Business Planning

Your 2026 Business Plan Template: The Only Guide You Need to Start the Year Strong

Your 2026 Business Plan Template: The Only Guide You Need to Start the Year Strong

Start simple. Build clarity. Then turn it into a real plan.

If you are preparing for growth in 2026, one of the best things you can give your business is a clear, realistic and focused business plan.

Not a 40 page academic document.
Not a generic template that leaves you more overwhelmed than when you started.

You need a practical plan that helps you understand where your business is today, where you want it to be in 12 months, and most importantly, the steps you need to take to get there.

A good plan creates clarity.
A great plan creates momentum.

In this guide, you will see what to include in your 2026 business plan template, how to structure it, and how to use it throughout the year without getting lost in detail. You can start all of this on one page, then expand it into a fuller plan whenever you are ready.

Free Business Plan Template & Resources for Small Businesses

Free Business Plan Template & Resources for Small Businesses

Start simple. Build clarity. Then turn it into a real plan.

Running a business is overwhelming enough. Planning it shouldn’t be.
This free one-page business plan template helps you organise your thoughts, get clear on your idea and build confidence before you move into the full plan.

Think of this as Step 1 — the warm-up before the real work.

Once your one-page plan is complete, you can expand it into a professional, investor-ready business plan using the MY PA Business Starter Kit, which includes the full multi-page template, step-by-step guidance, examples, financial tools and more.

The Best Notion Business Templates for Small Business Owners in 2026 (Complete Guide)

Running a small business means juggling ideas, clients, planning, content, invoices, projects, goals… and often doing it all alone.
Notion is one of the best tools to bring everything together, but only if you use the right templates.

In this guide, you’ll discover the best Notion business templates for 2026, what each one is for, and how to choose the right system depending on where you are in your business.

Whether you’re a solopreneur, coach, creator, freelancer, or small business owner, this guide will help you build a business that feels clear, organised, and calm.

Why Notion Templates Matter (Especially for Small Business Owners)

Most business owners don’t struggle because they’re disorganised.
They struggle because their business is scattered:

  • projects in one app

  • content in another

  • invoices in a spreadsheet

  • ideas in Apple Notes

  • reminders in their head

Notion fixes this — if you have the right setup.

A good template helps you:

  • See your entire business in one place

  • Reduce overwhelm

  • Focus on what matters this week

  • Stay consistent with clients

  • Track money clearly

  • Grow without chaos

The templates below are the ones that genuinely help you run your business like a business, not a guessing game.

1. Notion Planner Templates

A Notion planner is perfect if you want structure in your week without bringing the whole business into Notion yet.

The best planner templates include:

  • daily, weekly, monthly and yearly planning

  • goals linked to projects

  • weekly focus

  • a content planner

  • space for ideas and notes

Who this is for:
Early-stage founders, creators, solopreneurs, or anyone who wants clarity without managing clients or finances in Notion.

👉 MY PA Planner Workspace

2. Notion Project Management Templates

If you work with clients or deliver services, you need a simple way to see:

  • what’s active

  • what’s overdue

  • what’s waiting for the client

  • what’s coming next

The best project templates include:

  • task timelines

  • status tracking

  • links to clients

  • priority views

  • “this week” views

  • notes and deliverables

This keeps delivery clean and stops things slipping through the cracks.

3. Notion CRM (Client Management) Templates

A CRM doesn’t need to be complicated.
You just need a simple way to track:

  • enquiries

  • leads

  • follow-ups

  • client status

  • meetings

  • notes

Most small business owners lose money because they forget to follow up.
The right template fixes this.

👉 Internal link here:
Link to MY PA Business Hub page (this is where the CRM lives).

4. Notion Finance Templates

Your finances don’t need to be complicated. The best templates include:

  • income tracking

  • expenses

  • subscriptions

  • invoices

  • upcoming payments

  • simple profit view

  • due dates

A good Notion finance system won’t replace accounting software,
but it will help you stay in control week by week.

👉 MY PA Business FInance Hub

5. Notion Content Planner Templates

If you create content, this is a must.
Look for:

  • ideas list

  • posts by platform

  • schedule for the week

  • brand assets

  • messaging

  • hooks and captions

  • launch timelines

The key is consistency — a good content planner helps you show up without burning out.

6. Notion Business Hub Templates

This is the template for business owners who want everything in one organised system.

A real Business Hub should include:

  • Planner (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly)

  • Projects

  • Tasks

  • Goals

  • Content

  • Leads & CRM

  • Client delivery

  • Finance

  • Systems

  • Documents

  • Recurring actions

  • A dashboard that shows “This Week” clearly

Most templates only do one piece.
A Business Hub brings everything together.

👉 MY PA Business Hub page

Which Notion Template Should You Start With?

Here’s the simplest way to decide:

If you want structure and planning → start with the Planner Workspace

Perfect if your biggest problem is clarity, focus, routines, or weekly planning.

If you want to run the whole business from one calm system → choose the Business Hub

This includes the full planner plus:

  • CRM

  • Projects

  • Finance

  • Delivery

  • Content

  • Documents

  • Systems

It’s for anyone who wants everything in one home inside Notion.

Final Thoughts

Notion can transform how you run your business, but only with the right setup.

You don’t need 20 templates.
You just need one system that brings the important pieces together.

If you want to get organised quickly, the MY PA templates give you:

  • clarity

  • structure

  • weekly focus

  • all your business in one place

  • a calm, clean workspace

Why Running Your Business in Ten Different Places Is Making Everything Harder

Why Running Your Business in Ten Different Places Is Making Everything Harder

Most small business owners are not struggling because they’re disorganised.
They’re struggling because their business is scattered everywhere.

Projects in one app, content in another, money tracked somewhere else, client notes in a notebook, screenshots saved in your photos, reminders in your head.
It feels heavy because it is heavy.

And no one can run a business with clarity like that.

This post is for the business owners who are doing everything alone and carrying all the mental weight. If it feels messy, slow, or overwhelming, there is nothing wrong with you. You just don’t have a central system holding everything for you.

From planner pages to a full business system in Notion: the messy journey behind the MY PA Business Hub

From planner pages to a full business system in Notion: the messy journey behind the MY PA Business Hub

For the last few months, I have basically been in a cave.

On the outside it looked like “planner season as usual.” Orders going out. Emails coming in. Social posts. Real life.

On the inside, every spare hour was being poured into one question:

How do I take what MY PA does on paper and turn it into a proper business system that lives in Notion.

I thought it would be simple. A few databases. Some views. A nice dashboard.

It wasn't simple.

At several points I seriously considered walking away from it and pretending I never started.

The idea that would not leave me alone

For years, I have watched customers use the MY PA Planner as their weekly control centre. They plan their goals, block their time, review their weeks and actually move things forward.

But there was always this gap.

They were still running the business in their head. Leads. Client work. Invoices. Content. Ideas. To-dos. All in mental tabs.

The Best Planning System for 2026 (Real Entrepreneur Edition)

The Best Planning System for 2026 (Real Entrepreneur Edition)

How to Stay Aligned With Your Big Vision Every Month, Week and Day

Most small business owners do one of two things for the new year:

  • They write a big plan, then never look at it again.

  • Or they wing it week to week and hope it somehow adds up.

Neither really works.

The truth is, you need both:

  1. A clear big plan for 2026.

  2. A simple way to bring that plan into your months, weeks and days.

The 2026 Entrepreneur Survival Checklist

The 2026 Entrepreneur Survival Checklist

Running a business can feel intense, overwhelming and chaotic, especially when you carry everything in your head. If you want 2026 to be the year you finally feel clear, organised and in control, you need a simple survival system.

This checklist gives you the essentials every entrepreneur needs to stay steady and focused all year. Think of it as your foundation for a successful 2026.

The 2026 Reset Guide: How to Close 2025 Strong and Build a Better Year

The 2026 Reset Guide: How to Close 2025 Strong and Build a Better Year

The end of the year can feel heavy for many small business owners. You look back at everything you wanted to do, everything you pushed aside and the goals that are still waiting for you. It is easy to feel frustrated or behind, especially if the year felt messy or chaotic.

A proper year end reset gives you clarity, confidence and a clean slate. You can close 2025 in a calm, intentional way and step into 2026 with focus instead of pressure.

Here is a simple reset guide to help you finish strong and build a better year ahead.

2026 Goal Setting for Entrepreneurs: How to Make Sure This Is the Year You Move Forward

2026 Goal Setting for Entrepreneurs: How to Make Sure This Is the Year You Move Forward

Goal setting is one of the most powerful things you can do for your business, yet most entrepreneurs approach it in a way that guarantees frustration. They set too many goals, choose vague targets or rely on motivation to carry them through the year. By February, everything feels overwhelming again.

If you want 2026 to be the year you actually move forward, your goals need to be simple, focused and supported by a planning structure that makes follow through easy.

Here is how to set goals that work for real business owners.

10 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Planning Their Year (and How to Avoid Them in 2026)

10 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make When Planning Their Year (and How to Avoid Them in 2026)

Most entrepreneurs do not struggle because they are lazy or unmotivated. They struggle because they are overwhelmed, carrying everything in their head and reacting to whatever comes in. When planning your year, the smallest mistakes create the biggest stress later.

If you want 2026 to feel more organised, calm and consistent, here are the 10 common planning mistakes and how to avoid them.

Why Most Planners Fail and How to Choose One That Actually Helps You Grow Your Business in 2026

Why Most Planners Fail and How to Choose One That Actually Helps You Grow Your Business in 2026

Most planners look beautiful, but they do very little to actually support a real business. They are full of empty boxes, aesthetic quotes and clean layouts, but when you sit down to plan your week, they feel useless. Nothing connects. Nothing lines up. You end up writing the same to-do lists every day and still feeling behind.

This is why most people stop using their planner by February.

If you want 2026 to feel more structured, more productive and more stable, the problem is not you. The problem is the planner.

How to Plan Your Business Year in 2026: A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Plan Your Business Year in 2026: A Step-by-Step Guide

Planning your business year is one of the most powerful things you can do to protect your time, your energy, and your income. Most small business owners carry everything in their head, react to whatever comes in, and hope it somehow works out. It rarely does.

2026 can be different. With a clear structure and a simple planning rhythm, you can create a year that feels focused, steady, and profitable rather than chaotic and exhausting.

This guide walks you through the exact steps to plan your business year properly for 2026, using a system that works month after month.

The Startup Metrics Investors Actually Care About (and Which Ones You Can Skip)

The Startup Metrics Investors Actually Care About (and Which Ones You Can Skip)

When founders hear “investor metrics,” they often think of complex SaaS dashboards full of acronyms — CAC, LTV, churn, MRR. But here’s the truth: most early-stage investors don’t expect all of those. What they do want is a clear financial story, backed by a few key numbers that prove your business is investable.

This guide breaks down the metrics that matter for small businesses and early-stage startups (the ones you must include), and the “nice-to-haves” that only apply if you’re building a high-growth tech venture.

The Daily Top 3 Method - How to Stay Focused Every Day

The Daily Top 3 Method - How to Stay Focused Every Day

Why your to-do list is working against you

Most entrepreneurs start the day with a long to-do list. By the evening, half the tasks are untouched and guilt sets in. The problem isn’t laziness — it’s overload.

A never-ending list creates decision fatigue. You don’t know where to start, so you bounce between tasks, answering emails, putting out fires, and never making progress on the things that truly matter.

The MY PA System – Plan, Focus, Execute

Why most planning systems fail

Entrepreneurs often juggle too many ideas at once. Some buy productivity tools, some download dozens of templates, and others rely on sticky notes scattered across their desks. The problem isn’t a lack of ambition — it’s the lack of a clear, repeatable system.

That’s why we built the MY PA system. It was designed to work for real entrepreneurs, not productivity gurus with unlimited free time. At its heart are three simple but powerful steps: Plan. Focus. Execute.

Step 1: Plan monthly

At the start of each month, you set up to five core goals. These goals aren’t vague resolutions, but clear, measurable outcomes. Each goal is then broken into projects and mapped into your monthly view.

Why monthly?

  • A year is too long — you’ll drift off course.

  • A week is too short — it feels like firefighting.

  • A month is just right — long enough to make progress, short enough to stay motivated.

👉 Example:

  • Goal: Gain 5 new paying clients.

  • Projects: Update service page, launch LinkedIn campaign, run 3 sales calls per week.

Step 2: Focus weekly

Every Sunday or Monday, you zoom in on your weekly priorities. From your projects, you choose the tasks that will move your goals forward this week. This prevents overwhelm and stops you from reacting to whatever feels urgent.

The weekly section in the MY PA planner helps you:

  • Review last week’s wins and lessons.

  • Choose 3–5 priorities for the week.

  • Time block the most important tasks.

This rhythm keeps your business moving forward in a straight line, not in circles.

Step 3: Execute daily

Big goals don’t get achieved in one heroic day. They happen through small, focused steps repeated consistently.

That’s why MY PA includes the Daily Top 3 Method — a simple but powerful practice. Each day, you choose the three tasks that matter most. If you complete nothing else, finishing these three will still move your business forward.

Pairing this with time blocking ensures those tasks actually get done, instead of being pushed aside by distractions.

The magic is in the connection

The real power of the MY PA system isn’t in any single step. It’s in how monthly planning, weekly focus, and daily execution fit together.

  • Monthly keeps your direction clear.

  • Weekly keeps your progress steady.

  • Daily keeps your actions sharp.

Most people plan, but they don’t connect the dots. MY PA makes sure every action you take is linked to your bigger goals.

Common pitfalls to avoid

  • Planning too many goals — stick to five or fewer.

  • Skipping weekly reviews — they’re the glue that keeps the system working.

  • Focusing on “busy work” instead of top priorities.

  • Forgetting to time block — without scheduling, important tasks often get lost.

Final thoughts

The MY PA system gives you structure without overwhelm. It’s not about filling every minute with tasks. It’s about working smarter — planning your direction, focusing on what matters, and executing daily with clarity.

👉 Download the Free Business Planner to try the MY PA system for yourself. Start with monthly goals, focus your week, and execute with confidence.

Go further

MY PA Business Planner 2026

Need more than a one-pager?

MY PA Business Planner (physical & digital) helps you plan weekly, track goals, and stay accountable.

See the Planner
Business Starter Kit

Ready for the complete system?

The Business Starter Kit bundles the planner with templates, financial tools, and a 30-day roadmap.

Explore the Starter Kit
Investor Kit

Raising funding?

Get investor-ready with structured planning, forecasts and checklists. (Investor Kit link set to Starter Kit as requested.)

See Investor Kit

Cash Flow 101 for Small Businesses

Cash Flow 101 for Small Businesses

Cash is the lifeblood of any business. It doesn’t matter how many sales you make if the money isn’t in your account when you need it. That’s why managing cash flow is one of the most important habits every entrepreneur can build.

This guide gives you the basics = what cash flow is, common mistakes, and simple steps you can take to keep your business healthy.

What is cash flow?

Business Plan Financials (Made Simple)

Business Plan Financials (Made Simple)

Numbers are often the part of business planning that scare people off. Spreadsheets, forecasts, break-even points, it can feel like a different language. But here’s the truth: you don’t need to be a financial expert to write simple, useful business plan financials.

With a few basic steps, you can build a financial picture that helps you make decisions, avoid nasty surprises, and,when the time comes ,show investors you’re serious.

Business Launch Checklist: 10 Steps Before You Start

Business Launch Checklist: 10 Steps Before You Start

Launching a business is exciting, but it can also feel like there’s a hundred things pulling at your attention. The truth is, you don’t need to do everything at once. What you need is a simple checklist that keeps you focused on the essentials.

This guide walks you through the 10 key steps every entrepreneur should tick off before, during, and right after launch. Follow them and you’ll avoid overwhelm, save money, and move with confidence.

How to Write a One-Page Business Plan

How to Write a One-Page Business Plan

Starting a business can feel overwhelming. You know you need a plan, but the thought of writing a 40-page document makes most people quit before they’ve even begun. That’s why thousands of entrepreneurs now use a one-page business plan.

It’s quick, focused, and gives you clarity without the fluff. You’ll walk away with a roadmap you can actually use — not a binder that sits on the shelf.

Simple Isn’t Easy

Simple Isn’t Easy

We hear it all the time:
“Keep it simple.”
“Simplicity is key.”
“Make it easy to use.”

And while that sounds like smart advice… it’s also one of the hardest things to actually pull off.

Because the truth is:
Simple is hard. Really hard.

It’s easy to add more.
More features. More pages. More options.
More “just in case” extras that end up confusing people instead of helping them.

What’s hard is the opposite:
Cutting. Clarifying. Stripping it back to only what matters.
Making something feel so intuitive that no one even notices how much work went into it — because it just works.