Certificate in Business Planning Basics
Course Overview
The Certificate in Business Planning Basics at the London School of International Business and Management (LSIBM) sits inside the Entrepreneurship & Executive Studies faculty and is written for first-time founders, small-business owners and strategy assistants who have to put a plan on paper that a bank manager, an angel investor or a family board will actually read to the end. Across 3 to 6 months it walks a student from a rough idea to a full one-page business plan and a short financial forecast, using the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans template and current SEIS/EIS guidance as working references.
Study is on-campus in central London, fully online, or by distance learning. The certificate is designed around the CMI Level 3 in Principles of Management and the Institute of Consulting starter framework, so students finish with a portfolio piece — a real business plan for a real venture — that can be shown at a high-street bank, an accelerator or a family board. The programme deliberately avoids MBA jargon in favour of a plan a non-finance reader can follow.
Key Features
- Designed around the CMI Level 3 in Principles of Management and Institute of Consulting starter tools.
- Three study modes — central London campus, fully online, or distance learning.
- Portfolio capstone — a working one-page plan plus a 12-month cash forecast, defended in a mock investor meeting.
- Bank-manager clinic — a UK high-street business banker reviews the final plans in a live session.
- Startup basics on UK Companies House incorporation, HMRC PAYE registration and VAT threshold rules.
- Structured route toward CMI Level 3 membership, with tutor guidance on the application evidence.
- Portfolio-based assessment rather than a written exam — the plan itself is the credential.
- Direct progression onto the LSIBM Diploma in Business Planning on completion.
What You Will Learn
The certificate is anchored in the actual moments a founder gets asked to speak — the pitch at a kitchen table, the introduction meeting at a bank, the ten-slide deck for an angel round, the 90-second answer to ‘what does the business do’ at a networking event. You will finish with a plan you can hand to a real reader without apologising for it.
- Business model design and a working canvas built around a real venture.
- UK market sizing — TAM, SAM, SOM without inflating the numbers past the credibility line.
- Unit economics and a simple contribution model for services and product businesses.
- Revenue models, pricing psychology and the freemium honesty test.
- Twelve-month cash forecast — the number that keeps a founder awake at 3am.
- Introduction to Companies House incorporation, PAYE, VAT and Making Tax Digital.
- Basic UK funding routes — high-street bank, Start Up Loans, SEIS and EIS at introductory level.
- Writing a one-page plan that a bank or an angel will read to the end.
- Building a simple financial model in Excel or Google Sheets without formula sprawl.
- Basics of intellectual-property protection and standard NDAs for early-stage conversations.
- Presenting a business case orally in five minutes, three minutes, and one minute.
Who This Course Is For
- First-time founders preparing to raise or borrow from a UK lender.
- Small-business owners tidying up their planning ahead of a bank refinance.
- Family-business successors taking over the plan for the next three years.
- Strategy assistants at UK SMEs supporting a founder or managing director.
- Graduates on a startup accelerator or university incubator scheme.
Career Pathways
Graduates typically move into founder, small-business owner, strategy analyst and startup-programme roles across UK and international ventures. The certificate supports strong applications and lender conversations but does not by itself guarantee funding or offers — execution evidence still matters. Typical destinations include:
- Business Planner (junior)
- Strategy Analyst (assistant)
- Founder / Owner-Manager
- Startup Programme Coordinator
- Accelerator Programme Assistant
- Family-Business Successor
- Small-Business Development Adviser
The Certificate in Business Planning Basics is the natural step onto the LSIBM Diploma in Business Planning and toward CMI Level 3 recognition. Graduates commonly progress toward IOEE Enterprise Educator membership or full CMI Foundation Chartered Manager status within eighteen months.
Entry Requirements
- Open access — GCSE-level English and Mathematics at grade 4/C (or international equivalent) is the working baseline, with a short founder story or portfolio welcomed on application.
- Applicants over 18 are welcome regardless of prior qualifications, provided a short statement of intent is submitted.
- IELTS 5.5 overall (no band below 5.0) for non-native English speakers, or an equivalent test at CEFR B2.
- Two personal references — one professional, one academic; work-based references accepted for career changers.
Why Study at LSIBM
The London School of International Business and Management (LSIBM) is a specialist business-education provider based in central London and part of Harold International College. We teach in small cohorts so every student is visible to their tutor, run a single intake schedule that students can rely on, and partner with UK professional bodies — CMI, CIM, CIPD, ACCA, CIMA, CFA UK, CIPS and IOE&IT — so qualifications carry weight with employers.
London puts the City, Canary Wharf, Whitehall, Companies House, the FCA, the Bank of England and the West End within a short tube ride of every classroom. LSIBM Certificate students frequently attend evening events at the CMI, IoD Pall Mall clubhouse, and CIM London — building a working professional network alongside their studies.
Apply for Certificate in Business Planning Basics
Take the first step with the Certificate in Business Planning Basics. Click Enrol Now and our admissions team will respond within one working day with intake dates, credit-transfer guidance and the current fee schedule. LSIBM runs a single intake schedule so applicants know exactly when their cohort begins.
