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Google for Nonprofits is a membership program for nonprofits based in the U.S. and U.K. (with country-specific programs). Though it has eligibility requirements, once accepted, you have access to free Google products.

Organizations like Kiva, BeatBullying, UNICEF, and charity: water are part of the Google for Nonprofits community. Each of these groups has used Google’s tools to heighten their awareness, particularly through Google Ads, YouTube, and Google Workspace, among other features.

Below, we’ll share the details of this free program so you can capitalize on these invaluable resources — five of which are shared below — that can be game-changers for your organization’s online awareness and fundraising campaigns.

1. Google Workspace for Nonprofits

Google Workspace for Nonprofits includes 30 GB of cloud storage, professional email addresses, and access to Google’s collection of apps: Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Drive, Calendar, Slides, Forms, Meet, Sites, and more.

The benefit of these apps cannot be understated. For instance, if your team is disbursed in the field or operates in different countries, you can share and store information securely with Google Drive. Meanwhile, you can communicate online with people in various countries with Gmail and stay up-to-date on events with Google Calendar.

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Example: Google Workspace in Action

Samasource uses the various tools available to it through the program to connect about 850 people in five countries. Using Google Drive to communicate and share information across a vastly distributed workforce has been very important for training and tracking the organization’s projects across the world.

2. Google Ad Grants

Google Ad Grants (formally known as Google Grants) is a $10,000 monthly grant given to organizations looking to advertise on Google with text-based ads.

With the potential of driving 10,000 to 40,000 new visitors a month to your website, using this grant to attract new constituents to engage with your organization online is a no-brainer. Here are 10 tips for success with Google Ad Grants.

Example: Google Ad Grants in Action

Direct Relief International started using Google Ad Grants in 2003. Google helped the group revise its marketing plan, consisting of eight campaigns in paid search and remarketing, including 150 newly created text ads for an end-of-year giving campaign. Recently, the organization saw a 44% year-over-year increase in the number of online donations and a 40% bump in total dollars donated online just from Google Ads.

3. Google Analytics

Once you activate a Google Grants account, you can link it to Google Analytics.

Google Analytics provides your nonprofit with information on how people find and interact with your website and eventually take action to support your mission.

For Kate Lesniak, Principal Strategist at HubSpot, Google Analytics is critical for understanding what content actually converts.

“When it comes to nonprofits, understanding what pages and messages are drawing in casual visitors to become volunteers, advocates, or donors is fundamental to a sustainable content strategy,” she told me. “Rather than cranking out content with limited staff time, Google Analytics will help you hone in on what’s effective.”

With Google Analytics, you can:

Measure the engagement of your supporters with your website.
Determine which of your AdWords ads are most effective.
Identify and understand how volunteers, donors, and stakeholders interact with your website.
Track the effectiveness of social media for your campaign.

4. YouTube for Nonprofits

Video is a great medium to connect with a large audience and inspire them to support your organization.

Not only can your nonprofit use YouTube to share videos about your organization, its events, its achievements, and even to say thank you, but you are also able to collect donations through it.

With YouTube, your nonprofit is able to:

Drive viewers to action by placing a call-to-action overlay directly on your videos.
Customize the look and feel of your channel with your organization’s logo and branding.
Boost fundraising by setting up a YouTube Giving fundraiser to help raise money and rally support for your cause. 

Example: YouTube for Nonprofits in Action

The Anaheim Ballet has utilized YouTube to “make ballet accessible to a broad audience and collect donations from the community.” The group is able to tell stories of their dancer profiles, show behind-the-scenes rehearsals, and display instructional videos.

YouTube gives Anaheim Ballet a global stage to perform and also eliminates the barrier of entry to viewing the performances. The organization also gets feedback on its performances from its viewers by asking questions during videos. 

5. Google Earth and Maps

Showing the impact of your work in the field is a constant challenge, but it’s necessary for inspiring and attracting supporters and driving attention to your nonprofit.

With Google Earth and Maps, you can visualize the impact of your organization.
For instance, you can:

Create a donor map where donors can see how their contribution is making an impact.
Take supporters on location with custom maps of your project sites.
Create data visualizations to track and share your organization’s impact. 

Let’s look at an example below from the Jane Goodall Institute.

Example: Google Earth Outreach in Action

With the goal of preserving African great apes and their habitat, the Jane Goodall Institute uses Google Earth to capture and share information about forest loss.

Due to Google Earth’s ability to visualize data, these maps present a sobering and compelling illustration of disappearing habitats. 

With tools like Google Earth at its disposal, the Jane Goodall Institute can effectively educate and empower potential donors, local communities, and government representatives to manage and monitor their forests.

How to Register for Google for Nonprofits

To register for Google for Nonprofits, you must be a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in the U.S. or an organization in the U.K.

To apply for a Google for Nonprofits membership, go here and follow the basic steps below. Make sure to review the eligibility requirements before applying, as some types of organizations are not eligible.

As a hiring manager, asking questions like, “What’s the greatest challenge you’ve overcome?” is important to learn about an applicant. But what creative interview questions will help paint a fuller picture of a potential candidate?

Imagine you ask your candidate: “If you were a pizza delivery person, how would you benefit from scissors?” The question changes the conversation. Suddenly, you’ve caught your candidate off-guard.

Traditional interview questions are still necessary, but funny or unexpected questions like the following can provoke a more honest, insightful conversation during your interview.

Funny Interview Questions

1. “How would you solve problems if you were from Mars?”

This question, asked by Amazon, helps you see if your candidate can think outside what‘s traditional or typical. You’ll want your candidate to demonstrate problem-solving ability even under bizarre circumstances.

Her answer can show you whether she can enter a new workplace environment and evaluate it fairly before offering solutions.

For instance, an ideal candidate might say, “If I were on Mars, they’d likely have their problems separate from those on Earth. First, I’d research to determine cause and effect and then offer potential solutions.”

With this answer, your candidate has shown an ability to be thoughtful and analytical when making decisions.

2. “What do you think of garden gnomes?”

This question, asked by Trader Joe’s, is ridiculous. More than anything else, it’s intended to loosen the candidate, see a glimpse of their personality, and gain insight into a cultural fit.

There‘s no correct answer to this question, but if your team likes to be sarcastic with one another, you might want a candidate to say, “If I could get a job as one, then I probably wouldn’t be here today talking to you.”

Ultimately, if your candidate can easily handle this curveball, it shows an impressive ability to react quickly to bizarre circumstances.

3. “Why are manholes round?”

UBS, a Swiss multinational investment bank, asks this sneakily insightful question in Operations interviews.

At first glance, it seems like another funny “loosen the candidate up” question — but, in actuality, it‘s a good indicator of your candidate’s intellect.

An ideal candidate will think the question through and provide a thoughtful answer like this:

“A round maintenance hole cover can’t fall through the round maintenance hole opening. A square cover, on the other hand, could fit diagonally through the opening and fall through.

Additionally, a circular cover fits easily and can be removed easily, without much precision or rotating.”

This answer demonstrates your candidate’s ability to see the necessity of specific solutions and ideally apply those same problem-solving skills to her role.

4. “You’ve been given an elephant. You can’t give it away or sell it. What would you do with the elephant?”

This ConnectWise question helps you better understand your candidate‘s reasoning skills. Of course, there’s no “right” answer to this funny question. Still, it lets you know how your candidate thinks, prioritizes, and problem-solves.

Additionally, it can loosen the candidate up and allow her to show you a more authentic side.

Your candidate might say, “Since I don’t have a place to put an elephant, I’d probably send it on vacation,” or “I would feed it and then ride it to work.”

It‘s important to note you aren’t looking for a specific answer here — you’re determining how your candidate thinks on her feet and handles herself in unexpected situations.

5. “If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be and why?”

Ask this bizarre Walgreens question to test your candidate‘s creativity. However, ideally, your candidate’s answer will give you insight into her strengths related to the role and what kind of person she is.

Your ideal candidate should say, “I would be an oak tree because I’m strong and dependable.” Of course, it doesn‘t matter what tree she chooses — as long as she uses her answer to show you why she’s a good fit for the position.

6. “If you were a dessert, what would you be?”

The answer to this question can give insight into how candidates see themselves and their ability to think creatively.

Your ideal candidate would explain the reasoning behind their answer. If their answer includes a bit of humor, you can infer the candidate can laugh at themselves and be a good fit within your organization’s culture.

An example of a good answer would be:

“I would be a cheesecake because they are versatile and can be adapted to different tastes depending on the toppings you add.

I consider myself a very creative person who can adapt to different situations or pivot when necessary so the team can reach its goals.”

Creative & Interesting Interview Questions

7. “We finish the interview, and you step outside the office and find a lottery ticket to win $10 million. What would you do?”

This question is fantastic for determining your candidate‘s true motivation in a role. You don’t want to hire someone who only wants the job to make money — you want a candidate who also finds genuine fulfillment in the part.

Since corporations whose employees are engaged perform over 200% better than those without, you must hire a fully engaged performer.

Your ideal candidate will say:

“I’d use the $10 million to travel, donate to charity, and provide for my family. However, I’d still want to work for your company.

I’ve always enjoyed working in marketing, and I think this company greatly emphasizes creativity and storytelling to help brands spread their message. So while I’d love to get $10 million, it wouldn’t change my career goals.”

Ultimately, you‘ll want a candidate who mentions why she’s genuinely interested in the role, regardless of her income.

8. “What’s the color of money?”

This sounds like a trick question — or related to monopoly — but it’s a good gauge for whether your candidate has a well-rounded view of the economy.

PolyOne asks this question to its financial candidates.

While you might expect “green” to be the correct answer, you’ll want your candidate to say:

“It depends on the country.” This type of awareness for the world at large could be critical when evaluating markets and making global financial decisions.

9. “If you had to be shipwrecked on a deserted island, but all your human needs—such as food and water—were taken care of, what two items would you want to have with you?”

This question, asked by companies like Yahoo, encourages the candidate to demonstrate creativity and innovativeness. Additionally, it helps you determine your candidate’s priorities.

For instance, a candidate who mentions needing “a Kindle with unlimited books and my laptop” shows different values from a candidate who says he wants “music and a boat.”

While there‘s no correct answer, you’ll want a candidate who showcases an ability to prioritize and think logically through challenging situations.

For instance, your candidate says:

“I’d like to bring a wifi-enabled laptop with a wind generator to charge the batteries and a lighter. I can do my work and contact friends on my laptop, and I can use the lighter to start fires and keep warm at night.”

10. “Are you a hunter or a gatherer?”

If you aren’t hiring an anthropologist, this might seem like a ridiculous question. But companies like Dell ask this question to gain critical insights into a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses.

You want your candidate to focus her answer on the qualifications of the specific role.

For instance, if you‘re hiring for a content creator role, you’ll want your candidate to say, “I’m a gatherer. I enjoy collecting critical SEO data and insights over time and tailoring my content to reach long-term goals.”

Ultimately, hunters and gatherers are two very different categories of people. This question can help you quickly discern the strengths and weaknesses your candidate will likely display in the role.

11. “If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?”

This answer will help you assess the candidate’s priorities and interests.

An example of an ideal answer would be:

“I would read ‘The Altar of My Soul’ by Marta Moreno because her story shows the importance of community and family, two things I hold dear.

Furthermore, I always learn new lessons each time I revisit the book and am always open to learning something new.”

Weird, Unusual, & Random Interview Questions

12. “How much do you charge to wash every window in Seattle?”

While this might seem odd, it‘s practical to ask if you’re trying to determine how well your candidate can problem-solve.

Particularly if you‘re hiring for a client-facing role, you’ll want to see how your candidate handles questions to which she needs to know the answer.

Ideally, your candidate will say something like this — “Well, let’s say Seattle consists of 10,000 city blocks, with 1,000 windows per block. That’s 10 million windows. If I charge $5 per window, I’d make $50 million.”

The answer itself doesn‘t matter. It’s more critical your candidate can apply logical problem-solving skills and remain calm when dealing with challenging or unexpected questions.

13. “Design a spice rack for the blind.”

Your candidate’s answer to this random question shows a lot about how she makes decisions.

For instance, perhaps your candidate wants to interview blind people and do competitive research before deciding. This tells you she’s someone who places value on research and analytics.

Alternatively, your candidate says she’d create braille labels on each shelf. This tells you she trusts her instinct to make fast judgment calls.

Neither answer is wrong — it simply depends on the type of person you need to fill the role.

14. “How many pennies would fit into this room?”

Ipreo asks this question for Product Analyst interviews. A brain teaser like this is an excellent opportunity to see how a candidate can use logic to solve seemingly impossible challenges.

You‘ll want your candidate to say something like this — “I’d need to measure how many pennies fit length-wise, width-wise, and height-wise. Then I’d simply multiply those three numbers.”

This answer demonstrates an ability to use simple math to create formulas for more complex problems.

However, it‘s also impressive if your candidate asks you questions in return. Perhaps she’d say, “Well, will this room still have furniture, or would we remove it?

Also, what’s the volume of the room? Once I have that information, I could do the math based on the volume of a penny.”

Asking questions like these show your candidate thinks outside the box and likes to ask second-level questions before delivering a solution to a problem.

Unique interview questions

15. “If you had a choice between two superpowers, being invisible or flying, which would you choose?”

On the surface, this sounds like a question you heard at sleepaway camp when you were 12. But Forbes found it to indicate potential leadership ability, with 72% of surveyed leaders choosing the ability to fly over being invisible.

If you think about it, this question asks, “Do you prefer to be in the spotlight or more behind the scenes?” Of course, this shouldn‘t be your only question to determine a candidate’s personality and cultural fit.

Still, it’s a good initial indicator of where someone will impact your team most.

16. “What was the last gift you gave someone?”

If your candidate is very stiff and formal, consider loosening her up with a question like this one, asked by Gallup during a Data Analyst interview. It should reveal something about your candidate’s character.

Ideally, it will elicit a warm, emotional response, helping you form a deeper bond with your candidate.

For instance, if your candidate says something like, “My brother loves baseball, so a couple of weeks ago, I bought him tickets to a Red Sox game,” you have information to help you create a connection to your candidate and, ideally create an environment in which she feels more comfortable.

17. “How many square feet of pizza are eaten in the U.S. each year?”

This is a tricky question asked by Goldman Sachs during a Programmer Analyst interview.

The inquiry aims to test your candidate‘s logical reasoning skills. While you don’t need a candidate to get the “right” answer, you’ll want one who remains composed and thoughtful when providing an educated guess.

For instance, your ideal candidate might say, “Well, a pizza is roughly one square foot.

If the average American eats one-third of a pizza and eats pizza three times a month, that would mean 12 square feet a year. Then, multiply that number by 200 million Americans, and you get 2.4 billion square feet.”

18. “If you could compare yourself with any animal, which would it be and why?”

Like the tree question, this question helps you see a candidate’s innovativeness, creativity, and quick-thinking skills. Your candidates should use this question to mention their strengths and highlight their good character.

For instance, an ideal answer might be, “I’d be a horse. Horses are powerful and capable of functioning well both independently and as a part of a team. Additionally, they are often fast learners.”

19. “If you could have dinner with any two famous people, dead or alive, who would you choose?”

An answer would give insight into the qualities the candidate admires most in the people they choose. For example, an excellent answer would be:

“I would have dinner with both Beyonce and Michael Jackson. Aside from being a huge fan of their music, I also admire their dedication to their craft and how committed they are/were to creating the best experience possible for their fans.”

20. “What was your best day at work?”

The ideal candidate would answer in a way that shows their accomplishments, values, and qualities they like in a workplace.

An excellent answer would be:

“My best day at work was when I was awarded Marketer of the Year for my successful digital campaign.

I was proud of my accomplishment, but the highlight was how kind and congratulatory my team was toward me. Working alongside such caring people made me feel valued and happy.”

Interview Takeaways for Any Type of Question

As an employer or hiring manager, you want your interview questions to help you determine a candidate‘s values, strengths, character, and how well they’d fit into your organization.

While many traditional job interview questions are still necessary to determine their experience and skills, it’s good to mix things to get a complete picture of a potential employee.

As a candidate, you should look into unconventional job interview questions to be prepared to think on your feet.

Also, familiarize yourself with the company, its values, and its mission statement to ensure your answers align with the organization.

Reading sample business plans is essential when you’re writing your own. As you explore business plan examples from real companies and brands, you’ll learn how to write one that gets your business off on the right foot, convinces investors to provide funding, and confirms your venture is sustainable for the long term.

But what does a business plan look like? And how do you write one that is viable and convincing? Let’s review the ideal business plan formally, then take a look at business plan templates and samples you can use to inspire your own.

Business Plan Format

Ask any successful sports coach how they win so many games, and they’ll tell you they have a unique plan for every single game. The same logic applies to business. If you want to build a thriving company that can pull ahead of the competition, you need to prepare for battle before breaking into a market.

Business plans guide you along the rocky journey of growing a company. Referencing one will keep you on the path toward success. And if your business plan is compelling enough, it can also convince investors to give you funding.

With so much at stake, you might be wondering, “Where do I start? How should I format this?”

Typically, a business plan is a document that will detail how a company will achieve its goals.

Most business plans include the following sections:

1. Executive Summary

The executive summary is arguably the most important section of the entire business plan. Essentially, it’s the overview or introduction, written in a way to grab readers’ attention and guide them through the rest of the business plan. This is important, because a business plan can be dozens or hundreds of pages long.

Most executive summaries include:

Mission statement
Company history and leadership
Competitive advantage overview
Financial projections
Company goals

Keep in mind you’ll cover many of these topics in more detail later on in the business plan. So, keep the executive summary clear and brief, including only the most important takeaways.

Executive Summary Business Plan Examples

This example was created with HubSpot’s business plan template:

And the executive summary below tells potential investors a short story that covers all the most important details this business plan will cover in a succinct and interesting way.

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Tips for Writing Your Executive Summary

Clearly define a problem, and explain how your product solves that problem, and show why the market needs your business.
Be sure to highlight your value proposition, market opportunity, and growth potential.
Keep it concise and support ideas with data.
Customize your summary to your audience. For example, emphasize finances and return on investment for venture capitalists.

Check out our tips for writing an effective executive summary for more guidance.

2. Market Opportunity

This is where you’ll detail the opportunity in the market. Where is the gap in the current industry, and how will your product fill that gap?

In this section, you might include:

The size of the market
Current or potential market share
Trends in the industry and consumer behavior
Where the gap is
What caused the gap
How you intend to fill it

To get a thorough understanding of the market opportunity, you’ll want to conduct a TAM, SAM, and SOM analysis and perform market research on your industry. You may also benefit from creating a SWOT analysis to get some of the insights for this section.

Market Opportunity Business Plan Example

This example uses critical data to underline the size of the potential market and what part of that market this service hopes to capture.

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Tips for Writing Your Market Opportunity Section

Focus on demand and potential for growth.
Use market research, surveys, and industry trend data to support your market forecast and projections.
Add a review of regulation shifts, tech advances, and consumer behavior changes.
Refer to reliable sources.
Showcase how your business can make the most of this opportunity.

3. Competitive Landscape

Speaking of market share, you’ll need to create a section that shares details on who the top competitors are. After all, your customers likely have more than one brand to choose from, and you’ll want to understand exactly why they might choose one over another. Performing a competitive analysis can help you uncover:

Industry trends that other brands may not be utilizing
Strengths in your competition that may be obstacles to handle
Weaknesses in your competition that may help you develop selling points
The unique proposition you bring to the market that may resonate with customers

Competitive Landscape Business Plan Example

The competitive landscape section of the business plan below shows a clear outline of who the top competitors are. It also highlights specific industry knowledge and the importance of location, which shows useful experience in this specific industry. This can help build trust in your ability to execute your business plan.

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Tips for Writing Your Competitive Landscape

Complete in-depth research, then emphasize your most important findings.
Compare your unique selling proposition (USP) to your direct and indirect competitors.
Show a clear and realistic plan for product and brand differentiation.
Look for specific advantages and barriers in the competitive landscape. Then, highlight how that information could impact your business.
Outline growth opportunities from a competitive perspective.
Add customer feedback and insights to support your competitive analysis.

4. Target Audience

This section will describe who your customer segments are in detail. What is the demographic and psychographic information of your audience?

If your immediate answer is “everyone,” you’ll need to dig deeper. Ask yourself:

What demographics will most likely need/buy your product or service?
What are the psychographics of this audience? (Desires, triggering events, etc.)
Why are your offerings valuable to them?

It can be helpful to build a buyer persona to get in the mindset of your ideal customers and be clear on why you’re targeting them.

Target Audience Business Plan Example

The example below uses in-depth research to draw conclusions about audience priorities. It also analyzes how to create the right content for this audience.

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Tips for Writing Your Target Audience Section

Include details on the size and growth potential of your target audience.
Figure out and refine the pain points for your target audience, then show why your product is a useful solution.
Describe your targeted customer acquisition strategy in detail.
Share anticipated challenges your business may face in acquiring customers and how you plan to address them.
Add case studies, testimonials, and other data to support your target audience ideas.
Remember to consider niche audiences and segments of your target audience in your business plan.

5. Marketing Strategy

Here, you’ll discuss how you’ll acquire new customers with your marketing strategy. You might consider including information on:

The brand positioning vision and how you’ll cultivate it
The goal targets you aim to achieve
The metrics you’ll use to measure success
The channels and distribution tactics you’ll use

It can help to already have a marketing plan built out to help you with this part of your business plan.

Marketing Strategy Business Plan Example

This business plan example includes the marketing strategy for the town of Gawler. It offers a comprehensive picture of how it plans to use digital marketing to promote the community.

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Tips for Writing Your Marketing Strategy

Include a section about how you believe your brand vision will appeal to customers.
Add the budget and resources you’ll need to put your plan in place.
Outline strategies for specific marketing segments.
Connect strategies to earlier sections like target audience and competitive analysis.
Review how your marketing strategy will scale with the growth of your business.
Cover a range of channels and tactics to highlight your ability to adapt your plan in the face of change.

6. Key Features and Benefits

At some point in your business plan, you’ll review the key features and benefits of your products and/or services. Laying these out can give readers an idea of how you’re positioning yourself in the market and the messaging you’re likely to use. It can even help them gain better insight into your business model.

Key Features and Benefits Business Plan Example

The example below outlines products and services for this business, along with why these qualities will attract the audience.

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Tips for Writing Your Key Features and Benefits

Emphasize why and how your product or service offers value to customers.
Use metrics and testimonials to support the ideas in this section.
Talk about how your products and services have the potential to scale.
Think about including a product roadmap.
Focus on customer needs, and how the features and benefits you are sharing meet those needs.
Offer proof of concept for your ideas, like case studies or pilot program feedback.
Proofread this section carefully, and remove any jargon or complex language.

7. Pricing and Revenue

This is where you’ll discuss your cost structure and various revenue streams. Your pricing strategy must be solid enough to turn a profit while staying competitive in the industry. For this reason, you might outline:

The specific pricing breakdowns per product or service
Why your pricing is higher or lower than your competition’s
(If higher) Why customers would be willing to pay more
(If lower) How you’re able to offer your products or services at a lower cost
When you expect to break even, what margins do you expect, etc?

Pricing and Revenue Business Plan Example

This business plan example begins with an overview of the business revenue model, then shows proposed pricing for key products.

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Tips for Writing Your Pricing and Revenue Section

Get specific about your pricing strategy. Specifically, how you connect that strategy to customer needs and product value.
If you are asking a premium price, share unique features or innovations that justify that price point.
Show how you plan to communicate pricing to customers.
Create an overview of every revenue stream for your business and how each stream adds to your business model as a whole.
Share plans to develop new revenue streams in the future.
Show how and whether pricing will vary by customer segment and how pricing aligns with marketing strategies.
Restate your value proposition and explain how it aligns with your revenue model.

8. Financials

This section is particularly informative for investors and leadership teams to figure out funding strategies, investment opportunities, and more. According to Forbes, you’ll want to include three main things:

Profit/Loss Statement – This answers the question of whether your business is currently profitable.
Cash Flow Statement – This details exactly how much cash is incoming and outgoing to give insight into how much cash a business has on hand.
Balance Sheet – This outlines assets, liabilities, and equity, which gives insight into how much a business is worth.

While some business plans might include more or less information, these are the key details you’ll want to include.

Financials Business Plan Example

This balance sheet example shows the level of detail you will need to include in the financials section of your business plan:

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Tips for Writing Your Financials Section

Growth potential is important in this section too. Using your data, create a forecast of financial performance in the next three to five years.
Include any data that supports your projections to assure investors of the credibility of your proposal.
Add a break-even analysis to show that your business plan is financially practical. This information can also help you pivot quickly as your business grows.
Consider adding a section that reviews potential risks and how sensitive your plan is to changes in the market.
Triple-check all financial information in your plan for accuracy.
Show how any proposed funding needs align with your plans for growth.

As you create your business plan, keep in mind that each of these sections will be formatted differently. Some may be in paragraph format, while others could be charts or graphs.

Business Plan Types

The formats above apply to most types of business plans. That said, the format and structure of your plan will vary by your goals for that plan. So, we’ve added a quick review of different business plan types. For a more detailed overview, check out this post.

1. Startups

Startup business plans are for proposing new business ideas.

If you’re planning to start a small business, preparing a business plan is crucial. The plan should include all the major factors of your business. You can check out this guide for more detailed business plan inspiration.

2. Feasibility Studies

Feasibility business plans focus on that business’s product or service. Feasibility plans are sometimes added to startup business plans. They can also be a new business plan for an already thriving organization.

3. Internal Use

You can use internal business plans to share goals, strategies, or performance updates with stakeholders. Internal business plans are useful for alignment and building support for ambitious goals.

4. Strategic Initiatives

Another business plan that’s often for sharing internally is a strategic business plan. This plan covers long-term business objectives that might not have been included in the startup business plan.

5. Business Acquisition or Repositioning

When a business is moving forward with an acquisition or repositioning, it may need extra structure and support. These types of business plans expand on a company’s acquisition or repositioning strategy.

6. Growth

Growth sometimes just happens as a business continues operations. But more often, a business needs to create a structure with specific targets to meet set goals for expansion. This business plan type can help a business focus on short-term growth goals and align resources with those goals.

Sample Business Plan Templates

Now that you know what’s included and how to format a business plan, let’s review some templates.

1. HubSpot’s One-Page Business Plan

Download a free, editable one-page business plan template.

The business plan linked above was created here at HubSpot and is perfect for businesses of any size — no matter how many strategies we still have to develop.

Fields such as Company Description, Required Funding, and Implementation Timeline give this one-page business plan a framework for how to build your brand and what tasks to keep track of as you grow. Then, as the business matures, you can expand on your original business plan with a new iteration of the above document.

Why We Like It

This one-page business plan is a fantastic choice for the new business owner who doesn’t have the time or resources to draft a full-blown business plan. It includes all the essential sections in an accessible, bullet-point-friendly format. That way, you can get the broad strokes down before honing in on the details.

2. HubSpot’s Downloadable Business Plan Template

We also created a business plan template for entrepreneurs.

Download a free, editable one-page business plan template.

The template is designed as a guide and checklist for starting your own business. You’ll learn what to include in each section of your business plan and how to do it. There’s also a list for you to check off when you finish each section of your business plan.

Strong game plans help coaches win games and help businesses rocket to the top of their industries. So if you dedicate the time and effort required to write a workable and convincing business plan, you’ll boost your chances of success and even dominance in your market.

Why We Like It

This business plan kit is essential for the budding entrepreneur who needs a more extensive document to share with investors and other stakeholders. It not only includes sections for your executive summary, product line, market analysis, marketing plan, and sales plan, but it also offers hands-on guidance for filling out those sections.

3. LiveFlow’s Financial Planning Template with built-in automation

This free template from LiveFlow aims to make it easy for businesses to create a financial plan and track their progress on a monthly basis. The P&L Budget versus Actual format allows users to track their revenue, cost of sales, operating expenses, operating profit margin, net profit, and more.

The summary dashboard aggregates all of the data put into the financial plan sheet and will automatically update when changes are made. Instead of wasting hours manually importing your data to your spreadsheet, LiveFlow can also help you to automatically connect your accounting and banking data directly to your spreadsheet, so your numbers are always up-to-date.

With the dashboard, you can view your runway, cash balance, burn rate, gross margins, and other metrics. Having a simple way to track everything in one place will make it easier to complete the financials section of your business plan.

Why We Like It

This is a fantastic template to track performance and alignment internally and to create a dependable process for documenting financial information across the business. It’s highly versatile and beginner-friendly. It’s especially useful if you don’t have an accountant on the team. (We always recommend you do, but for new businesses, having one might not be possible.)

4. ThoughtCo’s Sample Business Plan

If you want to reference an actual business plan while writing your own, ThoughtCo’s got you covered. It created a fictional company called Acme Management Technology and wrote an entire business plan for it.

Using its sample business plan as a guide while filling out your own will help you catch and include small yet important details in your business plan that you otherwise might not have noticed.

Why We Like It

This is a fantastic template for an existing business that’s strategically shifting directions. If your company has been around for a while, and you’re looking to improve your bottom line or revitalize your strategy, this is an excellent template to use and follow.

5. BPlan’s Free Business Plan Template

One of the more financially oriented sample business plans in this list, BPlan’s free business plan template dedicates many of its pages to your business’s financial plan and financial statements.

After filling this business plan out, your company will truly understand its financial health and the steps you need to take to maintain or improve it.

Why We Like It

We absolutely love this business plan template because of its ease-of-use and hands-on instructions (in addition to its finance-centric components). If you feel overwhelmed by the thought of writing an entire business plan, consider using this template to help you with the process.

6. Harvard Business Review’s “How to Write a Winning Business Plan”

Most sample business plans teach you what to include in your business plan, but this Harvard Business Review article will take your business plan to the next level — it teaches you the why and how behind writing a business plan.

With the guidance of Stanley Rich and Richard Gumpert, co-authors of “Business Plans That Win: Lessons From the MIT Enterprise Forum“, you’ll learn how to write a convincing business plan that emphasizes the market demand for your product or service. You’ll also learn the financial benefits investors can reap from putting money into your venture rather than trying to sell them on how great your product or service is.

Why We Like It

This business plan guide focuses less on the individual parts of a business plan, and more on the overarching goal of writing one. For that reason, it’s one of our favorites to supplement any template you choose to use. Harvard Business Review’s guide is instrumental for both new and seasoned business owners.

7. HubSpot’s Complete Guide to Starting a Business

If you’re an entrepreneur, you know writing a business plan is one of the most challenging first steps to starting a business. Fortunately, with HubSpot’s comprehensive guide to starting a business, you’ll learn how to map out all the details by understanding what to include in your business plan and why it’s important to include them. The guide also fleshes out an entire sample business plan for you.

If you need further guidance on starting a business, HubSpot’s guide can teach you how to make your business legal, choose and register your business name, and fund your business. It will also give small business tax information and includes marketing, sales, and service tips.

Why We Like It

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of starting a business, in addition to writing your business plan, with a high level of exactitude and detail. So if you’re in the midst of starting your business, this is an excellent guide for you. It also offers other resources you might need, such as market analysis templates.

8. Panda Doc’s Free Business Plan Template

PandaDoc’s free business plan template is one of the more detailed and fleshed-out sample business plans on this list. It describes what you should include in each section, so you don’t have to come up with everything from scratch.

Once you fill it out, you’ll fully understand your business’ nitty-gritty details and how all of its moving parts should work together to contribute to its success.

Why We Like It

This template has two things we love: comprehensiveness and in-depth instructions. Plus, it’s synced with PandaDoc’s e-signature software so that you and other stakeholders can sign it with ease. For that reason, we especially love it for those starting a business with a partner or with a board of directors.

9. Small Business Administration Free Business Plan Template

The Small Business Administration (SBA) offers several free business plan templates that can be used to inspire your own plan. Before you get started, you can decide what type of business plan you need — a traditional or lean start-up plan.

Then, you can review the format for both of those plans and view examples of what they might look like.

Why We Like It

We love both of the SBA’s templates because of their versatility. You can choose between two options and use the existing content in the templates to flesh out your own plan. Plus, if needed, you can get a free business counselor to help you along the way.

Top Business Plan Examples

Here are some completed business plan samples to get an idea of how to customize a plan for your business. We’ve chosen different types of business plan ideas to expand your imagination. Some are extensive, while others are fairly simple.

Take a look.

1. LiveFlow

One of the major business expenses is marketing. How you handle your marketing reflects your company’s revenue. We included this business plan to show you how you can ensure your marketing team is aligned with your overall business plan to get results. The plan also shows you how to track even the smallest metrics of your campaigns, like ROI and payback periods instead of just focusing on big metrics like gross and revenue.

Fintech startup, LiveFlow, allows users to sync real-time data from its accounting services, payment platforms, and banks into custom reports. This eliminates the task of pulling reports together manually, saving teams time and helping automate workflows.

When it came to including marketing strategy in its business plan, LiveFlow created a separate marketing profit and loss statement (P&L) to track how well the company was doing with its marketing initiatives. This is a great approach, allowing businesses to focus on where their marketing dollars are making the most impact.

“Using this framework over a traditional marketing plan will help you set a profitable marketing strategy taking things like CAC, LTV, Payback period, and P&L into consideration,” explains LiveFlow co-founder, Lasse Kalkar.

Having this information handy will enable you to build out your business plan’s marketing section with confidence. LiveFlow has shared the template here. You can test it for yourself.

2. Lula Body

This is a good business plan example for service-based businesses such as gyms, boxing classes, dancing studios, etc. For starters, the plan shows how to budget for the business loan and what to focus on buying first. Everything is well presented, including what to charge the customers in different scenarios and the expected revenue. This is a good foundation from which business performance can be evaluated with time.

Brooklyn Business owner and Pilates instructor, Tara Kashyap, saw a need in her community for a Pilates, tissue, and bodywork studio. In response, she opened Lula Body in Crown Heights.

Pictured above is a hypothetical pricing and revenue statement based on Lula Body’s business plan. As you can see, Kashyap breaks down the cost of classes, start-up expenses, monthly expenses, and her monthly sales projection. Everything from equipment costs to loan interest is included in the expenses to give the most accurate picture of operating costs and revenue.

If you’re seeking outside funding for your business, you’ll want to make sure this section of your business plan is as thorough as possible.

3. Patagonia

Sometimes all you need is a solid mission statement and core values to guide you on how to go about everything. You do this by creating a business plan revolving around how to fulfill your statement best. For example, Patagonia is an eco-friendly company, so their plan discusses how to make the best environmentally friendly products without causing harm.

A good mission statement should not only resonate with consumers but should also serve as a core value compass for employees as well.

Outdoor clothing retailer, Patagonia, has one of the most compelling mission statements we’ve seen:

“Together, let’s prioritise purpose over profit and protect this wondrous planet, our only home.”

It reels you in from the start, and the environmentally friendly theme continues throughout the rest of the statement.

This mission goes on to explain that they are out to “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to protect nature.”

Their mission statement is compelling and detailed, with each section outlining how they will accomplish their goal.

4. Vesta Home Automation

This is the kind of business plan you need when applying for business funds. It clearly illustrates the expected future of the company and how the business has been coming along over the years.

This executive summary for a smart home device startup is part of a business plan created by students at Mount Royal University. While it lacks some of the sleek visuals of the templates above, its executive summary does a great job of demonstrating how invested they are in the business.

Right away, they mention they’ve invested $200,000 into the company already, which shows investors they have skin in the game and aren’t just looking for someone else to foot the bill.

5. NALB Creative Center

This fictional business plan for an art supply store includes everything one might need in a business plan: an executive summary, a company summary, a list of services, a market analysis summary, and more. Due to its comprehensiveness, it’s an excellent example to follow if you’re opening a brick-and-mortar store and need to get external funding to start your business.

One of its most notable sections is its market analysis summary, which includes an overview of the population growth in the business’ target geographical area, as well as a breakdown of the types of potential customers they expect to welcome at the store. This sort of granular insight is essential for understanding and communicating your business’s growth potential. Plus, it lays a strong foundation for creating relevant and useful buyer personas.

It’s essential to keep this information up-to-date as your market and target buyer changes. For that reason, you should carry out market research as often as possible to ensure that you’re targeting the correct audience and sharing accurate information with your investors.

6. Curriculum Companion Suites (CSS)

If you’re looking for a SaaS business plan example, look no further than this business plan for a fictional educational software company called Curriculum Companion Suites. Like the business plan for the NALB Creative Center, it includes plenty of information for prospective investors and other key stakeholders in the business.

One of the most notable features of this business plan is the executive summary, which includes an overview of the product, market, and mission. The first two are essential for software companies because the product offering is so often at the forefront of the company’s strategy. Without that information being immediately available to investors and executives, then you risk writing an unfocused business plan.

It’s also essential to front-load your company’s mission if it explains your “Why?” In other words, why do you do what you do, and why should stakeholders care? This is an important section to include if you feel that your mission will drive interest in the business and its offerings.

7. Culina Sample Business Plan

Culina’s sample business plan is an excellent example of how to lay out your business plan so that it flows naturally, engages readers, and provides the critical information investors and stakeholders need. You can also use this template as a guide while you’re gathering important details. After looking at this sample, you’ll have a better understanding of the data and research you need to do for your own business plan.

8. Plum Sample Business Plan

This is one of my favorite sample business plans because you can see how implementing visuals can help tell your brand’s story. The images in this plan are cutting-edge, which makes sense for an innovative company like Plum. When creating your own business plan, make sure the pictures and design you use make sense for your branding.

Additionally, the financial charts included are an excellent guide if you’re not sure what financial information to include.

9. LiveShopBuy Sample Business Plan

With this business plan, the focus is the investment opportunity. This is an excellent template to use if you’re going to use your business plan to seek funding. The investment opportunity section is placed right up front and is several pages long. Then, it goes into more detail about the company and its key services.

Get Started Writing Your Business Plan

When you’re first getting started on your business plan, it can be daunting. The business world moves fast, and it’s full of ambitious companies scrambling to gain the majority of their industry’s market share.

That’s why it’s important to make sure you understand the value your business offers and can communicate that through a properly formatted business plan.

Editor’s note: This post was originally published in November 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. This article was written by a human, but our team uses AI in our editorial process. Check out our full disclosure to learn more about how we use AI.

What do your customers know about you? Do they know you sell products and have a website? That’s not always enough to build a brand identity that resonates with buyers and establishes your brand as the right choice. 

People who find you online want to know about your company’s mission, vision, and, of course, how you can help them solve their problems. And, an impactful and memorable first impression can help you stand out in the digital world.

How can you make sure that they have all that information at their fingertips? Well, a company profile is the perfect tool for the job.

In this article, we’ll discuss:

What a Company Profile is
How to Write a Company Profile
Company Overview Template
Company Profile Examples
Company Description Examples
Company Profile Templates

A company profile serves multiple purposes, but two of its primary goals are to connect with customers and attract investors for funding opportunities.

Why Company Profiles are Important

Company profiles go a step beyond the standard “about” page. They share how your company got started — and why you continue to serve customers.

Here are some of the reasons why having a company profile is important:

1. A company profile differentiates your brand.

A company profile describes what makes your company unique. It automatically differentiates your brand because no other company has the exact same founding story and reason for existing that your business does. Your history and values are integral parts of your brand positioning strategy, and a company profile is where you can mention this information without it feeling extraneous or out of place.

2. A company profile may justify a higher price point.

You can justify a higher price point for your products and services, if you go into details about your production values or ethically-sourced materials.

For instance, Starbucks’ coffee may not necessarily be better than Dunkin’ Donuts’ coffee, but because Starbucks goes into details about its high-quality ingredients, it immediately creates the sense that you’ll be paying a little more for a “better” product.

3. A Company profile builds your reputation.

What do you want your company to be known for?Is your company the one that started as a small family-owned shop that grew into a billion-dollar enterprise? Or is it a company that upholds sustainability and puts ethics at the forefront of its brand? You can build your reputation through marketing, service, and sales campaigns, but it all begins with a well-curated first impression.

Now that you understand the importance of a company profile, it’s time to learn how to write one. Creating a company profile doesn’t have to be nerve-wracking. In fact, it can actually be rather straightforward.

Here are 11 steps to guide you on how to write your company profile.

1. Start with a company profile template.

Download the Free Company Profile Templates

No need to start from scratch. We created six free company profile templates for you to organize and share your profile. Download these templates for free and follow along with the next steps in this article. 

2. State the purpose of the company profile.

This is the most critical part when writing an effective company profile. You want to make sure that the statement aligns with what you’re trying to accomplish. For instance, if your goal is to attract investors, you can include:

Your business’s performance
The value of the products you sell
The company’s revenue

On the other hand, if you want to attract customers, it’s best to add the company values to your profile.

The purpose of a company profile should act as your guide throughout the process, so take your time on it.

3. Decide on the format or style.

How you present your profile significantly affects how successful it is. It’s important that the style offers excellent readability and encourages the audience to engage with it.

This depends on your audience – for example, it’s best to stick to the traditional format for an accounting firm. That is, list the company’s achievements and awards.

On the other hand, if you’re in a fashion or social media marketing firm, it’s advisable to be creative and visual. Byte/Dept, for example, is a marketing technology company with a creative and visual homepage that is in line with what it offers. 

Don’t be afraid to experiment or go wild with your ideas as long as they resonate with your target audience.

4. Tell your story & be authentic.

There are probably a million other businesses that sell what you’re selling, but no one else shares your story. Your story is what makes you unique. Don’t just write numbers and dates; let your prospects know who you really are. Be vulnerable and tell them why you started your business.

What inspired you? Share the bad and the good – it doesn’t have to be glamorous. It only has to be authentic.

5. Add your company’s mission statement.

If you don’t have a mission statement, it’s time to craft one. Writing a mission statement for your company isn’t as scary as it sounds, and there is no need to overthink it. You only need to ask yourself these three questions:

Who you serve – this is your target consumer
How do you do it – what product or service do you provide to solve their problems?
What makes you different – why should your consumers buy from you or trust you over your competitors?

6. Write your company’s history.

This needs to be in chronological; otherwise, it will confuse your readers. You can do it in a paragraph or a timeline format as long as it shows a flow.

Another tip is to remember that less can be more. As tempting as it is to share all your milestones, stick to the major ones to avoid overwhelming the reader.

7. Describe the products and services you offer.

The next step is to describe what your company offers. You can choose a few of your best products or services and give an in-depth description or simply list down everything your business offers.

8. Name the awards your company has received.

If you have received any awards or recognition, add them to your profile and describe them. They showcase your company’s values and give the community a reason to trust you.

9. Add your customer’s testimonials.

Your customers may take everything you say with a grain of salt, but they will believe other customers who have used your products. This is an excellent way to promote your business without having your products or services come off as hard-sell.

If you’re a B2C business, simply include some of your customer’s best quotes, tied with your best value products. If you’re a B2B business, have a testimonial from the most prominent client on your profile.

Hedley & Bennett, a restaurant wear company, features customer reviews and testimonials on its homepage. 

10. Include a call to action.

This isn’t mandatory, but it’s a nice touch to your company’s profile. What do you want the readers to do after reading the profile? Visit your branch, check out your website, or call you? Simply include it at the end of your profile. This brings us to our last step.

11. Add your company’s contact information.

This is one of the most critical parts of the company profile. Include all the possible ways your prospects can reach you. This may include but is not limited to; social media profiles, websites, phone numbers, fax, email, and physical address.

Make sure it’s visible to anyone who reads your company profile.

Company Overview Template

Now that we have gone through all the necessary steps you need to create a company profile, it’s time to put all that into action. Here is a simple company overview template that will help you get started.

Our Story

Our Founder and CEO [Name] was inspired to start this company by [ one or two sources of inspiration].

At [Company Name], we encourage our community to [ a positive statement related to your brand].

Meet our Team

Our Mission, Vision & Values

Mission

Our goal is to provide our customers with the best [ service or product] at the best possible market price without compromising quality.

Vision

To be the most reliable [ service or product] provider and enhance [what your product or service does].

Core values

What Our Customers are Saying

Contact Information

Location

Website URL

Social Media Pages

Cell Number

Company Profile Examples

1. Starbucks

Starbucks’ company profile has it all — its mission, background story, products, store atmosphere, and even folklore regarding the name. Best of all, they manage to pull off sounding genuine and grandiose. I don’t know many other coffee stores that could claim that their mission is “to inspire and nurture the human spirit.”

Starbucks’ company profile is a fantastic example of a store with a common household product: coffee. Starbucks managed to stand out from the competition through its mission and values.

2. Wales Bonner

If your company has an exciting and intellectual history, you might consider creating a profile like Wales Bonner’s. It begins with an impactful statement: “Wales Bonner proposes a distinct notion of cultural luxury that infuses European heritage with an Afro Atlantic spirit. Launched by Grace Wales Bonner following her graduation from Central Saint Martins in 2014, the label is informed by broad cultural research and embraces a multiplicity of perspectives.”

After sharing the brand’s intellectual background, it describes the owner’s journey in building the company, starting from the time she was a college student, as well as the accolades she has received through her ingenuity in design. With a good balance of image and text, the timeline serves as a reminder of Wales Bonner’s stability and growth.

3. Diehl Group Architects

For both cleanliness and ease-of-use, take a look at Diehl Group Architects’ company profile. The web page uses clickable boxes to separate topics, allowing users to choose which subject they’d like to learn more about.Additionally, the entire design mirrors the company’s purpose, including the page’s background, which displays a floor plan.

4. Bloomberg

Consumers use video as an integral part of their journey with brands, so you might consider using a compelling video to convey your company’s story as Bloomberg does in its company profile.

Bloomberg’s profile proves the company knows its audience because they offer quick statistics and links to other areas of the site, such as Careers and Tech. While other businesses might do well in offering a creative, long-form story, Bloomberg’s typical demographic is likely more analytical.

5. Nike

You can get a sense of Nike’s two primary purposes almost instantly — fitness, people, and inclusion.

When you land on its website, you’re greeted by a bold statement:  “Bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete* in the world.” The asterisk implies, “If you have a body, you are an athlete.” As you scroll, you’ll see information on its internal diversity and inclusion initiative, global community impact, and sustainable business program, with very little mention of its products.

Nike’s company profile portrays a larger, grander vision, compelling an audience to believe in its brand before purchasing a product.

6. Seattle Cider

Seattle Cider Company’s profile is minimal and engages viewers through compelling animations that demonstrate the company’s cider selection. The page flows seamlessly and provides critical information regarding the product before displaying the company’s mission and values. This profile is a good example of a company that understands its users’ concerns (in this case, quality ingredients), and addresses those issues while still displaying personality and flair.

7. Delta

Delta’s page is well-organized by topic and showcases the company’s values, including efforts to engage with the community and promote sustainability. It includes brief meta-descriptions below each category, and the design allows users to click through to learn more. Overall, Delta’s company profile is simple and uncluttered but includes all the necessary information to demonstrate why it’s unique. 

8. Roam Loud

Roam Loud’s company profile is a great example and inspiration for any brand that has a personal story. It’s simple yet effective, starting with a friendly greeting, “Hey there!” and ending with a list of values. In between, the founder clearly states why she created her brand and why its existence is important to her and prospective buyers. 

9. MAD Architects

MAD Architects’ company profile is a great example of simplicity and informativeness. The profile isn’t shy about the firm’s accomplishments and lets readers dive deeper into the firm’s exhibitions, lectures, awards, and publications, all visible on different tabs on the same page. By leaning into a strong brand voice and giving details about its service, customers have the information they need to decide for themselves. 

If your business is a leader in your field, consider creating one similar to MAD Architects. 

10. Topicals

Topicals is a skincare company that provides products and education to help people target and learn about flare-ups. It has a one-of-a-kind about us page that is interactive and provides a fun experience for site visitors. 

When you land on the page, you immediately see multiple interactive cards, the first of which features a description of its mission. Once you’re done reading about its purpose, you can learn more about the company by clicking on the other cards, or simply selecting the information that is most relevant to your needs.

Examples of Company Descriptions

Here are some examples of company descriptions that enhance their organizations’ company profile.

1. HubSpot

On HubSpot’s profile page, you’ll find a brief description of the company’s mission and what it does. In just a few words, HubSpot explains that the company’s goal is to help businesses grow through its specialized inbound software.

2. Landed, Inc.

Landed, Inc’s About Us page begins with a brief description that explains why it exists: “Buying a home is more than a milestone, it’s a key to building a strong financial future.” From there, it talks about its mission, how it helps people buy homes, and a brief company history and description. 

3. H&H Wealth

In the “Why Zaneilia” page of its website, the founder of H&H Wealth briefly introduces what she believes in and encourages her customers to walk the journey with her. She also makes a promise to her clients, setting expectations and the tone for the service she’ll deliver, helping her and her business come across as a partner rather than a vendor.

4. Dope Coffee

Dope Coffee aims to bridge the gap between coffee, hip hop, and culture to uplift the Black community. Its website describes the company’s history and mission, but a single line sticks out as a powerful and impactful description of its business to take inspiration from: “We are Dope Coffee Company, and we are changing the world one cup of coffee at a time.”

5. Authentique Agency

Authentique Agency provides the perfect amount of information upfront to describe what it is and its mission and values — leveraging the power of identity in brand campaigns that reflect cultural identities rather than erasing them. It’s a great example of how to quickly and succinctly get your message across to site visitors. 

6. The Cru

The Cru is a service that connects members with like-minded women to fuel personal and professional growth. It uses an “Our Story” page as a company profile, where the founder details how she formed the organization and how she owns “Cru” (a play on the word “crew”). This summary is a testament to the value of the service. The “letter from the founder” style also feels very personal and welcoming.

7. H.J Russell & Company

H.J Russell & Company opens up its description with its history and specialties: “H. J. Russell & Company, founded over 70 years ago, is a vertically integrated service provider specializing in real estate development, construction, program management, and property management.” It also makes its values clear in the last sentence, so you get a snapshot of the company’s key proposition and leadership status in just a few sentences. It also includes critical numbers that inform people of its expertise, from the number of projects completed to the properties it manages. 

8. Carol H. Williams

Carol H. Williams, an advertising agency, doesn’t have an “about” page or a formal company description. However, it displays a snapshot of what the company is all about on its “Team” page. It emphasizes its core values and uses trendy language (“#squadgoals”) to establish that it keeps up with the current trends.

9. Cafe Con Libros

Cafe Con Libros doesn’t have an about us page, but it does have a company description that clearly explains its mission and values in two short sentences: “Cafe con Libros (coffee with books) is an Intersectional Feminist community bookstore and coffee shop. Through our choice of books, programming, and great coffee, we endeavor to create a vibrant community space where everyone; specifically womxn-identified folx, feel centered, affirmed and celebrated.” 

10. Custom Collaborative

Custom Collaborative helps no/low-income immigrant women build entrepreneurship skills that help them succeed in sustainable fashion. Its about us page features essential need-to-know information for anyone looking to them for support, interested in donating to the cause, or simply looking to learn more about the business. 

Company Profile Templates

Download These Templates for Free

Company name
Established date
Physical address per location
Contact information

About Us / Our Story / Our Beginning

In this part of the company profile, you will need to include a brief introduction to your company, including where, when, and by whom the company was founded, the company’s mission statement, and/or the company’s vision and purpose. You don’t necessarily have to include products or services in this section yet, but focus on your bigger meaning, and how you stand out from competitors instead. Tell your story in a compelling way. For instance, HubSpot starts their About Us section with, “More than ten years ago, we had a vision — an inbound world”. HubSpot doesn’t mention their products until further down the page.

If you want to add your company history in a more compact way, consider adding a company timeline, like this one:

Download This Template

Our Mission / Values

Here, you need to say what your company stands for on a larger scale. You can state your ultimate goal, and your hopes for your products or services. Take a look at these inspiring company vision and mission statement examples for ideas. Here’s an example:

Download This Template

Our Team

Provide a picture or brief paragraph describing your tea.You can focus on leadership, or provide an explanation of your company’s culture. Ultimately, this section should help users understand how your employees can uniquely serve them.

Download This Template

Our Product / Services

Describe a high-level overview of what your product is, and how you hope it will positively impact the user’s life. You can link to a Product page if necessary, so keep this section relatively general.

Start Your Company Profile Today

There are a few elements that can contribute to a stellar company profile, and by adhering to a template, you can build one quickly and effectively.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2019 but has been updated for comprehensiveness.