Business Plan Checklist: What Makes a Plan Reviewable

A business plan has to do two things at once: tell a clear story and remain reviewable. Many first drafts fail here. They read smoothly, but nobody can see whether a statement is based on experience, data, decision or hope.

The Four Layers of a Reviewable Plan

Every central passage should belong to one layer:

• Decision: The team has deliberately chosen something. Example: “We start with university incubators, not individual founders.”
• Assumption: The team believes something, but has not tested it enough.
• Source: The claim is backed by a study, report, interview, pilot data or internal document.
• Wording: The passage connects, explains or phrases something without adding a new claim.

A good review does not only ask whether the text sounds good. It asks: what kind of statement is this?

Red Flags

Mark these patterns early:

• large market numbers without derivation
• target groups such as “all parents”, “all students” or “all companies”
• value proposition without a concrete situation
• revenue assumptions without price, unit or channel
• competitor lists without customer alternatives and workarounds
• financial plans disconnected from operational assumptions
• pitch language inside analytical sections

Review Questions

Business idea: Is it clear which problem is solved for whom? Is the first target group narrow enough?

Market: Is relevance shown or only size claimed?

Business model: Who pays, for what, when and why?

Competition: Are real alternatives visible, including workarounds?

Finance: Which assumptions drive revenue, costs and liquidity?

Minimum Standard

Before export, each section should contain a core claim, a visible assumption, at least one fitting source or open evidence marker, and one concrete question for the coach or team.