
Increasingly, people are starting side hustles.
Some may be pursuing a hobby turned income generator.
Others may be taking on freelance work as “career insurance”.
Still others might be starting a franchise or small business.
No matter what your path is, a business plan can help keep you on track.
Below are 10 elements you could put on one page to focus your plan in the year ahead.
Ten Components of the 1-Page Business Plan
- Vision (What you’re building): A single sentence that captures the future you’re creating.For Example: “Empowering professionals to take agency over their careers and wellbeing through practical, actionable tools.”
- Target Audience (Who you serve) Your primary customer group. Include: demographics, psychographics, pain points, and behaviors
- Value Proposition (Why they choose you) A tight statement that explains what makes your offer unique and valuable. The problem. Your solution. What makes it different from alternatives
- Offer(s) (What you sell) List the core products or services. Each offer in one line. Pricing (optional but useful). Delivery method (digital, live, async, membership, consulting)
- Business Model (How you make money) Include your primary revenue streams: One-time products, recurring revenue, high-ticket services, corporate packages
- Marketing Strategy (How people find you). Your primary channels. Email list, LinkedIn. Blog/content, Partnerships, Events, etc. Also: one sentence on your positioning (e.g., “Voice of personal agency for mid-career professionals”).
- Sales Strategy (How people buy): Your simplest path to revenue: Lead magnet → nurture → offer, consult calls, webinars/workshops, and referrals
- Operations (How you deliver consistently) Your essential systems/processes: Content calendar, Tech stack, Automation, Customer onboarding
- Key Metrics (How you measure success) Choose 3–5: Revenue target, Email subscriber growth, Conversion rate, Retention rate, Engagement metrics
- Quarterly Priorities (What you focus on next) Three focus areas only to prevent overwhelm. Then, it’s time to build, launch, and optimize.
Your Turn
Have you ever created a business plan for a side hustle?
How might the same approach apply to your career within an organization?
Do you have some of the information at your fingertips and other areas that are missing?