How To Write a Winning Meal Prep Business Plan + Template

Creating a business plan is essential for any food business, but it can be especially helpful for meal prep businesses that want to improve their strategy and/or raise funding. A well-crafted business plan not only outlines the vision for your company but also documents a step-by-step roadmap of how you will accomplish it. To create an effective business plan, you must first understand the components that are essential to its success. This article provides an overview of the key elements that every meal prep business owner should include in their business plan. Download the Ultimate Business Plan Template

What is a Meal Preparation Business Plan?

A business plan is a formal written document that describes your company’s business plan or strategy and its feasibility. It documents the reasons you will be successful, your areas of competitive advantage, and it includes information about your team members. Your business plan is a key document that will convince investors and lenders (if needed) that you are positioned to become a successful venture.

Why Write a Meal Prep Business Plan?

A meal prep business plan is required for banks and investors. The document is a clear and concise guide of your food business idea and the steps you will take to make it profitable. Entrepreneurs can also use this as a roadmap when starting their new company or venture, especially if they are inexperienced in starting a business.

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Writing an Effective Meal Prep Business Plan

The following are the key components of a successful business plan:

Executive Summary

Start with a one-line description of your meal prep company
Provide a short summary of the key points in each section of your business plan, which includes information about your company’s management team, industry analysis, competitive analysis, and financial forecast, among others.

Company Description

This section should include a brief history of your company. Include a short description of how your company started, and provide a timeline of milestones your company has achieved.

If you are just starting your meal prep or meal prep delivery business, you may not have a long company history. Instead, you can include information about your professional experience in this industry and how and why you conceived your new venture. If you have worked for a similar company before or have been involved in an entrepreneurial venture before starting your meal prep firm, mention this.

Industry Analysis

The industry or market analysis is a crucial component of a business plan. Conduct thorough market research to determine industry trends and document the size of your market.

Questions to answer include:

What part of the meal prep industry are you targeting?
How big is the market?
What trends are happening in the industry right now (and if applicable, how do these trends support the success of your company)?

You should also include sources for the information you provide, such as published research reports and expert opinions.

Customer Analysis

This section should include a list of your target audience(s) with demographic and psychographic profiles (e.g., age, gender, income level, profession, job titles, interests). You will need to provide a profile of each customer segment separately, including their needs and wants.

For example, a meal prep business’ customers may include busy families, working professionals, or health-conscious individuals.

You can include information about how your customers make the decision to buy from you as well as what keeps them buying from you.

Develop a strategy for targeting those customers who are most likely to buy from you, as well as those that might be influenced to buy your products or meal prep services with the right marketing. This could include a plan for meal an additional meal prep delivery service to go along with your food prep business.

Competitive Analysis

The competitive analysis helps you determine how your product or service will be different from competitors, and what your unique selling proposition (USP) might be that will set you apart in this industry.

For each competitor, list their strengths and weaknesses. Next, determine your areas of competitive differentiation and/or advantage; that is, in what ways are you different from and ideally better than your competitors.

Below are sample competitive advantages your meal prep business may have:

Comprehensive meal planning
A variety of dietary options
Affordable pricing
Fresh and healthy ingredients
Convenient delivery

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Marketing Plan

The marketing plan part of the business plan is where you determine and document your marketing plan. Your plan should be clearly laid out, including the following 4 Ps.

Product/Service : Detail your product/service offerings here. Document their features and benefits.
Price : Document your pricing strategy here. In addition to stating the prices for your products/services, mention how your pricing compares to your competition.
Place : Where will your customers find you? What channels of distribution (e.g., partnerships) will you use to reach them if applicable?
Promotion : How will you reach your target customers? For example, you may use social media, write blog posts, create an email marketing campaign, use pay-per-click advertising, launch a direct mail campaign. Or you may promote your meal prep business via word-of-mouth marketing.

Operations Plan

This part of your business plan should include the following information:

How will you deliver your product/service to customers? For example, will you do it in person or over the phone only?
What infrastructure, equipment, and resources are needed to operate successfully? How can you meet those requirements within budget constraints?

The operations plan is where you also need to include your company’s business policies. You will want to establish policies related to everything from customer service to pricing, to the overall brand image you are trying to present.

Finally, and most importantly, in your Operations Plan, you will lay out the milestones your company hopes to achieve within the next five years. Create a chart that shows the key milestone(s) you hope to achieve each quarter for the next four quarters, and then each year for the following four years. Examples of milestones for a meal prep business include reaching $X in sales. Other examples include launching a new product line or opening a second location.

Management Team

List your team members here, including their names and titles, as well as their expertise and experience relevant to your specific meal prep industry. Include brief biography sketches for each team member.

Particularly if you are seeking funding, the goal of this section is to convince investors and lenders that your team has the expertise and experience to execute on your plan. If you are missing key team members, document the roles and responsibilities you plan to hire for in the future.

Financial Plan

Here you will include a summary of your complete and detailed financial plan (your full financial projections go in the Appendix).

This includes the following three financial statements:

Income Statement

Your income statement should include:

Revenue : how much revenue you generate.
Cost of Goods Sold : These are your direct costs associated with generating revenue. This includes labor costs, as well as the cost of any equipment and supplies used to deliver the product/service offering.
Net Income (or loss) : Once expenses and revenue are totaled and deducted from each other, this is the net income or loss.

Sample Income Statement for a Startup Meal Prep Business

Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5
Revenues
Revenues	$ 336,090	$ 450,940	$ 605,000	$ 811,730	$ 1,089,100
Total Revenue	$ 336,090	$ 450,940	$ 605,000	$ 811,730	$ 1,089,100
Direct Cost
Direct Costs	$ 67,210	$ 90,190	$ 121,000	$ 162,340	$ 217,820
Total Direct Costs	$ 67,210	$ 90,190	$ 121,000	$ 162,340	$ 217,820
*GROSS PROFIT*	$ 268,880	$ 360,750	$ 484,000	$ 649,390	$ 871,280
Other Expenses
Salaries	$ 96,000	$ 99,840	$ 105,371	$ 110,639	$ 116,171
Marketing Expenses	$ 61,200	$ 64,400	$ 67,600	$ 71,000	$ 74,600
Rent/Utility Expenses	$ 36,400	$ 37,500	$ 38,700	$ 39,800	$ 41,000
Other Expenses	$ 9,200	$ 9,200	$ 9,200	$ 9,400	$ 9,500
Total Other Expenses	$ 202,800	$ 210,940	$ 220,871	$ 230,839	$ 241,271
EBITDA	$ 66,080	$ 149,810	$ 263,129	$ 418,551	$ 630,009
Depreciation	$ 5,200	$ 5,200	$ 5,200	$ 5,200	$ 4,200
EBIT	$ 60,880	$ 144,610	$ 257,929	$ 413,351	$ 625,809
Interest Expense	$ 7,600	$ 7,600	$ 7,600	$ 7,600	$ 7,600
PRETAX INCOME	$ 53,280	$ 137,010	$ 250,329	$ 405,751	$ 618,209
Taxable Income	$ 53,280	$ 137,010	$ 250,329	$ 405,751	$ 618,209
Income Tax Expense	$ 18,700	$ 47,900	$ 87,600	$ 142,000	$ 216,400
NET INCOME	$ 34,580	$ 89,110	$ 162,729	$ 263,751	$ 401,809
*Net Profit Margin (%)*	10%	20%	27%	32%	37%

Balance Sheet

Include a balance sheet that shows your assets, liabilities, and equity. Your balance sheet should include:

Assets : All of the things you own (including cash).
Liabilities : This is what you owe against your company’s assets, such as accounts payable or loans.
Equity : The worth of your business after all liabilities and assets are totaled and deducted from each other.

Sample Balance Sheet for a Startup Meal Prep Business

Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5
ASSETS
Cash	$ 105,342	$ 188,252	$ 340,881	$ 597,431	$ 869,278
Other Current Assets	$ 41,600	$ 55,800	$ 74,800	$ 90,200	$ 121,000
Total Current Assets	$ 146,942	$ 244,052	$ 415,681	$ 687,631	$ 990,278
Fixed Assets	$ 25,000	$ 25,000	$ 25,000	$ 25,000	$ 25,000
Accum Depreciation	$ 5,200	$ 10,400	$ 15,600	$ 20,800	$ 25,000
Net fixed assets	$ 19,800	$ 14,600	$ 9,400	$ 4,200	$ 0
*TOTAL ASSETS*	$ 166,742	$ 258,652	$ 425,081	$ 691,831	$ 990,278
LIABILITIES & EQUITY
Current Liabilities	$ 23,300	$ 26,100	$ 29,800	$ 32,800	$ 38,300
Debt outstanding	$ 108,862	$ 108,862	$ 108,862	$ 108,862	$ 0
Total Liabilities	$ 132,162	$ 134,962	$ 138,662	$ 141,662	$ 38,300
Share Capital	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Retained earnings	$ 34,580	$ 123,690	$ 286,419	$ 550,170	$ 951,978
Total Equity	$ 34,580	$ 123,690	$ 286,419	$ 550,170	$ 951,978
*TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY*	$ 166,742	$ 258,652	$ 425,081	$ 691,831	$ 990,278

Cash Flow Statement

Include a cash flow statement showing how much cash comes in, how much cash goes out and a net cash flow for each year. The cash flow statement should include:

Cash Flow From Operations
Cash Flow From Investments
Cash Flow From Financing

Below is a sample of a projected cash flow statement for a startup meal prep business.

Sample Cash Flow Statement for a Startup Meal Prep Business

Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Year 5
CASH FLOW FROM OPERATIONS
Net Income (Loss)	$ 34,580	$ 89,110	$ 162,729	$ 263,751	$ 401,809
Change in Working Capital	$ (18,300)	$ (11,400)	$ (15,300)	$ (12,400)	$ (25,300)
Plus Depreciation	$ 5,200	$ 5,200	$ 5,200	$ 5,200	$ 4,200
Net Cash Flow from Operations	$ 21,480	$ 82,910	$ 152,629	$ 256,551	$ 380,709
CASH FLOW FROM INVESTMENTS
Fixed Assets	$ (25,000)	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Net Cash Flow from Investments	$ (25,000)	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
CASH FLOW FROM FINANCING
Cash from Equity	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Cash from Debt financing	$ 108,862	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ (108,862)
Net Cash Flow from Financing	$ 108,862	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ (108,862)
Net Cash Flow	$ 105,342	$ 82,910	$ 152,629	$ 256,551	$ 271,847
Cash at Beginning of Period	$ 0	$ 105,342	$ 188,252	$ 340,881	$ 597,431
Cash at End of Period	$ 105,342	$ 188,252	$ 340,881	$ 597,431	$ 869,278

Appendix

You will also want to include an appendix section which will include:

Your complete financial projections
A complete list of your company’s business policies and procedures related to the rest of your own business plan (marketing, operations, etc.)
Any other documentation which supports what you included in the body of your business plan.

Tips for Writing a Meal Preparation Business Plan

Keep it concise – A business plan should be easy to read and understand. Make sure to keep it concise and to the point.
Be realistic – It’s important to be realistic when writing a business plan. Don’t over-promise or make unrealistic assumptions.
Use graphs and charts – Graphs and charts can help illustrate your points and make your business plan more visually appealing.
Use a professional tone – A business plan should be written in a professional tone, using proper grammar and spelling.
Have someone else proofread it – It’s important to have someone else proofread your business plan before you submit it. This can help ensure that it is free of mistakes.

Conclusion

Writing a good business plan gives you the advantage of being fully prepared to launch and/or grow your meal prep company or meal prep delivery business. It not only outlines your business vision but also provides a step-by-step process of how you will accomplish it.

Now that you know what should go into a business plan, it’s time to get started on your own business plan. Follow the steps we outlined above, and refer to our business plan template below to help you get started.

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