle, each WickCraft candle uses 100% soy wax, cotton wicks, and premium fragrance oils with a story card describing the destination that inspired the scent.
The US scented candle market is $5.5B with 35% of consumers preferring artisanal/small-batch products. WickCraft targets the $25-45 price point — above grocery store candles but below luxury brands like Diptyque ($68+).
Revenue model: Direct-to-consumer via Shopify ($32 average candle, $58 average gift set), wholesale to boutique retailers (40% margin), and a $39/month subscription box. Target: $8,500/month revenue by month 6 with 62% gross margins.
Recovery & Fallbacks
- User can't answer discovery questions: Start with just questions 1 and 4 (what + how you make money). Build the plan iteratively, marking sections as "[NEEDS INPUT]" and returning to fill gaps.
- No financial data available: Use industry benchmarks. State assumptions clearly: "Based on industry average of 3% conversion rate and $45 average order value..."
- Plan exceeds 10 pages: The plan is likely trying to cover too much. Split into a 2-page executive summary + detailed appendix.
- User wants investor-ready formatting: Add a cover page, table of contents, and appendix with detailed financial models. Keep the core plan under 15 pages.
Constraints
- NEVER present financial projections without stating assumptions
- NEVER dismiss competitors — acknowledge their strengths, then differentiate
- Always use conservative revenue estimates
- Include both best-case and worst-case scenarios for financial projections
- Mark any section where data is estimated vs. verified