In today’s fast-paced business world, writing a comprehensive business plan can feel overwhelming for entrepreneurs. However, with the advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI), this process is becoming more efficient and accessible. This guide shows how to use AI tools to create a business plan for your idea.

Think of AI as your digital assistant, speeding up the first draft so you have more time to make it better. AI gives you a structure, but your own ideas and understanding of your business makes the plan unique.

Embrace AI in Business Planning – Before you begin, you should know what goes into a business plan: a summary of your business, details about your company and offerings, and information about your market and competitors. You may also consider creating plans for your business sales, management, operations, and finances.

Gather all your business details first. This makes it easier for AI to help you turn them into a plan.

Feeding Information to AI – Start by providing a general overview of your business, including its name, target market, products or services, and financial projections. GoDaddy is sharing a prompt template below that can be used to provide information:

“I’m developing a business plan for my company, [company name], a [industry] startup offering [product/service]. Please accept the information below about my company as a basis for developing a strong business plan.”

Creating Sections with AI Help – Breaking your business plan into sections and using specific prompts for each can streamline the process. AI can generate initial drafts for each part, which you can then review and edit. Here are some prompts to help guide you:

1. Summary and Company Description:

• “As a successful entrepreneur and seasoned strategist, draft an enticing executive summary and company description for [company name] in the [industry] sector.”

2. Products and Services:

•  “As an innovative product developer, provide a comprehensive description of [product/service] offered by my company.”

3. Market Analysis:

•  “As a market analyst, outline a detailed market analysis for [company name].”

4. Competitive Analysis:

•  “Compile a concise competitive analysis for [company name], highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of key competitors.”

5. Marketing and Sales Plan:

•  “Create a thorough sales and marketing plan for [company name], including a detailed growth strategy.”

6. Value Proposition:

•  “Assume the perspective of a potential customer and identify the unique selling proposition of [company name].”

7. Ownership and Management Plan:

•  “Outline the optimal structure, ownership, and management roles for [company name].”

8. Operating Plan:

•  “Craft an efficient operating plan for [company name], detailing infrastructure and risk management.”

9. Financial Plan:

•  “Develop a comprehensive financial overview and funding request for [company name], including income statements and sales forecasts.”

10. Extra Information:

•  This is where you can add any extra details like research or visuals.

Finalizing Your Plan – Once you have drafts for each part, it’s time to make it all fit together nicely. Your business plan should clearly show what your business is about and its path to success.

Getting Feedback from AI – After refining your draft, ask AI to check for any missing parts, mistakes or inconsistencies. This is a good time for AI to help create a summary, mission statement, vision, values, and value proposition to ensure alignment with your business goals.

Make a One-Page Plan – Lastly, create a simple one-page version of your business plan. It should include all the important points and be easy to understand. This step ensures clarity and focus, making it easier to communicate your business strategy to stakeholders. Remember, while AI helps a lot, it does not replace the ingenuity and oversight of human input to help ensure your unique business ideas are being reflected in your plan.

AI can be a helpful tool for creating and growing your business’ digital presence.  With GoDaddy Airo, an AI powered experience, you can embrace AI to streamline your business planning and operations, allowing you more time to focus on turning your entrepreneurial dreams into reality.

Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a leading pan-African organisation dedicated to advancing digital rights and inclusion in the Global South, has made significant contributions to the just-concluded 2024 Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

PIN’s participation in the prestigious global event underscores the organisation’s commitment to fostering inclusive digital policies and ensuring that Africa’s voices are central in global discussions about the future of the internet.

During the week-long forum, PIN team members played key roles in numerous sessions, emphasising the importance of a digital rights perspective in the development of emerging technologies, advocating for a more inclusive digital future, and addressing the specific challenges the African continent faces in terms of digital access and inclusion.

PIN Executive Director, ‘Gbenga Sesan, spoke at high-profile sessions, including the Leadership Panel on ‘The Internet We Want’, which outlined the vision for a global internet that is accessible, secure, and inclusive.

At the Africa Youth IGF Parley, ‘Gbenga provided a platform for young Africans to address pressing issues such as internet restrictions, the digital divide, and digital rights violations.

Adeboye Adegoke, Senior Manager for Grants and Programmes Strategy at Paradigm Initiative, contributed to Open Forum #12, advocating for policies that ensure a rights-respecting and inclusive digital future. His discussions highlighted the importance of policies that place human rights at the core of technological advancements.

Ihueze Nwobilor, Senior Programmes Officer, spoke at the session, ‘A Rights-Respecting Approach to Emerging Tech Development,’ where he called for the prioritisation of human rights in the development and deployment of emerging technologies across Africa and beyond.

The organisation’s Senior Manager for Partnerships and Engagements, Thobekile Matimbe, shared valuable insights during the ‘Better Products and Policies Through Stakeholder Engagement’ session.

She emphasized the role of the private sector in engaging with local communities to ensure that digital products and policies are inclusive and meet the needs of vulnerable groups across Africa.

Bridgette Ndlovu, PIN Partnerships and Engagements Officer, moderated a session on ‘Implementation of the USF in 26 African Countries,’ where she and other speakers, including ‘Gbenga Sesan, discussed the crucial role of Universal Service Funds (USF) in advancing digital inclusion, particularly in underserved and rural areas.

PIN’s participation at IGF 2024 has been an important moment for advocating digital rights in Africa. “Paradigm Initiative’s participation was a powerful reminder that Africa’s digital future must be shaped by inclusive, rights-respecting policies.

“Our participation at the IGF is a continuous demonstration of the need for all stakeholders to collaborate in building a more inclusive and accessible internet for everyone, especially those in under-served communities,” PIN Executive Director, ‘Gbenga Sesan stated.

Lagos-based financial technology firm Patricia Technologies has commenced repayments to customers impacted by a 2022 security breach. This follows a two-year period where the company focused on recovering funds and rebuilding trust.

In 2022, Patricia experienced a significant cyberattack, resulting in the loss of over 600 million Naira from customer accounts. Following the breach, the company temporarily restricted withdrawals and collaborated with law enforcement, leading to the arrest of several suspects, including a prominent politician.

Patricia had previously requested a two-to-five-year repayment window, a plan that has now begun to be implemented. The company has started disbursing funds to affected customers in phases, with the first batch of payments initiated on December 10, 2024.

CEO Hanu Fejiro emphasized the company’s commitment to its customers, stating, “This repayment process represents a milestone in fulfilling our promise to make things right.”

He encouraged customers to update their information on the Patricia platform and monitor official channels for further updates on their individual repayment timelines.

Subscribers who are getting paid in this phase have since been officially notified by email. One of the subscribers, with initials BP (for purposes of confidentiality), expressed appreciation and satisfaction with being paid by Patricia via an email reaction: “I really appreciate your effort. Though it took a long time, I’m satisfied with what I’ve received. Thank you for keeping to your words.”