Home Budget 2007 Company Profile Services Accountancy Zone Business Zone Tax Zone IR35 Update News Articles Feedback Search Legal Notice How To Find Us Business plans - Introduction Remember the old adage, "first impressions last"? Well, the same applies to a business plan. The appearance and style of your cover page, summary and table of contents will influence the reader immensely. In fact, it may dictate whether or not the reader bothers to read you plan at all! Cover Page It may sound obvious, but an incomplete or badly organised cover page can damage the credibility of your plan right from the start. Investors in businesses frequently complain that they have to call directory assistance to locate an entrepreneur who forgot to include a phone number and other contact information on their business plan. The purpose of a cover page is to tell the reader what he or she is about to read and how to reach you. Your cover page is also a way to get your business plan noticed. Lenders see dozens of business plans every week and something as simple as putting your cover page on quality stock paper, may catch their eye. Your cover page should say the words "Business Plan," and should include your: Name and business name Company logo Brief business description Address Telephone number Fax number E-mail address The date Summary This is what most readers will turn to first. It is perhaps the most important page of all within your business plan. Your aim is to entice the reader to want to know more, to enthuse them, to excite them and to leave them in no doubt of your professionalism. Even though it's often the first page people turn to, it may be wise to complete it last. Only by going through the complete exercise will you have an appreciation of your unique qualities and the relevant points that you want to promote. Your summary should be between one and three pages in length and include your business concept, financial features, financial requirements, current state of your business, when it was formed, principal owners and key personnel, and major achievements. To add effect, you may wish to use market research or statistics from other sources to re-enforce your message. Finally, don't forget to make it enjoyable to read. If your not careful, you'll have a comprehensive and professional summary that is so boring nobody will even bother to read it! Table of Contents Finally, don't forget to include a functional, and accurate, table of contents so that the reader can move around your report easily. [ Business Zone Home · Previous - Preparing a business plan · Next - Business Plans - Business description ]