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Workshop On Writing A Business Proposal

The document provides guidance on writing an effective business proposal. It outlines the key sections that should be included such as an executive summary, statement of the problem, proposed approach and objectives, work plan and timeline, budget, and evaluation plan. The document emphasizes that the proposal should clearly define the problem or need and how the proposed solution will address it. It also stresses that the budget section is critical and must provide detailed cost projections and justification for expenses. Overall, the document serves as a useful guide for developing a well-structured business proposal that makes a compelling case for supporting a proposed project or initiative.

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Syed Qaiser Hussain
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111 views50 pages

Workshop On Writing A Business Proposal

The document provides guidance on writing an effective business proposal. It outlines the key sections that should be included such as an executive summary, statement of the problem, proposed approach and objectives, work plan and timeline, budget, and evaluation plan. The document emphasizes that the proposal should clearly define the problem or need and how the proposed solution will address it. It also stresses that the budget section is critical and must provide detailed cost projections and justification for expenses. Overall, the document serves as a useful guide for developing a well-structured business proposal that makes a compelling case for supporting a proposed project or initiative.

Uploaded by

Syed Qaiser Hussain
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Writing a Business

Proposal
A workshop by:

Syed Qaiser Hussain


What is a proposal?

• In the simplest terms…


• A plan or suggestion, especially a formal or written
one, put forward for consideration or discussion by
others.
Types of a Proposal

• Solicited
• Unsolicited
• Research Proposal
• Business Proposal
Types of a Proposal

Solicited
• The customer issues a Request for Proposal (RFP),
Request for Quotation (RFQ), or an Invitation for
Bids (IFB).
Types of Proposals

Unsolicited
• Submitted to a sponsor who is believed to have an
interest in the subject.
What is a Business Proposal?

• In the simplest terms…


• “A Business Proposal is a request for support of
sponsored research, instruction, or extension of
projects.”
A Few Functional Types…

• Grant Proposals - For funding proposals to all


levels of government.

• Business Proposals - For all types of business


proposals.
A Few Functional Types…

• Technical Proposals - Research, academic,


business and government.

• Project Proposals - For all types of projects - all


sectors.
A Few Functional Types…

• Sales Proposals - For all types of products and


services.
General Misunderstanding

• “Business Proposal” and “Business Plan” are


synonymous.

• But they are not.


General Misunderstanding
• A business proposal offers a product or service to a
buyer or client.

• A business plan is a “formal statement of a set of


business goals” and how these would be achieved.

• Business Plan is a part of Business proposal.


Structure

• Title

• Executive Summary

• Table of Contents

• Introduction
Structure

• Statement of the Problem

• Approach or Objective or Solution

• Method or Activities or Work plan

• Resources (Human and Other)


Structure

• Schedule and Benchmarks

• Justification or Bidder’s Qualification

• Budget

• Measurement or Evaluation
Structure

• Conclusion
Your Task…

• You have been given a situation.

• Take the sheets provided to you.

• Start working on the assigned proposal and write


each section of the proposal as it is elaborated.
Title
• Your name, name of the company, name of the
person or company to whom the proposal is
submitted, and the date of submission.

• Identifies what the proposal is about.


• Must be written very clearly.
Executive Summary
• Like an abstract.
• A one- or two-paragraph summary of the product
or service.

• How it meets the requirements and exceeds


expectations?
Table of Contents

• Not necessary for shorter proposals


• Sometimes used for complex formal proposals.
• Useful where different departments review parts of
the document separately.
Introduction

• The business entity in terms of company,


partnership, proprietorship.

• The major activities of the company.

• A past accomplishments briefly.


Introduction

• The values and the ethical standards adopted in


dealings with stakeholders.

• The purpose of the proposal.


• Credits, including the author and external sources.
Introduction

• Concise personal profiles (not resumes) of key


people who would drive the project.

• The contact details of the key person.


Introduction

• The intended recipients of the proposal.

• The date of the proposal and its validity.

Note:The best reports confine the introduction to

one page, but still cover all details very concisely.


Statement of the Problem

• Defines what the proposal tries to achieve.

• Sets the direction, tone, and structure of the


proposal.
Statement of the Problem

• The major components of the Problem/Need


section are:

• Statement of problem or need reinforced with facts,


statistics, interviews, and comparisons.
Statement of the Problem

• The relevance of the need, or why the problem


needs a resolution.

• Present status and past performance in graphs


and tabular formats.
Statement of the Problem

• Proves the gap between existing state and ideal


state.

• The optimal length of the problem/need section is


two to three pages.
Approach/Objective/Solution

• Goals that the proposal hopes to accomplish.

• Breaks down the goals into small measurable time-


bound targets.

• Function wise strategies and plans.


Method/Activities/Work Plan

• Lists the approach or methodology proposed to


attain the objectives or reach the solution.

• It includes:
Method/Activities/Work Plan

• A management plan detailing:


 Project structure.
 Organization of work with milestones.
 Implementation schedule.
Method/Activities/Work Plan

• Management structure, including administration


and system profiles.

• A list of what the proposal does not include along


with reasons.
Method/Activities/Work Plan

• For instance, some items listed in the need


statement might not find mention in the objectives
as the cost-benefit analysis makes fulfillment of
such need unviable.
Method/Activities/Work Plan

• Set a realistic timeframe for the likely rate of


progress

• Include provisions for lags.


Resources (Human and Other)

• This includes:
 Total manpower required.
 Job descriptions for all staff.
 Biographies of key team members.
Resources (Human and Other)

• May also include:


 Any resource other than human beings.
 E.g. Any technological aid, movement from one
place to another, etc.
Schedule and Benchmarks

• Major elements of the job are here displayed against


a time line.

• Benchmarks are identified to indicate successful


accomplishment of intermediate objectives.
Justification/Bidder’s
Qualification
• Only used and bid and research proposals.
• Why this bidder should be chosen on the basis of:
 Qualifications.
 Successful history of similar jobs.
Budget

• The most critical section.


• The approval is usually based or contingent upon
financial considerations.
Budget
• It incorporates:
• The costs and pricing for implementing the work
plan.

• Projections such as proposed cash flow, profit and


loss statement, balance sheet, and key ratios.
Budget

• Cost benefit analysis for implementing the


objectives.

• Source of funds, for instance, debt or equity.


• Tax implications and accounting standards used.
Budget

• Any funding requests with potential returns on


investment.

• Include a detailed breakdown of actual figures and


justification for the stated amounts.
Measurement/Evaluation
• Reviews the work plan to underscore the strong
points.

• It usually incorporates:
• A Strength-Weakness-Opportunities-Threats
(SWOT) analysis.
Measurement/Evaluation

• Shows how the proposed plan builds on key


strengths, resolves internal weaknesses, exploits
opportunities, and avoids threats related to the
business.
Measurement/Evaluation

• Mentions issues and risk factors that can derail or


hold up the work plan.

• Contingency plans to deploy when established plans


go awry due to internal or external factors.
Measurement/Evaluation

• Good reports document everything that may go


wrong, and prepare a dedicated plan for each such
issue.
Conclusion

• Review of what the business expects to achieve.


• Strives to reinforce the proposal by restating the
problem and solutions as well as possible reasons
why the proposed work plan will succeed.
Conclusion

• The conclusion section also contains:

• Testimonials or references of satisfied clients

• Appendices containing lists of tables and detailed


information, exhibits, and other important data.
Conclusion

• The appendices help avoid cluttering the report


with excessive detail.
Any Questions…???
Thank you very much…

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