A sample business plan for

---

A SAMPLE BUSINESS PLAN FOR 
SMALL FOOD BUSINESSES 
Rodney B. Holcomb 
Associate Professor, Dept. of Agricultural Economics 
Browning Endowed Professor of Food Science, Food & Agricultural Products Center 
Philip Kenkel 
Professor, Dept. of Agricultural Economics 
Bill Fitzwater Endowed Chair for Cooperative Studies 
Linda Blan-Byford 
(Former) Business Planning and Marketing Associate 
Food & Agricultural Products Center 
Oklahoma State University 
January 2006 

---

Why Develop a Business Plan? 
In the book The Entrepreneur’s Manual, Richard M. White, Jr. states that 
business plans are “road maps” for business creation: “You identify your origin, select a 
destination, and plot the shortest distance between the two points.”
True, a business plan is essentially a blueprint for a business. However, it also 
serves many other purposes: 

A business plan is a detailed blueprint for the activities needed to establish a business 
(i.e. the details of a product or service, the market for that product or service, and the 
management of the business providing that product or service). 

A business plan is also the ‘yardstick’ by which a business owner measures success in 
meeting stated goals and objectives. 

Also, a business plan is a tool for obtaining a loan from a lending agency, or for 
attracting venture capital. 
What Does a Business Plan Look Like? 
There is no standard format for a business plan, but there are many common 
components of a business plan: 

Executive Summary (providing a general overview of the plan’s main points) 

Table of Contents 

(Brief) Background and History 

Business Goals and Objectives 

Description of Products/Services 

Market Description/Assessment 

Competition Assessment 

Marketing Strategies 

Manufacturing Plans 

Pro Forma Financial Analysis 

Contingency Plans 
Many business plans will also include appendixes with additional information 
related to the business, its operations, its owners/managers, marketing/promotional plans, 
etc. 
Of course, the best way to illustrate a business plan is to provide one. The 
following plan for a completely fictional business is used for a monthly entrepreneur 
workshop at Oklahoma State University’s Food & Agricultural Products Center, entitled