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.

move in cleaning service Mundelein ..

In The News:

Cybersecurity experts warn about one of the largest credential compilations ever found, urging users to check "Have I Been Pwned" and change passwords immediately.

Quick iPhone and Android battery optimization techniques help your device stay powered all day by turning off hidden features that secretly drain power in the background.

Kodiak Driver autonomous truck achieves perfect 98 safety score, matching top human fleets in groundbreaking AI evaluation by Nauto's VERA system.

New 401k catch-up contribution rules in 2026 will change taxes for high earners over 50. Learn how scammers exploit these changes and protect your retirement savings.

Kurt Knutsson's guide covers social media privacy protection through location settings, account privacy controls and two-factor authentication to prevent scams and data breaches.

Revolutionary retinal implant restores central vision in 80% of patients with advanced macular degeneration, offering hope where treatments once only slowed blindness.

Learn how to use passkeys on Windows and Mac computers without cameras or fingerprint readers. Discover secure authentication methods that replace passwords.

Tesla's FSD v14.1.2 update reintroduces Mad Max mode, enabling higher speeds and more frequent lane changes than the standard Hurry profile setting.

A phishing email scam targeting American Express customers shows how cybercriminals use fake urgent messages to steal personal and financial information.

Facebook's new Meta AI feature analyzes your camera roll photos to create polished collages automatically, but requires cloud processing and raises privacy concerns.

A New Jersey teenager filed a major lawsuit against AI/Robotics Venture Strategy 3 Ltd. over ClothOff, an AI tool that created fake nude images from her social media photos.

Microsoft reports Storm-2657 cybercriminals sent phishing emails to 6,000 addresses at 25 universities to steal payroll credentials and redirect funds.

Astronomers have discovered asteroid 2025 SC79, a skyscraper-sized space rock orbiting the sun in just 128 days. the second-fastest known.

The Fox News AI Newsletter delivers the latest developments form the world of artificial intelligence, including the technology's challenges and opportunities.

A cyberattack on SimonMed Imaging exposed personal information of 1.2 million patients, including medical records, financial details and identity papers.

Spotify's managed accounts for kids under 13 now available in at least seven countries, allowing parents to filter and block explicit content and songs.

Friendly text conversations about BBQs and social events can lead to WEEX gold trading scams that target older adults with fake investment opportunities.

California company Skyeports creates self-healing glass spheres from Moon regolith that generate solar power and support plant growth for sustainable lunar living.

Cleafy researchers discover fake VPN streaming app Mobdro Pro that installs Klopatra banking Trojan, giving attackers full control over Android devices.

Police departments across the U.S. and Canada are adopting virtual reality training to better prepare officers for high-pressure, real-world situations.

House Bill 469 would prevent AI systems from owning property, serving as executives, or gaining legal personhood in Ohio under Representative Thaddeus Claggett's proposal.

Public voter records expose retirees' personal details to election scammers who create targeted cons using names, addresses, and voting history data.

Instead of fearing what comes next with artificial intelligence, think outside the box. Here are high-earning AI jobs that don't require a computer science degree.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says polite words like "please" and "thank you" cost millions annually, while direct prompts may improve ChatGPT accuracy by several points.

Chattee Chat and GiMe Chat exposed intimate conversations and photos, revealing users spent up to $18,000 on AI companions before the breach.

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

Small Business