Free Business Forms

Welcome to The Frugal Entrepreneur’s collection of over 60 free business forms, documents, and templates for small and home-based businesses. While there are currently numerous sites online offering “thousands” of printable business documents and templates that are free to download, I have found that most of these offerings are poor in quality or are unsuitable to the needs of either small and home-based companies or the self-employed.

I therefore decided to put together this collection of essential business documents and forms. I hand picked and adapted all of these documents to specifically suit the needs of small and home businesses. Most of these templates and forms are from my growing personal collection of files that I have used over the years for my own business transactions. (Where any form, template, or business letter is from an outside source, the source and link are provided.)

All of the documents have been uploaded into Google Docs, so you can both preview and download them. If there are any small business templates, forms, or letters that are not listed here, but you cannot find a suitable example or free, printable download of it anywhere, then let me know, either by leaving a comment in the box below or by sending an email to thefrugalentrepreneur[at]gmail[dot]com, and I’ll see what I can do.

And a final note… You may notice that I have conspicuously left out most legal-type business documentation. When it comes to these kinds of forms, which as mentioned above, are freely available on several websites, my advice is: do yourself a favor and hire a qualified attorney or CPA to make sure you don’t make a regrettable mistake down the road.

New: The Frugal Entrepreneur’s Small Business Startup Checklist 

Free Business Forms, Documents, and Templates for Small Businesses by Category

• Accounting and Financial Reporting Documents, Forms, and Worksheets
• HR/Employment Documents and Templates
• Operations Documents and Templates
• Order forms, Invoices, Receipts
• Office Management Documents and Templates
• Business Letter Examples
• Miscellaneous Documents and Forms

Accounting & Financial Reporting Documents, Templates, & Forms for Small & Home Businesses

Startup Costs Budget Worksheet- Use this startup cost budget worksheet to estimate the amount of money needed to start a new business and run it for the first 3 months to a year

Startup Cost Estimate Template- Estimate the amount of money needed to get a business up and running

Quarterly Income Statement Template- Easy-to-use income statement template broken down by quarters

Actual Versus Budgeted Income Statement Template- Use this yearly income statement template to compare actual versus budgeted values

Yearly Income Statement Template- Yearly income statement for small and home businesses

12 Month Cash Flow Statement Template- An easy-to-use yearly cash flow statement in Excel

Yearly Cash Flow Statement-   A yearly cash flow statement with formulas, broken down by month

Daily Cash Flow Sheet- Use this daily cash flow sheet with embedded formulas to keep track of you daily cash flow position

12 Month Profit and Loss Projection- Courtesy of SCORE. Includes helpful instructions and definitions

Opening Day Balance Sheet-  Courtesy of SCORE. Includes helpful instructions and definitions

Balance Sheet (Projected) -  Courtesy of SCORE. Includes helpful instructions and definitions

Operational Budget Template-  An easy-to-use operational budget template for small and home businesses.

Petty Cash Log- Easy-to-use petty cash log

12 Month Sales Forecast- Use this 1 year sales forecast template to project monthly sales over 7 product groups

Break-Even Analysis Template-  Calculate your break-even point based on fixed and variable costs

Daily Cash Sheet Template- Use this form to reconcile actual cash on hand with the expected cash amount

Monthly Bank Reconciliation Spreadsheet-  Reconcile company financial records with monthly bank statements 

Human Resources/ Employment  Documents, Templates, and Forms for Small and Home Businesses

Job Applicant Rejection Letter- A simple letter to job applicants who are not hired

Employee Reference Request by Letter- Send out this reference request letter to a potential hire’s former employers

Employee Referral Form- Use this form when employees recommend someone for a position in the company

Sample Job Description Template- Use this generic template to create a job desciption for a new position.

Employee Record Form- Use this employee record template to record pertinent information about your workers

Authorization Agreement for the Direct Deposit of Payroll- This agreement form allows your business to make direct payroll deposits into an employee’s bank account

Employee Performance Report- A simple employee performance assessment that evaluates employees in several key areas, including time management and communication

Employee Emergency Contact Form- Use this form to record your employees’ contact information in case of emergency

Daily Time Sheet- A simple daily time sheet template to log in worker hours

Business Consultant/ Independent Contractor Agreement-  Business consultants, freelance workers, and small businesses looking to hire an independent contractor, can use this sample freelance worker agreement. But make sure to have it checked over by a legal professional to ensure that you are in line with federal and state laws.

Application for Employment- Use this short, clear example of an employee application to hire workers for your small business

Employee Work Schedule- Record or post employee hours with this simple table

Operations Documents, Templates, Forms for Small and Home Businesses

Inventory Report Form- Use this short, clear example of an employee application to hire workers for your small business

Physical Inventory Count Sheet- Use this inventory count template to record your inventory on hand

Equipment Inventory List- Keep track of your equipment on hand with this spreadsheet

Equipment Lease Terms and Conditions Checklist- Use this check list when considering an equipment lease to pick out any obscurities or predatory elements

Simple Mileage Chart- Simple travel reimbursement form to track miles traveled.

Travel Expense Report- Simple travel expense report template ideal for small and home businesses

Packing List Form- Use this packing list template when shipping products to customers

Auto Travel Expense Report- Keep track of auto-related expenses with this auto expense report

Bill of Sale- A simple bill of sale contract

Auto Expense Report-  Track mileage, gas, and tolls with this auto expense form.

Commission Request Form- Employees who earn a commission can use this form to record the transaction

Customer Information Sheet- Use this simple customer information template to keep a record of your customers’ important information. This document is also called a customer profile sheet.

Painting and Repair Cost Estimate Template- This cost estimate form is for a small painting or repair business. You can customize the items to suit your particular business.

Order forms, Invoices, Receipts for Small and Home Businesses

Customer Invoice for Service Performed-  Show the cost breakdown to customers for a completed job with this service invoice form template

Sales Receipt Form-  Simple sales receipt template ideal for small and home businesses

Sales Order Form-  Simple sales order form template for small and home businesses

Customer Purchase Order Form- Businesses can use this purchase order form to send to vendors

Vendor Purchase Order Form- Vendors can use this purchase order template to send to customers for repeat orders

Customer Invoice Form- Easy-to-use customer invoice for small and home businesses

Customer Invoice x2- Another simple template for a customer invoice

Business Letter Examples and Templates for Small and Home Businesses

Business Letter Thanking a New Customer- Use this business letter to thank new customers for patronizing your business

Letter Upon Finding an Accounting Error- This letter informs a customer that an accounting error in the customer’s favor has been discovered and that corrective action is being taken

Returned Check Letter- Send this returned check notice out to customers when their checks bounce.

Account Past Due Letter- Send this letter to customers with overdue accounts

Demand for Payment Letter- This is a follow-up letter to a customer who’s account is part due and who has already received a preliminary collection letter

Rejection of Request for Extended Payment- Use this letter to reject a customer’s request for an extended billing period

Notice of Deliveries Held Due to Non-Payment-  Use this letter to inform a customer that further deliveries will be halted until full payment of an outstanding balance is received

Final Demand for Payment Letter- This is the final letter to send out in a business collection strategy to recover an outstanding customer debt

Miscellaneous Documents and Templates for Small and Home Businesses

Sample Partnership Agreement Template- This free partnership agreement is an example for reference only. Please make an effort to consult with a qualified professional if you need this form for your business.

Fax Cover Sheet- A simple form to use when sending a fax

Phone Memo Form-  A simple form for recording phone messages

Blank Memo Form- A simple form for recording memos within your business

7 Steps to Small Business Marketing Success- An overview of the Duct Tape small business marketing system, by marketing expert John Jantsch

Business Plan for an Established Business- Courtesy of SCORE. Includes helpful instructions and definitions

Disclaimer: I’m not a certified legal or financial professional. “Frugality” does not mean you skimp in those areas where a qualified professional, such as an attorney or CPA should be consulted. The small business tips, small business resources, and other information on this site including this collection of free business documents, templates, and forms are for educational purposes; they are meant to get you started in the right direction; but it’s up to you to do the appropiate research.

For More Small Business Tips

Other Online Resources for Small Businesses

If you have any questions or comments regarding this collection of business forms, documents, and templates for entrepreneurs,  and small and home-based business owners, please let me know.