business plan

British

noun

a detailed plan setting out the objectives of a business, the strategy and tactics planned to achieve them, and the expected profits, usually over a period of three to ten years

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The newlyweds developed a business plan while on their honeymoon in the Maldives, in 2018.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

Elliott called for new directors, a leadership change and a business plan.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

He overheard me arguing with my husband about not having a business plan and leaned over: “You make a product,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

I’d estimate 80% of would-be entrepreneurs never get past the planning phase, waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect business plan.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

The business plan for a community development nonprofit is nestled in my carry-on briefcase, alongside a photo of that sneaker and its jumble of shoelace.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023