Academic

Palo Alto Software is proud to partner with the academic community. We support faculty, students, and early-stage entrepreneurs as they teach and learn about business planning, marketing, and how to run and grow a successful business.

For faculty

Palo Alto Software provides educators with tools to teach business planning and finance. LivePlan is used in the classroom and in highly competitive business planning competitions across the nation. It helps students focus on building their business strategy (and frees instructors to teach what matters) without influencing pedagogy. No risk—it's free for educators to evaluate.

For students

From our library of free sample business plans to expert articles and videos that break down the more difficult parts of the planning process, we offer a wealth of free information and guidance for anyone working on a business plan on Bplans. Using LivePlan software to build a business plan can help simplify the process and make it easier to navigate the financials.

For incubators and accelerators

Local economic development is flourishing across the U.S., and incubators and accelerators are making entrepreneurship and small business growth possible both locally and nationally. Palo Alto Software supports these efforts through mentorship, LivePlan business planning software, and guidance on best practices. Incubator and accelerator programs can get free access to evaluate LivePlan and learn more about how we can help.

Contests and competitions

Palo Alto Software supports world-class business plan competitions and other U.S. and international competitive entrepreneurial events. We mentor contestants, provide tools to organizers to facilitate entry, offer access to our LivePlan software, and even judge entries. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you run a successful business plan competition.

Amy Schulz

NACCE Vice President of Education
Quincy, CA

Students really take to the hands-on application of LivePlan.

Dr. John Shaw

Assistant Professor of Business
Jacksonville University

LivePlan is receiving rave reviews. The students very much appreciate the guidance that the program offers.