Short answer Paste the prompt below into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot with your own details and you get a one-page plan covering what you sell, who buys it, how you'll reach them and the numbers to check, ready to talk through with your bank. Works on free plans. Time saved: about 2 to 3 hours on a first draft (estimate).
Why it helps
Most small business owners know their plan. It's just in their head. Writing it down feels like homework, so it doesn't happen until the bank, a landlord or a funder asks for it.
AI is good at turning a messy brain dump into a tidy one-pager with the usual headings. You give it the facts and your rough numbers, and it gives you a clear draft plus a list of the gaps you still need to fill. It won't know your market better than you, so the thinking is still yours.
The prompt
Copy it, swap the bits in [square brackets], and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot.
Help me write a one-page business plan for a small business in New Zealand. Use NZ English and plain words. Use these headings: What we do, Who our customers are, Why they'd pick us, How we'll find customers, What we need to get going, The numbers, Risks and what we'll do about them, Next 90 days. Rules: - Only use the facts and numbers I give you. Don't invent market sizes, stats, prices or competitors. - If something is missing, write "[to fill in]" and add it to a short list of questions at the end. - Keep it to one page, around 400 words. - For The numbers, use only my figures and show any sums so I can check them. About my business: [what you sell, where, who runs it, how long you've been going] Customers: [who buys and why] Money: [start-up costs, expected prices, rough monthly costs, how you'll fund it] What worries me: [your main risks]
Then keep chatting
Ask me 10 hard questions a bank manager would ask about this plan.
Turn The numbers into a simple table I can paste into a spreadsheet.
Write a two-sentence version I can say out loud when someone asks what my business does.
Step by step
- Jot down what you know in plain words: what you sell, who to, your prices and your costs. Rough is fine.
- Fill in the prompt and run it. Read the draft and the list of questions at the end.
- Answer the questions and ask AI to update the plan.
- Check every number yourself, then compare your draft with the free business plan templates on business.govt.nz.
- Show it to someone who'll be honest, like your accountant or a mentor, before you show it to the bank.
Worked example
Example details are made up. Your results will vary, so always read and check before you use them.
Watch out for
- Accuracy: AI can slip on arithmetic. Check every sum yourself or in a spreadsheet before anyone else sees it.
- Don't let it make things up. If the draft mentions market stats or competitors you didn't give it, delete them or find a real source (Stats NZ, your industry body).
- Privacy: you don't need to paste bank account details, IRD numbers or personal financial statements. Rough figures are enough.
- A plan isn't financial advice. For loans, tax and structure, talk to your accountant or bank. Business.govt.nz has free planning templates and guides.
Go further
Once the one-pager feels right, turn The numbers into a month-by-month view with the simple cashflow forecast use case. If you're applying for funding, the grant application draft use case reuses most of what you've just written.
