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How to write a business proposal abstract
A business proposal is a written offer from a seller to a potential buyer. Business proposals are a key step in a process involving complex sales where buyers consider more than price when purchasing. When a business proposal is written, it is essential to include an abstract of the business proposal. An abstract is meant to provide a short overview and summarize the whole business proposal. With a business proposal abstract, the company you are presenting your proposal to is given a brief idea about your capabilities as an organization, what your main interests are, and who you are.
Important points to remember before writing business proposal abstract
When writing a business abstract, it is important to ensure that it is concise and brief. It should have the ability to capture the reader’s attention since this will determine the difference between success and failure as concerns to your business. A proposal can be well detailed, but if it does not create a good first impression with the reviewer, chances are high that it is likely to be rejected.
You should avoid using words such as 'could’, 'seem’, 'might’ or any other words that resemble them that gives the impression that you do not have full confidence in the business proposal. Such words could also discourage the reviewers of your abstract from looking forward to see your business proposal because it paints a picture of your organization as one that does not have a definite future. You should be exact and provide information that is true, quantifiable and full of conviction showing that you care about the main objective of the business proposal.
It is important to remember that abstracts are minor versions of the full paper so you should not try to lure the reviewer by pushing crucial information to the conclusion. A quality abstract should plainly summarize your plans on the key issues that are listed in request for proposal. This makes the reviewers' job easier as they will be able to easily spot proposed issues and also copy and paste it in their reports. A badly written abstract whose main objectives are not easily picked out will make the reviewers work harder and will lower your chances of being approved.
Brainstorm search phrases that are most likely to be found easily by anyone looking for your paper. These phrases should be included in the body of the business proposal extract.
You should start preparing early so as to avoid last minute rushes. This will help you avoid delivering a badly written business proposal and abstract.
Before creating the first draft of the abstract, you should go over the full proposal to ensure that it conveys everything that is outlined in your business proposal. The abstract should be approximately 200 words. It is advisable that you write a full length abstract which will show evidence of superior work, more examples and more information because an abstract of 200 words is more convincing than that of 100 or 150 words. You should not write less than one sentence for every method, problem or objective.
When creating the abstract, you should use direct phrasing and avoid personal pronouns. It should be generally in the third person so as to give the impression of a team effort.
Go through the abstract after several days have passed. You should also one or more people going through your paper so as to get varied opinions and recommendations and they will also be able to point out the areas that need correction
Steps in writing a professional business proposal abstract are as follows:
Complete the business proposal before writing the abstract. Many people usually do the opposite without knowing that it is supposed to be a summary of the whole business proposal. If you are forced to write an abstract before the proposal is complete, you should put focus on its purpose and come up with a topic sentence. However, you will need to rewrite the abstract once the proposal is complete because it will no longer reflect the actual contents of the document.
Important conclusions and recommendations contained in the report should be highlighted and a checklist created. This will ensure that you do not forget to include the important details that will most likely set you apart from other people and help you win the contract.
You should state the goal you intend to achieve and your motivation. A clear image of what you want to accomplish should be reflected and also ensure that you define the scope in the abstract of the report. Write for an audience because you never know who will read the abstract. You should describe why the problem is important more specifically to the reader. This will spark interest in the reader and motivate further reading. If you feel that the significance of your objective will not be immediately obvious, you should begin by describing your motivation before stating the problem or goal.
Outline the approaches that you will use in achieving the goals or solving the problems identified in the previous step. Information on research methods used should be included. You should discuss your proposal including the variables and the approach you used. Also describe whichever evidence you have that supports your claim and give an overview of your most important sources. The thoroughness and credibility of the methodology and the sources used will determine whether the readers will feel confident in the results presented in your report.
This is the section where you should avoid ambiguities and instead present numerical and concrete data. The results of your study should be detailed to avoid misinterpretations and allow readers to draw conclusions from them. The use of a chart or graph can help present the results in a clear manner and will also help to conserve space.
Summary of the conclusions of the report should be made. You should address the meanings of your findings as well as the overall significance of your business proposal. Implications of the results and the subsequent actions recommended should also be included.
Here is a link to examples of some great business proposal abstracts
https://www.essays.se/about/example+of+business+abstract/
If you want to learn how to write a business proposal to win more new clients, here is a very detailed article we have written on how to write a proposal .
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Writing an abstract - a six point checklist (with samples)
Posted in: abstract , dissertations
The abstract is a vital part of any research paper. It is the shop front for your work, and the first stop for your reader. It should provide a clear and succinct summary of your study, and encourage your readers to read more. An effective abstract, therefore should answer the following questions:
- Why did you do this study or project?
- What did you do and how?
- What did you find?
- What do your findings mean?
So here's our run down of the key elements of a well-written abstract.
- Size - A succinct and well written abstract should be between approximately 100- 250 words.
- Background - An effective abstract usually includes some scene-setting information which might include what is already known about the subject, related to the paper in question (a few short sentences).
- Purpose - The abstract should also set out the purpose of your research, in other words, what is not known about the subject and hence what the study intended to examine (or what the paper seeks to present).
- Methods - The methods section should contain enough information to enable the reader to understand what was done, and how. It should include brief details of the research design, sample size, duration of study, and so on.
- Results - The results section is the most important part of the abstract. This is because readers who skim an abstract do so to learn about the findings of the study. The results section should therefore contain as much detail about the findings as the journal word count permits.
- Conclusion - This section should contain the most important take-home message of the study, expressed in a few precisely worded sentences. Usually, the finding highlighted here relates to the primary outcomes of the study. However, other important or unexpected findings should also be mentioned. It is also customary, but not essential, to express an opinion about the theoretical or practical implications of the findings, or the importance of their findings for the field. Thus, the conclusions may contain three elements:
- The primary take-home message.
- Any additional findings of importance.
- Implications for future studies.
Example Abstract 2: Engineering Development and validation of a three-dimensional finite element model of the pelvic bone.
Abstract from: Dalstra, M., Huiskes, R. and Van Erning, L., 1995. Development and validation of a three-dimensional finite element model of the pelvic bone. Journal of biomechanical engineering, 117(3), pp.272-278.
And finally... A word on abstract types and styles
Abstract types can differ according to subject discipline. You need to determine therefore which type of abstract you should include with your paper. Here are two of the most common types with examples.
Informative Abstract
The majority of abstracts are informative. While they still do not critique or evaluate a work, they do more than describe it. A good informative abstract acts as a surrogate for the work itself. That is, the researcher presents and explains all the main arguments and the important results and evidence in the paper. An informative abstract includes the information that can be found in a descriptive abstract [purpose, methods, scope] but it also includes the results and conclusions of the research and the recommendations of the author. The length varies according to discipline, but an informative abstract is usually no more than 300 words in length.
Descriptive Abstract A descriptive abstract indicates the type of information found in the work. It makes no judgements about the work, nor does it provide results or conclusions of the research. It does incorporate key words found in the text and may include the purpose, methods, and scope of the research. Essentially, the descriptive abstract only describes the work being summarised. Some researchers consider it an outline of the work, rather than a summary. Descriptive abstracts are usually very short, 100 words or less.
Adapted from Andrade C. How to write a good abstract for a scientific paper or conference presentation. Indian J Psychiatry. 2011 Apr;53(2):172-5. doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.82558. PMID: 21772657; PMCID: PMC3136027 .
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How Do I Write a Business Abstract?
Over the course of starting and operating a small business, you will need to create and present detailed reports to inform stakeholders about your business. While these stakeholders vary in that they may include investors, creditors, suppliers and even customers, they all tend to have extremely busy schedules. Writing a concise yet complete business abstract becomes extremely important, because stakeholders may never read your full report. A great abstract not only motivates readers to explore the full document, it provides them with sufficient information should they elect not to.
- Write the full report. A common mistake in writing a business abstract is attempting to write an abstract before completing the report. Before you can write a summary, however, you must complete the work you are summarizing, whether it's a business plan, marketing plan or financial report.
- Highlight and create a checklist of the important information and conclusions contained in the report. You will want to include these details in the abstract.
- State the goal you set out to achieve and your motivation for achieving them. Present a clear image of what you want to accomplish with the report, as well as its scope. Describe why the objective or problem is important and, specifically, why it is important to the reader. This is critical for sparking readers' interest and motivating them to continue reading. If the importance of your objective is not immediately obvious, describe your motivation before stating the goal or problem.
- Outline your approach for achieving the goal or solving the problem identified in the previous step. Include information on any research methods you employed. The credibility and thoroughness of the sources and methodology used will determine whether readers feel confident in the results your report presents.
- Detail the results of your study. In this section, it is important to avoid ambiguities and instead present concrete, numerical data. Doing so helps avoid misinterpretations and allows readers to draw conclusions from your results (conclusions that will hopefully match your own). Using a chart or graph can present these results concisely and conserve space.
- Summarize the conclusions of the report. Include the implications of your results and the subsequent actions you recommend.
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- Limit your abstract to about 150 to 200 words.
Oscar Guzman is the brand and marketing manager for a fashion accessories company. Specializing in branding, strategy and marketing, he has contributed to the "Miami Herald," "San Francisco Chronicle" and "South Florida Business Journal," among other publications. Guzman holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Miami.
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How to Write an Abstract (With Examples)
By Sarah Oakley
Table of Contents
What is an abstract in a paper, how long should an abstract be, 5 steps for writing an abstract, examples of an abstract, how prowritingaid can help you write an abstract.
If you are writing a scientific research paper or a book proposal, you need to know how to write an abstract, which summarizes the contents of the paper or book.
When researchers are looking for peer-reviewed papers to use in their studies, the first place they will check is the abstract to see if it applies to their work. Therefore, your abstract is one of the most important parts of your entire paper.
In this article, we’ll explain what an abstract is, what it should include, and how to write one.
An abstract is a concise summary of the details within a report. Some abstracts give more details than others, but the main things you’ll be talking about are why you conducted the research, what you did, and what the results show.
When a reader is deciding whether to read your paper completely, they will first look at the abstract. You need to be concise in your abstract and give the reader the most important information so they can determine if they want to read the whole paper.
Remember that an abstract is the last thing you’ll want to write for the research paper because it directly references parts of the report. If you haven’t written the report, you won’t know what to include in your abstract.
If you are writing a paper for a journal or an assignment, the publication or academic institution might have specific formatting rules for how long your abstract should be. However, if they don’t, most abstracts are between 150 and 300 words long.
A short word count means your writing has to be precise and without filler words or phrases. Once you’ve written a first draft, you can always use an editing tool, such as ProWritingAid, to identify areas where you can reduce words and increase readability.
If your abstract is over the word limit, and you’ve edited it but still can’t figure out how to reduce it further, your abstract might include some things that aren’t needed. Here’s a list of three elements you can remove from your abstract:
Discussion : You don’t need to go into detail about the findings of your research because your reader will find your discussion within the paper.
Definition of terms : Your readers are interested the field you are writing about, so they are likely to understand the terms you are using. If not, they can always look them up. Your readers do not expect you to give a definition of terms in your abstract.
References and citations : You can mention there have been studies that support or have inspired your research, but you do not need to give details as the reader will find them in your bibliography.
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If you’ve never written an abstract before, and you’re wondering how to write an abstract, we’ve got some steps for you to follow. It’s best to start with planning your abstract, so we’ve outlined the details you need to include in your plan before you write.
Remember to consider your audience when you’re planning and writing your abstract. They are likely to skim read your abstract, so you want to be sure your abstract delivers all the information they’re expecting to see at key points.
1. What Should an Abstract Include?
Abstracts have a lot of information to cover in a short number of words, so it’s important to know what to include. There are three elements that need to be present in your abstract:
Your context is the background for where your research sits within your field of study. You should briefly mention any previous scientific papers or experiments that have led to your hypothesis and how research develops in those studies.
Your hypothesis is your prediction of what your study will show. As you are writing your abstract after you have conducted your research, you should still include your hypothesis in your abstract because it shows the motivation for your paper.
Throughout your abstract, you also need to include keywords and phrases that will help researchers to find your article in the databases they’re searching. Make sure the keywords are specific to your field of study and the subject you’re reporting on, otherwise your article might not reach the relevant audience.
2. Can You Use First Person in an Abstract?
You might think that first person is too informal for a research paper, but it’s not. Historically, writers of academic reports avoided writing in first person to uphold the formality standards of the time. However, first person is more accepted in research papers in modern times.
If you’re still unsure whether to write in first person for your abstract, refer to any style guide rules imposed by the journal you’re writing for or your teachers if you are writing an assignment.
3. Abstract Structure
Some scientific journals have strict rules on how to structure an abstract, so it’s best to check those first. If you don’t have any style rules to follow, try using the IMRaD structure, which stands for Introduction, Methodology, Results, and Discussion.
Following the IMRaD structure, start with an introduction. The amount of background information you should include depends on your specific research area. Adding a broad overview gives you less room to include other details. Remember to include your hypothesis in this section.
The next part of your abstract should cover your methodology. Try to include the following details if they apply to your study:
What type of research was conducted?
How were the test subjects sampled?
What were the sample sizes?
What was done to each group?
How long was the experiment?
How was data recorded and interpreted?
Following the methodology, include a sentence or two about the results, which is where your reader will determine if your research supports or contradicts their own investigations.
The results are also where most people will want to find out what your outcomes were, even if they are just mildly interested in your research area. You should be specific about all the details but as concise as possible.
The last few sentences are your conclusion. It needs to explain how your findings affect the context and whether your hypothesis was correct. Include the primary take-home message, additional findings of importance, and perspective. Also explain whether there is scope for further research into the subject of your report.
Your conclusion should be honest and give the reader the ultimate message that your research shows. Readers trust the conclusion, so make sure you’re not fabricating the results of your research. Some readers won’t read your entire paper, but this section will tell them if it’s worth them referencing it in their own study.
4. How to Start an Abstract
The first line of your abstract should give your reader the context of your report by providing background information. You can use this sentence to imply the motivation for your research.
You don’t need to use a hook phrase or device in your first sentence to grab the reader’s attention. Your reader will look to establish relevance quickly, so readability and clarity are more important than trying to persuade the reader to read on.
5. How to Format an Abstract
Most abstracts use the same formatting rules, which help the reader identify the abstract so they know where to look for it.
Here’s a list of formatting guidelines for writing an abstract:
Stick to one paragraph
Use block formatting with no indentation at the beginning
Put your abstract straight after the title and acknowledgements pages
Use present or past tense, not future tense
There are two primary types of abstract you could write for your paper—descriptive and informative.
An informative abstract is the most common, and they follow the structure mentioned previously. They are longer than descriptive abstracts because they cover more details.
Descriptive abstracts differ from informative abstracts, as they don’t include as much discussion or detail. The word count for a descriptive abstract is between 50 and 150 words.
Here is an example of an informative abstract:
A growing trend exists for authors to employ a more informal writing style that uses “we” in academic writing to acknowledge one’s stance and engagement. However, few studies have compared the ways in which the first-person pronoun “we” is used in the abstracts and conclusions of empirical papers. To address this lacuna in the literature, this study conducted a systematic corpus analysis of the use of “we” in the abstracts and conclusions of 400 articles collected from eight leading electrical and electronic (EE) engineering journals. The abstracts and conclusions were extracted to form two subcorpora, and an integrated framework was applied to analyze and seek to explain how we-clusters and we-collocations were employed. Results revealed whether authors’ use of first-person pronouns partially depends on a journal policy. The trend of using “we” showed that a yearly increase occurred in the frequency of “we” in EE journal papers, as well as the existence of three “we-use” types in the article conclusions and abstracts: exclusive, inclusive, and ambiguous. Other possible “we-use” alternatives such as “I” and other personal pronouns were used very rarely—if at all—in either section. These findings also suggest that the present tense was used more in article abstracts, but the present perfect tense was the most preferred tense in article conclusions. Both research and pedagogical implications are proffered and critically discussed.
Wang, S., Tseng, W.-T., & Johanson, R. (2021). To We or Not to We: Corpus-Based Research on First-Person Pronoun Use in Abstracts and Conclusions. SAGE Open, 11(2).
Here is an example of a descriptive abstract:
From the 1850s to the present, considerable criminological attention has focused on the development of theoretically-significant systems for classifying crime. This article reviews and attempts to evaluate a number of these efforts, and we conclude that further work on this basic task is needed. The latter part of the article explicates a conceptual foundation for a crime pattern classification system, and offers a preliminary taxonomy of crime.
Farr, K. A., & Gibbons, D. C. (1990). Observations on the Development of Crime Categories. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 34(3), 223–237.
If you want to ensure your abstract is grammatically correct and easy to read, you can use ProWritingAid to edit it. The software integrates with Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and most web browsers, so you can make the most of it wherever you’re writing your paper.
Before you edit with ProWritingAid, make sure the suggestions you are seeing are relevant for your document by changing the document type to “Abstract” within the Academic writing style section.
You can use the Readability report to check your abstract for places to improve the clarity of your writing. Some suggestions might show you where to remove words, which is great if you’re over your word count.
We hope the five steps and examples we’ve provided help you write a great abstract for your research paper.
Sarah Oakley
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Understanding the abstract of a business plan.
Home » Understanding the Abstract of a Business Plan
Executive Summary Analysis forms the cornerstone of any robust business plan evaluation. This critical component distills the essence of a company's vision, strategy, and potential into a concise yet comprehensive overview. By scrutinizing this abstract, investors and stakeholders can quickly grasp the core elements that define a business's trajectory and viability.
An effective executive summary provides a snapshot of the entire business plan, highlighting key aspects such as market opportunity, competitive advantage, and financial projections. It serves as a gateway, enticing readers to delve deeper into the full document while offering a clear roadmap of the company's objectives and execution strategy. Mastering the art of executive summary analysis enables decision-makers to efficiently assess the merits and risks associated with a business proposition, ultimately facilitating more informed investment choices.
Importance of the Executive Summary Analysis
The Executive Summary Analysis serves as the cornerstone of a business plan, offering a concise yet comprehensive overview of the entire document. This crucial component distills complex information into a digestible format, allowing readers to quickly grasp the essence of the proposed venture. By examining key elements such as the business concept, financial projections, and market potential, the analysis provides stakeholders with a clear understanding of the company's vision and strategy.
Effective Executive Summary Analysis goes beyond mere summarization, offering critical insights that can make or break investor interest. It highlights unique selling propositions, competitive advantages, and growth potential, painting a compelling picture of the business opportunity. Moreover, this analysis acts as a roadmap for decision-makers, guiding them through the most salient points of the business plan and facilitating informed discussions about the venture's viability and potential for success.
Why the Analysis Matters to Investors
Investors play a crucial role in the success of a business venture, making the analysis of a company's executive summary paramount. This concise document serves as a window into the company's potential, offering a snapshot of its vision, market opportunity, and financial projections. By scrutinizing the executive summary, investors can quickly assess whether a business aligns with their investment criteria and warrants further exploration.
The executive summary analysis provides investors with valuable insights into the company's leadership, competitive advantage, and growth strategy. It allows them to evaluate the feasibility of the business model and gauge the potential return on investment. Moreover, a well-crafted executive summary demonstrates the management team's ability to articulate their vision clearly and concisely, which is often indicative of their overall business acumen. By understanding the importance of this analysis, investors can make more informed decisions and allocate their resources more effectively in the competitive world of venture capital and angel investing.
Impact on Strategic Planning
The executive summary serves as a critical component in strategic planning, offering a concise overview of the entire business plan. This analysis provides decision-makers with a quick yet comprehensive understanding of the company's objectives, market position, and financial projections. By distilling complex information into a digestible format, the executive summary enables stakeholders to grasp the essence of the business strategy swiftly.
An effective executive summary analysis highlights key elements such as the company's mission, target market, competitive advantages, and growth potential. It also outlines the financial requirements and expected returns, giving investors and executives a clear picture of the business's viability. This condensed version of the business plan plays a crucial role in attracting potential investors and guiding internal decision-making processes, making it an indispensable tool for strategic planning and resource allocation.
Key Components of an Effective Executive Summary Analysis
An effective executive summary analysis provides a concise overview of a business plan's key components. It distills complex information into a digestible format, highlighting the most crucial aspects of the proposal. This analysis typically includes an evaluation of the company's mission, market opportunity, and financial projections.
One critical element of an executive summary analysis is assessing the clarity and coherence of the business concept. This involves examining how well the summary articulates the company's unique value proposition and competitive advantage. Additionally, the analysis should evaluate the feasibility of the proposed strategies and the potential for scalability. By scrutinizing these elements, stakeholders can quickly grasp the viability and potential of the business venture, making informed decisions about further engagement or investment.
Elements of a High-Quality Abstract
A well-crafted abstract serves as the cornerstone of a compelling business plan, distilling its essence into a concise yet powerful summary. This crucial component provides readers with a snapshot of the entire document, highlighting key elements and enticing them to delve deeper. An effective abstract typically includes a brief overview of the business concept, target market, competitive advantage, and financial projections.
To create a high-quality abstract, begin by clearly stating the problem your business aims to solve. Follow this with a succinct explanation of your proposed solution and its unique value proposition. Include a brief mention of your target audience and market size to demonstrate the potential for growth. Outline your business model and revenue streams, showcasing the financial viability of your venture. Finally, conclude with a summary of your team's expertise and any notable achievements or milestones. By incorporating these elements, your abstract will effectively capture the attention of potential investors and stakeholders, setting the stage for a successful business plan presentation.
Practical Examples and Case Studies
Real-world examples and case studies provide invaluable insights into the art of crafting an effective executive summary. Consider the case of a tech startup that revolutionized its pitch by distilling complex AI algorithms into a concise, compelling narrative. Their executive summary analysis revealed that focusing on the problem they solved, rather than technical details, resonated more with investors.
Another illuminating example comes from a sustainable fashion brand. By highlighting their eco-friendly practices and projected market impact in their executive summary, they secured significant funding. This case underscores the importance of aligning your summary with current market trends and investor interests. These practical instances demonstrate how a well-crafted executive summary can make or break a business plan, serving as a powerful tool for capturing attention and conveying core value propositions.
Conclusion: Mastering Executive Summary Analysis for Business Success
Mastering executive summary analysis is crucial for business success in today's competitive landscape. As we've explored throughout this guide, a well-crafted executive summary serves as the gateway to your business plan, capturing the essence of your venture in a concise yet compelling manner. By honing your skills in analyzing and creating effective executive summaries, you position yourself to make informed decisions and communicate your vision with clarity and impact.
Remember, the key to successful executive summary analysis lies in distilling complex information into actionable insights. Focus on identifying the core elements that drive business value, such as unique selling propositions, market opportunities, and financial projections. By developing a keen eye for these critical components, you'll be better equipped to evaluate business proposals, secure funding, and chart a course for sustainable growth. As you apply these principles in your professional endeavors, you'll find that mastering executive summary analysis becomes an invaluable asset in your business toolkit.
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How to Write an Abstract – Part 1
This article describes how to write an abstract for business, proposals, grant, conference and academic papers.
Why write an abstract?
It depends. If your business proposal will be read by executives or those in the decision making process, then you want to distill the salient points of your proposed solution into a short, one or two page, document.
They’re unlikely to read any more than this, except for the cost section.
Likewise, if you plan to write an academic or research document, then you need to create a document that will be searchable – and indexable – by search engines with introductory material that appears in the search results.
This means you could be writing for two different audiences: search engines, such as Google, and humans. While both of these require different approaches, there is some overlap. Let’s look at where to start.
Abstract Checklist
One approach is to structure your abstract under the following headings:
- Problem statement
Remember, the person reading your proposal has a stack on her table. Or, as is the case these days, will have them as PDF attachments in her email. Why am I saying this?
While you may have spent weeks working on a bid, a research piece, or an academic study, the person reviewing your document has many, many others to assess. You’re one of many. With this in mind, you need to capture this person’s attention from the opening sentence.
Why is this contract award so important to you?
Is it only about money?
You need to demonstrate in the opening paragraph your enthusiasm for this project in ways that capture’s the reader’s attention. It doesn’t have to be anything outlandish but it does have to be compelling. When you write, imagine yourself in the other person’s shoes.
Does the opening paragraph spark their curiosity, make them want to read more, make them skip to other sections to learn in greater detail what’s involved. Remember they don’t have to read your proposal – they can stop any time. So, it better be interesting, right?
Q: why do you care about the problem and the results?
One way to approach this is to highlight one specific point in the bid, one of the most difficult areas you plan to tackle, and then discuss the impact your proposed solution will have if it’s successful.
This gives the reader an insight into your values but more important it shifts the focus from the abstract to something more tangible.
Problem Statement
In the next section, ask yourself:
What problem am I trying to solve?
Again, be specific and think of the solution in human terms. For example, if you’re developing a CRM system, don’t talk about the specifications; instead focus on specific cost savings – something they can understand in real terms – and how this will help people on the floor.
Because the people you’re proposing to may be the same people who will use it.
What is the scope?
Avoid mentioning what’s outside of the scope. Focus on what you plan to deliver. Then be as specific as possible.
If your abstract relates to research, for example, academic research on a new technology, then discuss the results and give examples of different types of findings. Again, put them in context and highlight the findings likely to be of most interest to the readers.
If possible, compare your solution’s performance or ability against the competition in measureable terms. What does this mean? For example, demonstrate how it can process X number of transactions in a minute, for example, an improvement over the existing system by three hundred percent. You have to back this statement up, of course.
Your goal is to be specific and share something that the reader can take away and compare, and also share with other colleagues. Be specific, use numbers and percentages. Refer to later sections in the document.
Conclusions
The conclusion brings the abstract full circle. If you’ve written the other sections correctly, there should be no need to expand on any points here. Instead, see this as a bridge into the main document. If necessary, stress one of the main points but don’t over-do it. They should have a grasp of your offering by now. Use the conclusion to dovetail the main points and lead them into the first chapter.
Abstract Writing Tips
- An abstract must be self-contained. Write it as a standalone document. Imagine that if it was separated from the main document, would it still make sense? If so, you’re on the right track.
- Don’t make the reader to have to work to understand it. Don’t force them to search the rest of the document for the meaning of some obscure technical term you used.
- Keep it under two hundred and fifty words. If possible, keep it to one page. Two is fine, one better. Here’s an idea. Write four hundred words, reduce it to three hundred, then two hundred. See if you lose anything in the process?
- Ferret our filler words and phrases. Use direct language. Write in the present (and future) tense. Avoid using phrases that undermine your efforts, for example, weak words, such as could, maybe, likely, possible.
- Avoid jargon, TLAs (three letter acronyms), industry speak, and clichés. Do you like reading jargon? They’re the same.
This refers to the approach you took to solve the problem, or if you are proposing a solution, the technologies or systems you wish to recommend. The other point is how you propose to go about this. Will you be developing the solution by yourself, with a third party, in partnership with the agency? Have you done similar work before?
Look at this from the perspective of the agency awarding the contract. What do you need to offer to reduce their anxiety and give them the confidence that you’re solution is head and shoulders better than the competition?
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Blog Business How to Write Business Proposal (Examples + Free Templates)
How to Write Business Proposal (Examples + Free Templates)
Written by: Aditya Sheth Jan 25, 2024
The great Mark Cuban once said, “Sales cure all.” If a business doesn’t sell, it doesn’t make money and by extension the business fails. That’s why you need to write business proposals .
A well-written business proposal and its presentation can often mean the difference between winning or losing a prospective client.
In this in-depth guide to creating business proposals, we show you how to close more deals, make more sales and crush your business growth goals — all by using easy-to-edit professional business proposal templates .
Here’s what this guide will cover (click to jump ahead):
What is a business proposal, what are the components of a business proposal.
- How to write a business proposal step by step
More business proposal examples + writing and design tips
What should you include in a business proposal, what are the types of business proposals.
- FAQs about business proposals
Looking for a shortcut? Watch this quick video for an overview of everything to include in your business proposal:
A business proposal is a document designed to outline a business plan to convince potential client, stakeholders, investors or partners to engage in a business agreement with you or your company. It’s basically a sales pitch in writing to persuade potential clients (and secure investment) to show them benefits of working with you or your company for their business success.
A business proposal outlines what your business does and what you can do for your client . It can be general like this business proposal example:
Or it can be more specific, like this business proposal template which focuses on proposing a project for the Newton Center Rail:
Or this business proposal sample, which presents a plan for a social media strategy and campaign:
To design a business proposal that holds the client’s attention, identify their pain points. Then provide your buyer with the right solution to alleviate those frustrations and showcase how they’ll gain a competitive advantage in their industry.
Working on a new project? These project proposal examples might come in handy for you.
The components of a business proposal can change depending on the field, company size and client needs. While details may differ, strong proposals typically introduce your company, explain the problem, offer a solution and its benefits, highlight your team’s skills, and outline timeline, cost and next steps.
Sometimes, the complexity of crafting a business proposal, especially in projects requiring thorough market analysis or technical details, calls for professional insight. Seeking research proposal writing help can be invaluable in these instances, ensuring that your business proposals are not only well-structured but also highly persuasive and tailored to meet specific client needs.
How to write a business proposal step by step
Before you start creating your business proposal template, you need to understand the business proposal format. At a high level, your effective business proposal should include the following:
- Create a compelling business proposal title
- Build a table of contents
- Craft the executive summary
- Write a detailed problem statement
- Propose your solutions
- Showcase your team’s expertise
- Create a realistic timeline
- Present your payment structure
- Specify the terms and conditions
- Receiving the decision
Below, you can see business proposal examples that demonstrate how to include these 10 sections.
1. Create a compelling business proposal title
A compelling title could mean the difference between someone reading your proposal or ignoring it in favor of a competitor’s.
What makes a good title page? Here are the essential elements to include:
- Your name along with your company’s name
- The name of the prospect (or their business)
- The date you’re submitting the proposal
The gray business consulting proposal template above contains all the details a prospect would want to know. The title also offers a strong tangible benefit to the prospective buyer. Honestly, “Who doesn’t want to grow their business?”
2. Build a table of contents
The table of contents is a fundamental part of every winning business proposal template. It makes your proposal scannable and easy to read, setting the stage for a smooth negotiation process.
The people you will be pitching to are usually C-level executives like the CEO (Chief Executive Officer), COO (Chief Operating Officer), or fractional executives who work part-time. These are busy people who don’t have time to read your entire proposal in one go.
That’s why most of the business proposal examples in this list include a table of contents.
Adding a table of contents to your document makes it easy for them to go through it at their own pace. They can also skim through parts of the proposal that they deem more important. You can see how this abstract business proposal template uses the table of contents:
You can also make your business proposal template easier to navigate by adding hyperlinks to the document, particularly in the table of contents. This way your clients can jump to specific sections without having to scroll through the entire document. Ensuring your business plan format follows a clear structure can greatly enhance readability and comprehension for potential investors or partners.
It’s easy to add hyperlinks in the Venngage editor. Select the text you’d like to turn into a link, then click the link icon in the top bar. From there, select the page you want to link to! Then download your completed design as an Interactive PDF .
3. Craft the executive summary
The executive summary is a staple in all kinds of annual reports , leadership development plan, project plans and even marketing plans. It is a concise summary of the entire contents of your document. In other words, write a business proposal outline that is easy to glance over and that highlights your value proposition. Consider using email software like SendGrid to streamline communication with your prospects, which can reinforce the key points in your executive summary and keep your message consistent.
The goals of your executive summary are:
- Introduce your company to your buyer
- Provide an overview of your company’s goals and objectives
- Showcase your company’s milestones, overall vision and future plans
- Include any other relevant details like funding sources and strategic objectives
This gray business proposal example has a detailed yet short executive summary including some social proof in the form of clients they’ve worked with:
Take note of how precise this business proposal example is. You want to keep your executive summary concise and clear from the get-go. This sets the right tone for the rest of your proposal. It also gives your buyer a reason to continue reading your proposal.
Crafting an executive summary and keeping it concise and compelling can be challenging, but you can use an AI summarizer online or an AI proposal generator to create a polished document or executive summary. Such tools are trained on relevant AI models that can extract core points from a given text. You can get such a point either in bullet form or in abstract summary form.
Pro Tip: Try to write an executive summary such that, even if your prospective client doesn’t read the entire proposal (with a good executive summary, they most likely will), they should have a clear idea about what your company does and how you can help them.
4. Write a detailed problem statement
The point of writing a business proposal is to solve a buyer’s problem. Your goal is to outline the problem statement as clearly as possible. This develops a sense of urgency in your prospect. They will want to find a solution to the problem. And you have that solution.
A well-defined problem statement does two things:
- It shows the prospect you have done your homework instead of sending a generic pitch
- It creates an opportunity for you to point out a problem your prospect might not be aware they had in the first place.
This bold business proposal template above clearly outlines the problem at hand and also offers a ray of hope i.e. how you can solve your prospect’s problem. This brings me to…
5. P ropose your solutions
The good stuff. In the proposed solution section, you show how you can alleviate your prospective buyer’s pain points. This can fit onto the problem statement section but if you have a comprehensive solution or prefer to elaborate on the details, a separate section is a good idea.
Spare no details regarding the solution and implementation process you will provide. When you write a business proposal, explain how you plan to deliver the solution, along with key projections for expected results and growth. Include an estimated timeline of when they can expect your solution and other relevant details.
For inspiration, look at how this business proposal template quickly and succinctly outlines the project plan, deliverables and metrics:
6. Showcase your team’s expertise
At this point, the prospect you’re pitching your solution to likes what they’re reading. But they may not trust you to deliver on your promises. Why is this?
It’s because they don’t know you. Your job is to convince them that you can fix their problem. This section is important because it acts as social proof. You can highlight what your company does best, how it has helped clients meet revenue and growth targets, and how qualified your team is when you write a business proposal for a potential client.
This free business proposal template showcases the company’s accolades, client testimonials, relevant case studies, and industry awards. You can also include other forms of social proof to establish yourself as a credible business. This makes it that much more likely that they will say yes!
Pro Tip: Attaching in-depth case studies of your work is a great way to build trust with a potential client by showcasing how you’ve solved similar problems for other clients in the past. Our case study examples post can show you how to do just that.
7. Create a realistic timeline
To further demonstrate just how prepared you are, it’s important to outline the next steps you will take should your buyer decide to work with you.
Provide a timeline of how and when you will complete all your deliverables. You can do this by designing a flow chart . Or add a roadmap with deadlines. Pitching a long-term project? A timeline infographic would be a better fit.
If you look at this abstract business proposal template below, even something as simple as a table can do the trick.
The timeline is not always set in stone, rather it’s an estimation. The goal is to clarify any questions your potential client might have about how you will deliver for the underlying B2B sales process.
8. Present your payment and terms
On this page, you can outline your fees, payment schedule, invoice payment terms , as well as legal aspects involved in this deal. You can even use the Excel Invoice Template to create professional-looking invoices (including brand logo and other elements) and add them to this page.
The adoption of invoice templates is beneficial for small businesses as it streamlines the invoicing process and maintains professionalism in financial dealings. Also, by utilizing small business invoice templates, you can efficiently manage invoicing tasks while upholding a polished and structured approach to financial transactions.
The key to good pricing is to provide your buyer with options. A pricing comparison table can help with this. You want to give your client some room to work with. Make sure you’re not scaring off your client with a high price, nor undervaluing yourself.
Breaking up your pricing in stages is another great way to make sure your potential client knows what he’s paying for. Look at how this simple business proposal template does this:
The legal aspects can slot right into the terms and conditions section. Alternatively, you can add them to the signature section of the proposal to keep things simple.
9. Specify the terms and conditions
Summarize everything you have promised to deliver so far. Include what you expect from your prospective buyer in return. Add the overall project timeline from start to end, as well as payment methods and payment schedule, incorporating these details into an online project management tool . This way, both of you will be clear on what is being agreed on.
This step is very important as it outlines all the legal aspects of the deal. That is why the terms and conditions section of your proposal needs to be as clear as possible.
I recommend consulting a lawyer or your legal team when working on this section of the business proposal. If you’re a business veteran and understand the legalities of your business, you can use the same terms and conditions across all your proposals.
10. Receiving the decision
The final step of this whole process. Your client has read your business proposal and they want to buy what you have to offer.
Add a small section at the end of your proposal to get the necessary signatures. This way, you and your client can sign the proposal and ensure your contract and partnership becomes official.
Be sure to also include your contact information in your business proposal template. It acts as a gentle prompt to your client to contact you in case they have any questions. A professional way of doing that would be to include an e-business card with your contact details, email i.d and any other social links you want to share.
Now that you know how to write a business proposal, let’s look at how you can optimize your proposal to deliver results!
Below you’ll find some winning business proposal templates and examples to get you started. I’ve also included some design tips to keep in mind when you’re creating your next business proposal:
1. Know your audience
If you have some clarity on who your ideal buyer is — their pain points, their budget, deadlines, among other things — you’ve already won half the battle.
If you are a business that helps clients with everything from running giveaways or helping grow their blog, identify which customers to pitch. This is a sure-shot way to close the deal.
Mapping user personas for your ideal buyer can help bring some clarity. It will also help you position your business proposal correctly. This improves the chance of your buyer moving your business proposal to the “Yes!” pile.
2. Put your brand front and center
If your company follows certain brand guidelines, incorporate them in your business proposal templates. Consider how business proposal examples like the one below highlight brand identity :
From the color palettes to the company logos, everything follows their brand guidelines. The result: a business proposal that’s consistent across the board.
Pro Tip: Switching this template to match your brand assets is actually pretty easy. Venngage’s My Brand Kit feature allows you to import your color palettes, logos as well as font choices. Any Venngage template can now be your template.
You can also consider this sample business proposal template:
App design companies sure do know their design. They did a phenomenal job keeping their brand colors consistent while opting for a black design. This unique color scheme also makes their white logo prominent throughout the proposal.
3. Try less text, more visuals
Have you ever read a proposal and thought to yourself, “Wow, this is all text and has no images, I love it!”? Yeah, me neither.
The free business proposal template below is a perfect example of the “less is more” principle. It does a phenomenal job of communicating what it needs to. By substituting some of the text with icons and visuals, you get a clean business proposal that’s much more scannable.
Want to keep things strictly professional? Instead of icons, you can always add your team’s headshots. This shows your buyer exactly who they’ll be working with.
Check out this formal business proposal format for some inspiration:
4. Switch up your business proposal designs
It doesn’t hurt to go above and beyond once in a while. Jazz up your business proposal template with some extra colors. This helps make your business proposal more engaging. It also helps your buyers retain information faster.
The business proposal example alternates between black, white and grey backgrounds. It still manages to maintain consistency in its branding . Just switching up your backgrounds once in a while can also bring in some variety to an otherwise standard business proposal.
This SEO business proposal sample proves that it’s possible to switch up the colors in every other page. But it still maintains the same color scheme across the entire proposal just like a professionally designed website. It’s an approach that makes this proposal competitive.
Pro Tip: Not a color expert? Our guide on picking colors can help you pick the right color scheme for your proposals.
A business proposal usually aims to answer the following questions:
- Who you are and what your company does
- The problem your buyer is facing
- The solution your company offers to alleviate the problem
- How your company will implement this solution effectively
- An estimate of resources (time, money, etc) required to implement the solution
You can see how this sample business proposal template covers the above points.
Notice how this proposal template addresses the same project like in one of the previous templates, but uses a completely different design style (more retro, while the previous business proposal template is more modern and minimalistic).
Generally, there are three types of business proposals:
1. Formally solicited
A formally solicited business proposal is made when you respond to an official request to write a business proposal.
In this scenario, you know all the requirements and have more (if not all) information about a prospective buyer. You simply need to write the business proposal for your buyer to evaluate so you can begin the sales process .
2. Informally solicited
Informally solicited business proposals are written when there isn’t an official request for a proposal. A prospective buyer is interested in your services and asks for a proposal so they can evaluate it.
An informally solicited proposal requires a lot more research from your end. These types of proposals are usually created out of informal conversations. They are not based on official requests which often contain more detail.
3. Unsolicited
Think of this as a marketing brochure or a cold email . Unsolicited business proposals will often take a generic, one-size-fits-all approach to business proposals. Unsolicited proposals lack any understanding of the buyer or their requirements.
But with additional market research, personalization and identifying customer pain points, you can propose a customized solution based on your buyer’s needs. This can be a very persuasive approach, such as in this business proposal example:
FAQ about business proposals
What is the purpose of a business proposal.
A business proposal aims to streamline the B2B sales process (which is often complex) between you as a seller and a buyer.
It does this by serving the dual purpose of acting as a source of information. The proposal also acts as a sales pitch aimed at convincing your buyer why they should buy what you have to offer.
What are the best practices for business proposal design?
- Do a thorough spell-check. The goal of your business proposal is to convince your buyer why you’re the perfect person for the job. A proposal with typos or grammatical errors communicates the opposite. A thorough spell-check before you send your proposal is a must.
- Keep things clear and readable: Clarity is an important aspect that you have to ensure in your business proposal. If you want your proposal to hit home and make an impact on the buyer, you have to write it in an understandable way. To keep things clear and readable, there are a couple of things that you can do. You can, for one, take care to use easy wording and segmented sentences from the get-go. You can also try paraphrasing the hard parts of your proposal once you are done writing it.
- Let your brand shine. As discussed before, writing a business proposal is all about knowing your ideal buyer and focusing on their pain points. But that doesn’t mean your business proposal template has to be boring. Demonstrate how different you are compared to other companies. You can do this through your brand guidelines, by using more visuals, switching up your proposal design or showing off your personality in your writing .
- Create a business proposal PDF. Downloading your business proposal in PDF format allows you to attach other collaterals with your business proposal. These can include a company explainer video or case studies showcasing the work done with past clients. Also, who doesn’t love saving paper?
How long should your business proposal be?
The length depends on the scope of the work as well as the complexity of the project. Here is a one-page business proposal template:
Can your business proposal template really be one page? Yes, as long as you understand who your buyer is and their pain points. You should also have the ability to communicate everything your ideal buyer needs to know about your business in a succinct manner.
Or if you’re feeling adventurous how about just two pages? Often, clients prefer if you go straight to the point and avoid all the fluff.
For example, this green modern marketing proposal template wastes no time in getting down to brass tacks:
Need more inspiration? Check out this blog on the 5 marketing proposal examples that’ll help elevate your business.
There is no one size fits all approach when it comes to deciding how many pages you should include in your business proposal template. And at the end of the day, “the only rules are the ones you set for yourself”.
At the end of the day, writing winning business proposals that sell is all about you understanding your buyer, their potential pain points and positioning yourself as someone who can alleviate those pain points.
Now that you know how to write compelling business proposals, what are you waiting for?
Take action and start creating your own business proposals to close more deals and grow your business today!
More business communications templates + writing tips you might be interested in…
- 31 Consulting Proposal Templates to Close Deals
- 20+ Professional Business Letterhead Templates + Branding Tips
- How to Write a White Paper [Tips & Templates]
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Where appropriate, include these words in the business proposal abstract. 6. Create your first draft with all the details you have collected. Let your first draft sit for at least a week. 7. Re-read the full proposal and then your first draft of the abstract. Make sure the abstract conveys everything in the business proposal.
Steps in writing a professional business proposal abstract are as follows: Step 1. Complete the business proposal before writing the abstract. Many people usually do the opposite without knowing that it is supposed to be a summary of the whole business proposal. If you are forced to write an abstract before the proposal is complete, you should ...
Methods - The methods section should contain enough information to enable the reader to understand what was done, and how. It should include brief details of the research design, sample size, duration of study, and so on. Results - The results section is the most important part of the abstract. This is because readers who skim an abstract do so ...
Here are the basic steps to follow when writing an abstract: 1. Write your paper. Since the abstract is a summary of a research paper, the first step is to write your paper. Even if you know what you will be including in your paper, it's always best to save your abstract for the end so you can accurately summarize the findings you describe in ...
You will want to include these details in the abstract. State the goal you set out to achieve and your motivation for achieving them. Present a clear image of what you want to accomplish with the ...
5. How to Format an Abstract. Most abstracts use the same formatting rules, which help the reader identify the abstract so they know where to look for it. Here's a list of formatting guidelines for writing an abstract: Stick to one paragraph. Use block formatting with no indentation at the beginning.
Before starting the abstract, list your thoughts on the document. Group related items together. Prioritize the list and put the most important group first. The first few groups form the core of the topic sentence. The rest lead to supporting sentences. If you can't create a topic sentence, write the supporting sentences first.
An effective abstract typically includes a brief overview of the business concept, target market, competitive advantage, and financial projections. To create a high-quality abstract, begin by clearly stating the problem your business aims to solve. Follow this with a succinct explanation of your proposed solution and its unique value proposition.
Avoid mentioning what's outside of the scope. Focus on what you plan to deliver. Then be as specific as possible. Results. If your abstract relates to research, for example, academic research on a new technology, then discuss the results and give examples of different types of findings. Again, put them in context and highlight the findings ...
Below, you can see business proposal examples that demonstrate how to include these 10 sections. 1. Create a compelling business proposal title. A compelling title could mean the difference between someone reading your proposal or ignoring it in favor of a competitor's.