SaaS Business Plan Example

Description
Having a strong business plan for a SaaS business is critical for success. Every business needs a strategy and plan that when implemented delivers a strong foundation, and this holds for software as a service startup as well.

According to a report published in The Gartner CRM Guide, more than 50 percent of CRM is deployed as SaaS, and the number continues to grow at a rapid rate.

While Saas as a business delivers high value to customers with high ROI, a startup in this domain needs to be executed right from the very beginning, and only a well-written saas business plan can help you get started, as well as sustain in this competitive market.

If you are tempted to jump in and develop your own SaaS business, the below tips on how to write a business plan for a SaaS startup will help you achieve your goals.

SaaS Business Plan Outline
This sample CRM Software business plan includes the following sections:

Executive Summary
The Product
The Competition and Panda CRM’ Competitive Edge
The Market Opportunity
The Sales and Distribution Strategy
Sales Growth and Revenue Projections
The Management Team
Funding Request and Use of Funds
The Exit Strategy
Mission & Vision
Mission Statement
Core Purpose
Core Values
Product & Service Description
Overview of Products & Services
Problems, Causes, Solutions & Benefits
Problems
Solution: Panda CRM
Industry Analysis
Industry Overview
Cloud Computing Industry
SaaS Industry
CRM Industry
SAAS And CRM Industry Size and Trends
Industry Size
Industry Trends and Key Factors
Competitive Analysis
Competitive Overview
Direct Competitors
Indirect Competitors
Competitive Advantages
Market Share Analysis
Barrier to Entry
Market Saturation
Beta and Usability Testing
Patents & Copyrights
Market Analysis
Market Snapshot
Addressable Market
Small Businesses – Market Size
Wage and Salary Sales Workers – Market Size
B2B Market Segmentation
Ideal Customer Profile
Sales & Marketing Plan
Sales & Marketing Goals
Online Traffic
New Demos (Units) -­ Online
Active Businesses (Units) -­ Online Traffic
Sales Representatives
Active Businesses -­ Sales Representative
Resellers
Active Businesses (Units) -­ Resellers
SWOT Analysis
Pricing Strategy
Branding
Branding Strategy
Marketing Strategy
Online Marketing
Operations Plan
Location
Staffing And Training
Personnel Plan
Customer Service
Purchasing Procedure
Quality Control Measures
Management Team
Key Management
Board Of Directors & Board Of Advisors
Financial Plan
Financial Summary
Profit and Loss
Profit Margin
Marketing And Personnel Expenses
Marketing Budget
Marketing to Revenue Ratio
Projected Profit & Loss
Projected Cash Flow
Projected Balance Sheet
Current Ownership Summary
Funding Request & Terms Of Investment
Current Milestones
Seed Capital
Series A Capital
Exit Strategy
Appendices
Product Comparison