How to Write a Business Proposal 2020
A business proposal is a document written and sent to a prospective client, company or organization for the purpose of obtaining a job, contract or employment.
Ever written a business proposal? Not to worry if you haven’t. Here’s how to write one.
A few things to take note of: Before you put pen to paper on writing a business proposal, it is important you have a clear idea of how to go about offering the service or provide the product stated in your proposal.
It is also worthy of note that business proposals could be solicited or unsolicited. Solicited business proposals are proposals which have been requested by the client while unsolicited business proposals are just the opposite.
Business proposals which address key issues such as cost and feasibility are usually the proposals which end up being successful.
The first thing you’ll write in your business proposal is your cover letter. Make it simple bold and clear. It should contain your name, business name, address, contact line, email address, and a very short description of your business proposal. Adding some graphical designs to make the title more eye-catching is also encouraged.
The basic business proposal document proper can be structured as follows:
Title page
Write in bold face font, the title of your proposal, followed by your name and company name and then the company or client name. Ensure the date of submission is also inserted.
Table of Contents
Depending on the length of your proposal, you might require inserting a table of contents which would serve as a guide to top managers who might not have the time to read through the entire document.
Executive Summary
Brevity is key when writing this. Business executives want to read everything you are offering and what value it would add to their business in 10 lines or less. Explain precisely how much your proposed service or product will cost and the economic value it will be bringing to the business. If they are interested they can then read further for details.
Statement of the Problem
This is the page where you convince the client that they need your services. Explain in detail how they are currently lagging behind and what you can do to improve their business. If it is an solicited business proposal, re-echo the problem which must have been mentioned by the client and show a clear understanding of what needs to be done.
Methodology
Explain in detail how you intend to carry out the service or deliver the product if you win the bid. Be clear and hit the main points. Let your idea be tangible, feasible and straight to the point.
Financial implications, costs, and profits
Explain how much it will cost for the job to be completed, how you expect to get paid, how much profit the client will be making in the end; give general but well researched quotations for all these. Clients are usually very interested in this part of the business proposal.
Qualification
Clients are comfortable working with qualified and experienced hands. State your qualifications and experiences in similar projects if you have any.
There you have it, you business proposal is ready with all the above present. One advice though; make sure your proposal document is visually striking and don’t forget to look professional and neat on the the day of the presentation.
Do you have any experience with writing business proposals? Share your experience in the comments section!
