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Business PlanFBLA prep guide for 2026-27

Team presentation: write a business plan for a new business, submit it for pre-judging, and pitch it to judges.

About this event

Business Plan asks you to develop a complete plan for launching a new business. The business must not have been operating for more than 12 months before your first level of competition. Team event (1 to 3 members). How it runs: there is no test. First you submit the written plan as a PDF report (no more than 17 pages, following the rating sheet sequence, with no links or QR codes), which is judged before the conference. Then you present live: 3 minutes to set up, a 7-minute presentation, and 3 minutes of questions. Internet access is not provided. At the National Leadership Conference your report score is added to your preliminary presentation score to decide who advances to the final round, and the final presentation decides the winners.

FormatPresentation

Duration3 minutes setup, 7-minute presentation, 3 minutes Q&A, plus a written report submitted before the conference

Solo or teamTeam event

CategoryMarketing & Sales

Your plan

How to study

Built from the official rating sheet and the event's own clock.

  1. Read the guidelines and the sheet

    Everything is scored on the rating sheet below. The official guidelines give the rules, the deadlines and what to submit.

    Official guidelines (opens in a new tab)

  2. Outline it against the sheet

    Give each part of your entry the room its points earn, starting from the biggest rows, so nothing on the sheet is left out.

    See the sheet

  3. Write it yourself

    Your entry should be your own work. ChapterPrep's judge scores it and asks questions; it never writes it for you.

  4. Rehearse the presentation

    Type or say your presentation. The judge scores it on the official rating sheet and times you against the 7-minute limit.

    Get judged on your presentation

  5. Rehearse to the clock

    You have 7 minutes, then 3 minutes of questions. Time every run, out loud, start to finish.

Judging

What judges score

The pre-judged business plan190 points

  • Executive summary15

Company Profile

  • Company profile, legal form, mission, governance, location and immediate goals15
  • Industry analysis15
  • Target market15

Competition

  • Competition analysis15
  • Marketing plan and sales strategy15
  • Operations15
  • Management and organization15
  • Long term development goals, risks and growth strategy20
  • Financials20
  • Substantiates and cites sources used while conducting research10

Report Format

  • Formats and designs a business report5
  • Includes correct grammar, punctuation and spelling5

Guideline Protocols

  • Adherence to Competitive Events Guidelines10

The presentation110 points

  • Describes the business concept and company profile10
  • Explains the marketing aspects of the business15
  • Describes operations and management plans15
  • Provides information on financial documents and projections10
  • Identifies and analyzes risks and adverse results and provides a plan to avoid them10
  • Identifies long term goals10

Presentation Delivery

  • Statements are well organized and clearly stated10
  • Displays confidence, poised body language, engaging eye contact and effective voice projection10
  • Demonstrates the ability to effectively answer questions10

Presentation Protocols

  • Adherence to Competitive Events Guidelines10

Guidelines and resources

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Curated by ChapterPrep. Free unless noted. External links open in a new tab.

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