Top 6 Best Business Plan Sofware Apps 2021 for every Startup or Business Planning without Mastering Excel
When starting a business or launching a new financing round, developing a solid business plan is one of the first steps you have to take. Your business plan includes everything from a detailed description of your products or services and pricing model to financial forecasting for at least three years - and much more. So if you're not sure how to get started or if you just want to ease the process, you can turn to Business Plan Software for help. Learn about different categories of business plan software available and explore those which are easy-to-use.
More...
In the past, there was no way around buildinging an excel model to create your financial model. But four different categories of tools have developed, which can ease financial forecasting substantially. The portfolio chart below shows these categories and differentiates the tools available in each category by 2 dimensions
The “Hard-to-Use” tools are targeted at highly specialized users like Contollers or Financial Analysts. These are so-called CPM (Continuous Planning Method) services for enterprises or specialized Excel plugins for experts,
In this blog post, we'll break down six of the best “Easy-to-Use” software options for a business plan - talk about the pros and cons, features, pricing, and more - so you have all the information you need to decide which solution is best for your business.
The "Easy-to-Use tools with Accounting Focus" typically only present simple revenue models, i.e. to plan the revenue side, users still need to use Excel or import those numbers from their accounting systems or only use simple techniques for forecasting. These business plan software tools calculate general, accounting-related ratios and are typically targeted at small and medium sized businesses.
In the category "Easy-to-Use tools with Revenue Focus", the business plan tool Lean-Case is uniquely positioned. Lean-Case allows to calculate real-life revenue models for SaaS and eCommerce along the customer lifecycle by modeling how to create leads, how to convert them into paying customers and how to grow paying customers. Metrics focus on unit economics answering the question if the Customer Lifetime Value is significantly higher than the Cost of Customer acquisition.
The following sections summarize the standout features, advantages and drawbacks of these easy-to-use business planning tools and then describes each of these tools in more dateil.
Top 6 Best Business Plan Tools
Pricing
Annual Plans:
$19 to $45 per month
Monthly Plans:
$24 to $54 per month
2 Bus. Plans
per user
Within a plan, several scenarios can be stored
Standout Features
Advantages
Drawbacks
Pricing
Yearly Plan:
$12 per month
Monthly Plan:
$20 per month
1 Business Plan per user
Standout Features
Advantages
Drawbacks
Pricing
$39 per month
1 plan per user
Standout Features
Advantages
Drawbacks
Pricing
$19.95 to $39.95 per month
3 plans per user
Standout Features
Advantages
Drawbacks
Pricing
$29 per month to $349 one-time fee
unlimited Business Plan
per user
Standout Features
Advantages
Drawbacks
Pricing
$99 per month or $899 per year
Standout Features
Advantages
Drawbacks
The right business plan software will make the process of calculating your business plan much simpler. However, as with many business software solutions, there are different business subscription software plans, each with a unique set of features, user experience, and price.
That said, if you're looking for a place to start your search for the best business plan software, check out the top six options in more detail below.
1. Lean-Case
Best revenue forecasting and funding need projection.
If you want most accurate modelling of your business growth and revenue potentials with answering all Unit-Economic Questions confidently to your investor, then Lean-Case is the most advanced business plan calculation software and best choice for you as founder, project manager or even investor.
Lean-Case excels with their scenario management, revenue stream integrations, ease of using multiple conversion rules, data export and share and advanced and easy to follow step-by-step training modules specially designed for setting up your most accurate model to project the revenue potentials and Profit and Loss statements.
The step-by-step instructions help you kick things off from scratch, and you can take advantage of in-product training videos to continue to gain expert knowledge in revenue forecasting and business scenario planning.
Pros:
Cons:
Lean-Case Features and Value Propositions
Set up Revenue Streams
Add Volume Forecasts
Add Conversion Rules and Churn
Add Revenue Related Cost
Calculate Unit Economics
Add Headcounts
Add Capital
Edit Data Series
Projections
Key Reports/Dashboards
Scenario Analysis
Track Actuals
Sharing Projects
Exporting
Blueprints
Customize
Optional Services
Blueprints
Here you can see what it looks like to see your profit and loss projections using Lean-Case. Image source: Lean-Case
Step-by-Step Guide How it works
Model your paying customers who pass through stages of sales funnel with traffic and pipeline volume as well as cost to acquire.
Model your paying customers who pay a subscription price to have access to your product or service
Model your paying customers who pay one-time for services such as consulting or buy products overa specific contract duration
Model your paying customers who pay-per use
Aggregate all Revenue Streams into one single view to model the actual Customer Lifecycle
To get an holistic view of Customer Movements and Revenue Movements connect your Revenue Streams with Conversion Rules based on your pricing plan tiers
Connect the Revenue Streams using conversion rules to simulate the successful upsale or conversion from a signup to a paying customer
Measure Customer Churn and incorporate its impact on your Revenue Potential to make your business plan realistic and practical as you see in your daily business
Starting point to handle costs is to include Cost of Good Sold which is all the costs to keep your existing customers running.
Let your Unit Economics reflects Cost of Selling due to Inside Sales Team converting the Signups into Paying Customers
Let your Unit Economics reflects Cost of Marketing
Drill down the cost to the single lead to understand Unit Economics
Make sure that your LTV/CAC ratio is greater than 3
Make sure that you recover the CAC ideally faster than 12 months
When your business is becoming profitable? Convince your investors with most accurate assumptions
Enter all expenses related to general indirect costs to reflect the accurate results
Account for volume-based costs driven by key business drivers.
Add fixed assets investments to implement the most accurate capital assumptions in your calculation of revenue potential
Answer the key questions again when you are profitable and what is your funding requirements
Slice and Dice on Movement of customers, Units Sold and Revenue on Yearly-basis
Slice and Dice on Movement of customers, Units Sold and Revenue on Monthly-basis
Slice and Dice Forecast Data to Drill-Down to multiple Revenue dimensions
Get immediate on-demand access of all of your most important Business metrics into a single interface. That means you can immediately deliver a detailed overview of your business to investors and decision makers in a single click
Get most important insights on your paying customer numbers, revenue forecasts, headcounts, expenses and profitability matrix
Provide Scenario-based strategic business forecasts that enables investors to better manage the uncertain environmental conditions that will influence your funding and capital needs
With Lean-Case, you can run as many Business Plan Scenarios as you wish – seeing how realistic changes in different variables changes the final figures.
Once you feel that you have created the right scenarios for your Lean-Case project - you can share them to get feedback. As the owner of a Lean-Case project, you can share your Lean-Case Project at any point in time.
Define smart milestones to engage investors, align with in your team and compare predicted vs realized actual outcomes
Lean-Case also provides exporting functionality for all data calculated in Lean-Case.
You can export the charts, or the data from each chart - allowing you to create the charts in Excel or Powerpoint.
And if you are a consultant, you can amaze your clients with the most comprehensive business plan in Excel they have ever seen.
Lean-Case allows you to download the full model - so you'll have a fully editable Excel sheet of your entire business plan. Upon opening the Excel model, you have to enable.
Collaborate with your team, management and stakeholders with actionable insights
Share insights on your revenue potentials privately
No limit on the number of viewers whom you can share project
No limit on the number of editors who can edit your project
No need to start from scratch. Just transfer ownership to your team member.
Create a new project directly using a blueprint library
You can also create your own blueprint custom build just for you
Extensive Step-by-Step product training and help portal helps you to build your business case even if you have zero knowledge of business plan
Get easy access to Lean-Case help portal
In-product video tutorials are great place to start your Lean-Case journey
Dedicated email support on priority for Pro and Enterprise Plan
On-demand Train-the-Trainer Workshops for Enterprise clients
Business pitch, branding and secured login
Give your corporate identity and branding to your business case right from your Lean-Case Workspace
Enhanced secured login
Other Done For You Services
Add more Users per workspace
Create Projects per User
Add Extra Projects per User
Dedicated Project Onboarding/Coaching Session
One-to-One Support for Business Case Evaluation
Exclusive Funding Round Support
Pricing
Basic
19$/
month
For individuals just getting started with business planning
billed every 12 months
2 Business Plans per User
Additional User: 9$/month
Advance
26$/
month
For teams that need to create & track business plans with confidence
billed every 12 months
2 Business Plans per User
Additional User: 12$/month
Advance
45$/
month
For companies that need to manage project and startup portfolios
billed every 12 months
2 Business Plans per User
Additional User: 15$/month
Advance
499$/
month
For organizations that need additional security, control, and support
billed every 12 months
2 Business Plans per User
incl. 40 users
2. LivePlan
Best overall business plan software.
If you want modern business planning software with a template, LivePlan may be the right choice for you. LivePlan is great with its user interface, which feels innovative and slow to the touch, as well as offering intuitive, easy to use features and options.
The step-by-step guide will help you start from scratch, and you can take advantage of their online learning center to continue gaining business skills.
Pros:
Cons:
Here you can see what it looks like to edit your business plan using LivePlan. Image source: LivePlan
LivePlan Features and Value Propositions
Create a Fundable Business Plan
INVITE TEAMMATES
Step-by-Step Planning Process
AUTOMATIC FINANCIALS
Every Currency, No Borders
Reach your goals faster by tracking your progress
Explore opportunities with scenarios
Real-time tracking of financial data with accounting integrations
Performance dashboards for tracking against budgets and sales goals
Pricing
Annual plan
$
15/ month
billed every 12 months
Six-month plan
$
18/ month
billed every six months
Pay-as-you-go plan
$
20/ month
billed once every month
3. GoSmallBiz
Best for multiple business management tools in one platform.
Next up on our list of the best business plan software options, GoSmallBiz is much more than just business plan software. GoSmallBiz gives you access to business continuity planning software with features that cover a roadmap, go through business and legal forms, build a website, and much more.
This makes GoSmallBiz great for startups or newer companies that want to access multiple business management tools on a single platform.
Pros:
Cons:
This demo screen from GoSmallBiz shows what it looks like to customize your business plan in their software. Image source: GoSmallBiz
GoSmallBiz Features and Value Propositions
Unlimited Business Consultation
Nationwide network of attorneys
Step-by-Step Planning Process
Lead tracking and rating
Comprehensive analysis
Corporate Minutes Writer
Extensive document library
Industry-specific plan templates
Learn from industry experts
Digital marketing dashboard with social media and Google Analytics integrations
Pricing
Basic plan
$
39/ month
no contracts, free cancellation
4. Enloop
Best for creating a simple, quick business plan.
If you are looking for free business subscription software, one of your best options is Enloop . They offer a seven-day free trial without a credit card. Unlike some of the other options on our list, Enloop is also instrumental in creating a business plan, including auto-writing text, comparing financial projections, and evaluating real-time performance tracking your progress.
However, if you prefer the easiest, fastest, and easiest way to build your business plan, Enloop is a platform worth exploring.
Pros:
Cons:
Here you can see how Enloop allows you to create and edit your business plan. Image source: Enloop
Enloop Features and Value Propositions
Unlimited Number of Business Plans
Charts andText Formatting and Images
Real-time performance score to track your progress
Pricing
Detailed plan
$
19.95/ month
or $11 per month, paid annually
Performance plan
$
39.95/ month
or $24 per month, paid annually
5. Bizplan
Best for startups looking to acquire funding or find investors.
As part of the Startups.com Suite, Bizplan receives important functions for its user interface - it is intuitive, easy to use, and modern. Work step-by-step with a business plan creator to find out what you want from your business plan. It might remind you of a modern-day website builder as there are drag and drop tools for creating templates.
For a membership fee, you have access to all tools on the Startups.com network, including self-guided courses, tutorials, high-quality videos, and more. Overall, with a direct link to Fundable, Bizplan is a leading software plan option for beginners looking to get funding and find investors.
Pros:
Cons:
Here you can see what it looks like to create a business plan with BizPlan’s drag and drop builder. Image source: BizPlan
Bizplan Features and Value Propositions
Guided Creator,Drag and Drop Templates andStunning Visual Layouts
Control Access From Anywhere
Engage With Your Customers
Drag-and-drop templates for business plan building
Pricing
Monthly plan
$
29/ month
Annual plan
$
20.75/ month
Lifetime Access
$
349/ month
6. PlanGuru
Best for financial planning and budget.
Finally, PlanGuru checks out some of the strongest financial characteristics of business plan software options, including budget and forecast. While the other solutions focus on writing a business plan, PlanGuru is specially designed for corporate financial planning - gives you the tools you need to budget, make financial forecasts, reports, and more.
So if you need a software solution that can streamline the financial part of your business planning processes, PlanGuru certainly has the most to offer.
Pros:
Cons:
This interface shows you the detailed financial projections and plans you can generate with PlanGuru. Image source: PlanGuru
PlanGuru Features and Value Propositions
Build an Unlimited # of Analyses per Company
Archive Budget Feature
Notes Payable and Line of Credit Tools
Online Dashboard, Scorecard and Reporting Tools
Pricing
Monthly plan
$
99/ month
(additional users $29 per month)
Annual plan
$
899/ year
(additional users $299 per year)
What to look for in a business software plan?
Ultimately, it is up to you to decide which of the best business plan software solutions on our list is right for your company.
So if you're looking to figure out how to choose between the different options available, it may be helpful to compare your top picks based on the following criteria:
- 1Features: As we've seen, different software business plan solutions have different features. You want to take a closer look at the feature list for each software and see which features are most important to your business needs. Do you need an extensive template library with detailed adjustments? In particular, how relevant is revenue planning without Excel for you? How important are the features to write a business plan? Do you want to leverage an online business skills learning center? Are you looking for a solution that also helps you to track your business on a monthly basis? It can be helpful to make a list of your preferred feature sets so that you can compare individual software plans against this list.
- 2No of Users: Consider the scope of your business planning solution. Do you want to use your business plan software with more than 1 user in your company or as part of an accelrator or incubator?
- 3Price: While you can get some free business plan options (or at least free trials), for the most part, you'll have to pay a subscription fee to get to the platform of your choice. So you want to consider what your budget is for this business tool and what type of software is the most cost-effective for your needs.
- 4
User Experience: The user experience can vary widely between different business plan software options. You can find some programs that are newer or have been recently updated. Others may be the kind of interface that felt new some years ago but feel pretty old now - which makes it a bit difficult to use. Getting the right user experience for your needs is really a matter of opinion and convenience.
The main takeaway
Ultimately, there is no doubt that designing a business plan for growth and success for small businesses in the future is important. Fortunately, good business plan software should make the process easier. It is also without question that Excel is not the right tool for calculating a realistic revenue plan for more complex business models like subscription or e-Commerce businesses.
Whether you are looking for one of the best-programmed business plan software options above or a completely different platform, you should take the time to compare.
As mentioned above, think about the features you are looking for, consider the number of users which you want to involve, and balance your budget vs your user experience preferences.
Choose the solution that best suits your business - ideally with a free trial.
Interested in using Lean-Case?
Don't hesitate to get in touch with us
