The business plan is a tool that allows the entrepreneur to structure their project. This plan is developed by identifying the company's mission, the vision and values of the entrepreneur (or group of entrepreneurs), the product or service offer, market analysis (segmentation), competitive analysis, marketing strategy, financial forecasts, etc.
The business plan also serves as a management tool and a presentation tool to be used when seeking financing or partnerships.
In addition to a Guide you can use as a template for your business plan, you will find helpful resources and documents below to help you validate your idea and launch your business.
Self-evaluation of your business idea
Before starting to write your business plan, you need to analyse your idea in the light of reality so you can refine it. PME MTL has created a tool that will help you ask yourself the right questions and turn your idea into a viable business.
Guide to writing a business plan
In order to support you in starting your business, the experts at PME MTL have created a Guide to help you write your business plan. You can use this Guide as a business plan template and creatively adapt it to your project and your needs.
Financial tools
Below you will find documents that will help you establish your financial forecasts as well as your personal balance sheet for your business start-up.
- Financial forecast table (in French)
- Personal balance sheet (in French)
Market research
Conducting market research allows the product or service to be analysed in the environment in which it will be launched. Specialized organizations can provide useful data for this exploratory work:
- Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec
- Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
- Infoentrepreneurs
- Montréal en statistiques (in French)
- Carrefour Affaires BANQ (in French)
- Institut de la statistique Québec
- Canadian Federation of Independent Business
- ID MTL: the strategic watch of the Service de développement économique de la Ville de Montréal (economic development department of the City of Montréal)
Find out more great tips for launching your business. If you need additional help, PME MTL is here to support you. Contact the experts in your area.