What is the main role of a business plan?

The main role of a business plan is to outline goals, strategies, and financial projections. A business plan serves as a comprehensive roadmap for a business’s future, detailing what the business intends to achieve and how it plans to accomplish its objectives. It typically includes sections on market analysis, operational plans, marketing strategies, and financial forecasts, which help to articulate the direction of the business and attract investors or secure loans.

While marketing materials, product listings, and employee handbooks may be important components of a business, they do not encapsulate the broader, strategic purpose of a business plan. A marketing strategy could be one aspect of the plan, but the plan itself is meant to integrate these components into a unified strategy for growth and sustainability. Thus, Option B captures the essence of what a business plan is designed to do.