Home
>
Small Business
>
Two Types Of Business Plan Cover Pages ? Which One Are You Using?

Two Types Of Business Plan Cover Pages ? Which One Are You Using?

This is the tale of two business plans with very different cover pages. They both contain a unique and exciting business opportunity with the potential for high investment returns. Arriving in the morning mail, each neatly bound plan lands on the desk of the same potential business investor. Both plans are competing with hundreds of other documents, worksheets, phone calls, and articles for the investor's attention. And, they compete in time, because each one, seen for a few seconds, is either heeded or passed up and seldom returned to by the investor.

The first plan is tightly bound. It has a cover page made from thick paper stock. The cover page resembles the cover page to a term paper. The company's name in the center of the page and the owner's contact information in the bottom left corner provide the first bits of information about the business to the investor. Not being familiar with the company name or the owner, the investor must now open the plan in order to learn anything meaningful about the business venture.

However, the stiff cover page complicates this simple task by preventing the document from easily flipping open and laying flat. Aggravating the investor who suddenly has to divert one hand from the uncooperative business plan to answer the phone as it rings for attention, leaving the remaining free hand to wrestle with the cover and hold the plan's pages flat.

After wrestling with the business plan, the quick-handed investor gets a glimpse of the first page of the plan: a standard confidentiality agreement. So the battle to find some meaningful information continues. This time, after some contorted efforts, the investor arrives at the next page, which is?the table of contents.

At this point, the investor is reminded of the caller on the phone. Not wanting to be rude, the investor apologizes to the caller and returns to the business plan challenge at hand. Eventually the investor reaches a page titled "Executive Summary." Anxiously the investor scans the page only to see an endless ocean of words and "information-less" headings like "The Company," "The Market and Industry," "Business Model/Strategy" and so on. Not wanting to be rude to the caller any longer, the investor decides its best to put this document aside...

The second business plan is also neatly bound. However, the binding on this plan allows the cover and pages to flip open and lay flat. In addition, the cover page is divided into two columns.

The left column is about five inches in width. It contains a brief headline at the top of the column that captures the essence of the business. The headline is followed by an outline of the business plan with concise single-paragraphs that summarize the company, its management team, its products/services, the funds being requested, available collateral, the use of proceeds, and a likely exit. The column ends with a small table of financial projections.

The right hand column, about two inches wide, begins by identifying the stage the business is in and its primary industry or market. This information is followed by the owners contact information and ends with a table of contents. The layout is not crowded and has plenty of white space to make it easy to read and easy on the eyes.

As the investor attempts to read this business plan, he receives another phone call. This time the investor doesn't have to wrestle with the business plan to read it. With one hand on the receiver, the other simply holds the plan or takes notes.

More importantly, the investor never has to actually open the business plan to find out basic information about the business venture. A quick scan of this business plan's cover page tells whether or not this business venture meets the investor's investment criteria in terms of market focus, business stage, and deal size. By simply highlighting a few key elements on the cover page of the business plan, the investor can pass along meaningful information to a colleague for further review and follow-up.

But let's say that this business plan doesn't fit this investor's investment criteria. What would happen then? Well, instead of just being passed up and never returned to, this investor, who was able to quickly glean some good insight into the business plan straight from the plan's cover page, is now in a position to forward the information to another investor who might be looking for this type of investment opportunity.

Remember, investors are typically very busy people; often juggling more than one major project or deal at a time. To separate your business plan from other plans and increase your chances for getting the funding you need, lay out and package your plan to fit their busy schedules and work styles. Start with an effective business plan cover page. click here for an example.

Mike Elia is a chief financial officer and an advisor to venture capitalists and leverage buyout specialists. His business plan ebook click here for an example. and click here for an example. help you make your business the most appealing investment choice to venture capitalist, bankers, and other business investors.

Mokena prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare

In The News:

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a malware app called SpyLend is posing as a financial tool, hitting 100,000-plus downloads.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says Clone Robotics’ Protoclone mimics humans with 1,000 muscles – too human for comfort.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson urges you to use Apple’s App Privacy Report to see what your apps are really up to.

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how to smoothly transfer your data from an old laptop to a new one using cloud storage or external drives.

Kurt the CyberGuy offers tips to safeguard your personal information as scammers become more sophisticated with scam texts and other methods.

WeRide's unmanned electric delivery van, the Robovan W5, has 194 cubic feet of cargo space and can carry payloads up to about 2,205 pounds

Kurt the CyberGuy recommends deleting 16 browser extensions immediately in response to a report saying more than 3.2 million web users were affected by a security breach.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

A robotics firm in China claims a robot has performed the world's first humanoid robot front flip, which is significantly more difficult than a backflip.

A digital ID may be even more secure than a physical ID. Storing your driver's license in your Apple Wallet is an ideal solution for commuters.

A cybersecurity firm has shed some light on just how common tax scams have become. Kurt the CyberGuy offers his advice for how to protect your refund.

Lifesize Plans offers immersive walk-throughs that allow customers the opportunity to tour a home's design before construction actually begins.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

A man invested $4 million in bitcoin and lost it all with a single click when he was targeted by a vishing scam, which uses phone calls to trick people.

Expandable's Touchdown is a designer trailer that promises a luxury off-grid living experience and unfolds into a home in about 15 minutes.

Major employee screening company data breach affects 3.3 million people. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explains what happened and gives five ways to protect your data.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals mind-blowing tech that gives you sunlight on demand.

New malware "FrigidStealer" targets Mac computers. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson offers four ways to stay safe from infostealer malware.

Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how lab-grown muscles power a biohybrid hand for scalable prosthetics and research.

Reports of task scams have significantly risen in the past four years, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Kurt the CyberGuy offers some red flags.

iPhones have a hidden folder that eats up storage without you knowing it. Kurt the CyberGuy offers some tricks to free up storage on your device.

A recent ransomeware attack targeted Zacks, an American investment firm, and a cybercriminal claimed to have stolen records for millions of customers.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Researchers unveiled a new soft prosthetic hand that combines the natural coordination patterns of our fingers with the decoding of motoneuron activity in the spinal column.

Accidentally deleting a text message on your iPhone or iPad is not a problem if you still need the message. Apple has a built-in way to recover it.

Two Types Of Business Plan Cover Pages ? Which One Are You Using?

Small Business