Business
Plan Format
The format is just
as important as the content when writing your business
plan. Always bear in mind that the person reading your
plan may be a busy bank manager or investor. If the
plan is poorly presented or badly laid out and
they find it difficult to assimilate the information,
you will lose your credibility and they will quickly
lose interest.
Here are the main
requirements for the style and presentation:
Cover
Page
Include the company name, logo, plan period, document
date and, if necessary, a confidentiality clause. This
gives a professional ‘feel’ to the document
to start with.
Contents
Page
Always include a contents page so the reader can see
all the headings at a glance.
Executive
Summary
This should summarise the key points of the plan and
not exceed a page. This summary will often be read first
and determine whether the reader continues or not, so
it’s most important to get it right.
Page
presentation
Head up each page with the company name and put the
date and page number at the bottom. Don’t cram
the page with lengthy paragraphs. Use headings and bullet
points, so the reader can pick up the essentials easily.
Any supporting details should be attached in the Appendices.
Sections
Start each section on a new page.
Length
This will depend on the size of your business or the
complexity of the project but keep it as concise as
possible. After writing the first draft, go through
and edit it – cutting out any superfluous details.
The main body of text should ideally be about 15 pages
but not exceed 20 pages.
Terminology
& Writing Style
Do not try to impress with industry jargon or technical
terms that the reader may not understand. Write in layman’s
terms, in the third person and avoid any personal viewpoints.
Make sure the spelling is correct and grammar accurate.
Financial
Spreadsheets
It is crucial that these are easy to read. Present them
so that the essential information for each year fits
on to an A4 page. Supporting information should be shown
on separate pages. Include all these in the Appendices.
Appendices
As well as the financial figures, you can include any
items of detail here – CVs, photos, drawings etc.
This makes it easier to read the main body of the document
without getting sidetracked.
All these
features are included in the stepbystep
business plan software- see demo
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