Why this business plan prompt works
AI models write convincing business plans, and that is exactly the risk. Asked for "a business plan for a bike repair service", a model will happily state a market size, a growth rate and a competitor count that look precise and come from nowhere. A bank manager or investor who checks one of those numbers will stop trusting the rest.
This builder keeps the plan honest. It separates the numbers you know from everything else and tells the model to use only those, to label every other figure as an assumption and to write [research needed] where real market data belongs. You end up with a structured draft plus a clear list of what to research before anyone reads it.
The reader field shapes emphasis: a bank looks for cash flow, repayment ability and security; investors look for market size, growth and the team; a grant panel looks for impact and fit with its criteria. The plan type controls length, from a lean one-page plan for your own clarity to a full plan with a section on financial assumptions. To plan how you will win customers, follow up with the marketing plan prompt.
Worked example
Say you are a bike mechanic planning a mobile repair service and need a plan for a bank loan. These are the inputs:
- Business idea
- A mobile bike repair service that fixes commuters' bikes at their workplace
- Stage
- pre-launch
- Location / market
- Manchester, UK
- Target customers
- office workers who cycle to work, and employers who offer cycling benefits
- Products, services and prices
- Standard service at the workplace: 45 GBP; Puncture repair: 15 GBP; Company plan: monthly visit for up to 10 bikes, 300 GBP
- Numbers you know
- Start-up budget 8,000 GBP. Van lease about 350 GBP a month. I am a qualified bike mechanic with 6 years in a shop.
- Competitors or alternatives
- Several bike shops in the city centre; none offer workplace visits as far as I know
- Who will read it?
- a bank (loan application)
- Plan type
- Standard plan (all main sections)
The builder turns these inputs into the following prompt. Load it into the form above with the Bike repair (bank) example chip and change anything you like.
You are an experienced small-business adviser who writes clear, realistic business plans.
## Task
Draft a standard business plan with: executive summary, problem and solution, target market, competition, marketing and sales, operations, team, financial overview and risks.
- Business: A mobile bike repair service that fixes commuters' bikes at their workplace
- Stage: pre-launch
- Location / market: Manchester, UK
- Target customers: office workers who cycle to work, and employers who offer cycling benefits
- Reader of the plan: a bank (loan application)
## Products, services and prices
- Standard service at the workplace: 45 GBP
- Puncture repair: 15 GBP
- Company plan: monthly visit for up to 10 bikes, 300 GBP
## Facts and numbers I know (use only these as facts)
Start-up budget 8,000 GBP. Van lease about 350 GBP a month. I am a qualified bike mechanic with 6 years in a shop.
## Competitors and alternatives
Several bike shops in the city centre; none offer workplace visits as far as I know
## Requirements
- Emphasise what this reader cares about most.
- Do not invent market sizes, statistics, growth rates or competitor details. Where data is needed, write [research needed: what to find].
- Label every estimated figure clearly as an assumption and keep assumptions conservative.
- Plain, confident language; no buzzwords.
- If something essential is missing, ask me up to 5 questions at the end instead of guessing.
## Output format
Use Markdown headings for each section. End with two lists: "Assumptions to validate" and "Research to do before sharing this plan".This page shows only the prompt. The answer depends on the AI tool you paste it into, so always review the result before you use it.
Tips to improve your results
- Give real prices. Pricing is where a plan becomes concrete, and the AI cannot know yours.
- Write what you know about competitors from your own research, even if it is only a few lines.
- Ask for the plan section by section if you choose the detailed version. Long answers get vaguer towards the end.
- Turn every [research needed] marker into a to-do and fill it with a source you can cite.
- Have someone with financial experience check the numbers before you send the plan to a lender.
Frequently asked questions
Can ChatGPT write a business plan?
It can draft the structure and wording well, which saves time. It cannot know your real market, costs or customers, and it may invent figures. This prompt tells it to mark assumptions and research gaps, so you know what to verify.
What sections does a business plan have?
A standard plan usually covers an executive summary, the problem and solution, target market, competition, marketing and sales, operations, team, financial plan and risks. A lean plan condenses these to a single page.
Is an AI business plan good enough for a bank loan?
Not on its own. Banks expect realistic, sourced numbers and a cash flow forecast you can explain. Use the AI draft as a starting point and build the financials with real quotes and research, ideally with an adviser.
Will the AI make up market data?
The prompt forbids invented statistics and asks for [research needed] markers instead. Models occasionally ignore instructions, so check any number that you did not provide yourself.
Is my business idea kept private?
This site never sees what you type; the prompt is built in your browser. Once you paste it into an AI tool, that tool's privacy terms apply.