Business Proposal FAQs
1) Why is a business proposal important?
A business proposal is a necessary tool for a new or small business to secure investments or partnerships. A business proposal lays out a business’s objectives, resources, and strategy to encourage investors to back it financially.
Business proposals allow you to display the unique value and potential of your business to secure growth capital and partnerships. With the right business proposal, you can rapidly accelerate your business’s growth.
2) What information should be included in a business proposal?
Your business proposal’s exact content will vary depending on the nature of your business, strategy, and needs. However, there are a few pieces of information every business proposal should include:
- Title page
- Individual or group the proposal is prepared for
- Executive summary
- Vision and mission statement
- List of goods or services
- Business plan and timeline
- Terms and conditions
- Pricing and payment details
- Rights and obligations of each party
- Signature and date
Once you’ve included these key elements, you can customize your content to fit each individual investor. Using a business proposal template, you can make sure you’re asking for all the necessary information — without the added effort of organizing it yourself.
3) What are business proposals used for?
Small, new, or emerging businesses use business proposals to secure financial investments for their overall business or for specific initiatives. Proposals include details about the business’s strategy, objectives, and goals — as well as how the investment will be used.
These proposals provide the reason why investors should financially support a small business, including how the investor will benefit from the business’s growth.
4) What are the important elements of a business proposal?
Although every element of your business proposal is important, there are some factors that are key to success. To secure the interest of your investors, make sure to take extra time and consideration when crafting the following:
- Your executive summary highlights your business’s story and entices prospects to invest.
- Your vision and mission statement establishes your priorities, principles, and intended outcomes.
- A list of goods or services details how you intend for your business to make money for itself and investors. It also provides context for your business’s daily operations.
- The business plan and timeline offer a look into long-term strategy and potential business phases.
- Your terms and conditions outline the details of a potential investment in your business, including the expectations for both parties.
- Pricing and payment details provide investment options at different tiers, as well as how investors will make payments and how you’ll deliver returns.
Thinking through these important elements will not only increase your odds of success, but it will also keep your investors engaged and confident in your capabilities.
5) Who needs a business proposal template?
A business proposal template is a vital asset for any business seeking investment. While you can write a separate business proposal for every investor, it can demand a significant amount of time and resources.
Depending on your investment needs, you may find yourself approaching a wide range of investors. This means you’ll have to write and send proposal after proposal, adding to the existing work on your plate.
A business proposal template, on the other hand, will save you the hassle of creating and designing proposals over and over again. Simply use a single template as a base, then update it accordingly — sending personalized versions to as many investors as you need.
6) How do I write a business proposal?
Your business proposal should be unique to your business and capture an investor’s attention quickly. Large investors receive hundreds, if not thousands, of business proposals a year. That means your proposal needs to stand out from the crowd to get their attention and buy-in.
When it’s time to start writing your proposal, keep these tips in mind:
- Create an engaging title page.
- Keep language clear and concise.
- Use a table of contents.
- Define your problem and solution.
- Be clear about your “why.”
- Identify benefits for investors.
- Provide multiple investment options.
- Include signature or e-signature form fields to speed up the process.
Writing a business proposal that includes these best practices is easy with Jotform Sign. Just drag and drop your form fields into place to build a custom proposal from scratch. You can also save time and resources when designing and structuring your proposal by using Jotform’s free business proposal template.
7) How do I customize a business proposal template?
To customize Jotform’s free business proposal template, click on the Use Template button in the top right corner to enter the Sign Builder. In the Sign Builder, you have the freedom to make this template your own. Update the design, add your logo, and customize the body copy to match your business’s exact needs and branding.
Already have a template you prefer? Upload it as a PDF to Jotform Sign, which will automatically detect existing fields. Then, share it with a few clicks through email, a link, or a number of powerful integrations.
