How to Present Your Written Business Plan

Because one of the main purposes of your business plan is to attract potential investors and lenders, your business plan should be as professional looking as possible. It should be typewritten and formatted in a neat, orderly and easy-to-use fashion. For more information on how to approach lenders and investors, refer to ED&T's Financial Planning for Small Business.

Besides the key elements in the body of your business plan (outlined above), your business plan should contain:

1. An introductory letter that includes: the name of the company, your reasons for writing the plan and presenting it to the reader, and the major features of the plan that may be of particular interest to the reader.
2. A title page listing the name, address and phone numbers for both you and your company, as well as the date the business plan was completed.
3. A table of contents listing the headings and subheadings contained in the business plan.
4. An executive summary designed to both interest and attract the reader and summarize the key highlights of the plan. This may be the most important part of your business plan because it may be the only part of the plan busy investors and bankers will read. Write the executive summary last, and make sure you include start-up costs, owner equity available, the investment required and any available security.
5. Appendices that explain or support the material in the body of your business plan. Appendix A should be a list of business references. Other appendices could include such things as resumes of key personnel, marketing surveys or consultant's reports, supporting technical or statistical data and copies of legal documents and contracts.