About Business Plans
A business plan is a roadmap that will help you prepare for the next three to five years of your venture. Before you start writing, you’ll need to understand the ins and outs of your customers, competitors, and market.
Use Census Bureau Data for Your Plan
We have a wealth of information that you can use to create the best data-driven business plan for your business.
Conduct market research
Identify market patterns to find opportunities and business risks. Data can help you find out more about your community, like how many people are employed or the average payroll per employee for similar businesses. With consumer spending data, you can also gather information about how potential customers spend their money. Understanding your market will set a strong foundation for your business plan.
Understand the competition
There may be similar businesses to yours that are already serving your potential market, and understanding them will help your business thrive. Discovering the ratio of customers to other businesses like yours in your area can help you identify an ideal location for your business. Our data will help you create a plan that accounts for the competition.
To find the data for other businesses like yours, you’ll need to determine your NAICS code, which is used to classify businesses in North America.
Identify your customers
Understanding your customers is the key to a successful business. Whether the customers of your business are the general public or other businesses, we have the resources you need to learn about potential customers in your market. Finding information about your potential customers’ ages, median incomes, employment statuses, and more (plus information on your business customers) can help you reach the right market.
TIP: Use the filter tool in CBB to identify your target market. You may filter the data using up to 3 of the variables available in CBB to find the best customers for your business.
If you’re conducting business-to-business transactions, we have resources that can help you identify your customers’ needs. You can discover information about the number of establishments, total revenues, and more in your area.
Find your suppliers
Any business needs supplies to operate. Discovering how many wholesalers or industry retailers exist nearby can help you determine if you'll have the proper resources necessary for your day-to-day operations.
Start writing a business plan
Now that you know what data exists, it’s time to write a plan. Don’t know where to begin? These free business plan resources can help you apply Census Bureau data in your plan.
Census Business Builder
The Census Business Builder (CBB) allows you to compile the data you need into a report, which can be used in a business plan. Learn how to create a report in CBB.
Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers a guide on how to write a simple business plan. These instructions will teach you how to write an executive summary or conduct data-driven market analyses. If you’re still stuck, the SBA provides a learning center, as well as local assistance in your community.
SCORE.org
SCORE is a nonprofit association that helps small businesses get off the ground. They provide a small business plan template and worksheets to help you write and execute your business plan.