Business case template
A business case is the document a buyer uses to justify a purchase internally: the problem, the options, the cost, the return, and the risk of doing nothing.
A sample business case for a made-up company. Click around: the numbers are live.
The structure, section by section
The answer
The decision you are asking for and the return, in one sentence.
The problem
What it costs today, in the buyer’s numbers.
The options
Doing nothing, building it, and buying it, each with its cost.
The return
Payback period and return, with every assumption visible and adjustable.
Risks
What could go wrong and how it is handled.
The plan
Rollout steps, owners and dates.
What the good ones do
- Write it for the person who wasn’t in any of your meetings.
- Show the assumptions and let finance change them. A number they adjusted is a number they believe.
- Use the buyer’s own figures wherever you can.
- Include the cost of doing nothing. It is usually the real competitor.
Questions
What should a business case include?
The decision and return up front, the problem in the buyer’s numbers, the options including doing nothing, the return with visible assumptions, the risks, and the plan.
Who writes the business case in a B2B deal?
The buyer’s champion presents it, but the seller often drafts it. The best ones are written so the champion can forward them unchanged.
How do you make an ROI case credible?
Use the buyer’s data, show every assumption, and let the reader change them and see the result.