Business Plan Example of the Industry Overview

Because it's always easier to write something if you can read an example first, here is a example that you can use as a model for your own business plan's Industry Overview section.

Please note that 'Pet Grandma' is a fictional pet-based business invented for this business plan example. For instructions and tips on how to write an Industry Overview for your own business plan, see Writing a Business Plan: The Industry Section, part of my How to Write a Business Plan series.

Why Do Small Businesses Fail?

According to Innovation, Science & Economic Development Canada statistics thousands of businesses exit the marketplace every year in Canada. Business failure statistics show that about 96 percent of small businesses (1–99 employees) that enter the marketplace survive for one full year, 85 percent survive for three years and 70 percent survive for five years (Key Small Business Statistics). Approximately 7000 businesses go bankruptevery year in Canada.

Microenterprises (businesses with 1 to 4 employees) have a slightly lower business failure rate than other small businesses; after five years in business, 70.4 percent of micro-enterprises survived compared with 66.9 percent of other small businesses (Ibid).