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How To Write Your Educational Proposal

Educational Business Proposal Writing

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How to Write a Winning Education Proposal

Are you struggling to create an effective education proposal? Identifying potential funding sources is crucial when drafting an education proposal. Writing an education proposal is essential for securing funding and support. This article shows you a step-by-step guide to preparing a persuasive education proposal. From defining your vision to nailing the budget, we cover the must-know strategies for making your proposal robust and impactful. Get ready to raise your educational initiatives with these insights.

Key Takeaways

• Educational proposals vary from grant proposals for funding to project proposals for new programs and should align with the specific goals, needs, and desired educational outcomes.
• A winning education proposal must have a clear and compelling vision that matches potential funders' priorities and evaluation criteria. It must articulate the educational initiative's long-term goals and measurable benefits.
• The proposal should follow a structured format with key sections like an executive summary that offers a snapshot, a detailed project plan outlining objectives and methodology, and a budget breakdown with justified costs.

Types of Educational Proposals

Educational proposals come in various forms, each tailored to specific goals and requirements. Understanding the different types of proposals is the first step in creating a winning proposal. Understanding proposal guidelines and funding opportunities for every educational proposal is crucial. Let's look into the various types of educational proposals you might encounter.

One common type is the grant proposal. These are typically written to secure funding from government agencies, foundations, or other organizations. Identifying funding opportunities can help tailor the proposal to meet specific requirements. Grant proposals often focus on research topics such as the impact of STEM education on critical thinking or the efficacy of bilingual education in early childhood. In educational technology, proposals might address virtual reality's prospects or artificial intelligence's integration into personalized learning. Another significant area is teacher education and professional development, where proposals might focus on mentoring programs for new teachers or the impact of continuing education on teaching quality.

Another important type is the project proposal for new educational programs. These proposals are designed to introduce and implement new curricula, courses, or educational programs. For instance, a new educational program proposal might explore the role of arts education in developing emotional intelligence or address social and cultural issues in education, such as gender disparities in STEM fields. Additionally, education policy and leadership proposals might examine the impact of education policies on achievement gaps or the effect of school leadership styles on teacher morale. Each type of proposal has unique requirements and goals, but all share the common objective of improving educational outcomes and driving innovation.

Follow the Instructions

Most educational business proposals are written in response to grants with specific guidelines outlined in a Request for Proposal (RFP). These RFPs provide a detailed blueprint of the grantor's expectations, including the format, content, deadlines, and evaluation criteria. Following these guidelines to the letter is crucial, as adherence to them can result in the proposal being rejected on a technicality, regardless of the quality of the content or the project's merit.

The importance of following RFP guidelines cannot be overstated. These guidelines ensure that all proposals are evaluated equally, allowing the grantor to make fair and objective comparisons. By adhering strictly to the prescribed format, applicants demonstrate their attention to detail, respect for the grantor's requirements, and ability to follow instructions-traits often indicative of their capability to manage the grant effectively. Ignoring or misinterpreting even a single guideline can lead to disqualification, making it imperative for applicants to thoroughly review the RFP and ensure every aspect of their proposal aligns with the specified requirements. This diligence increases the chances of the proposal being considered and reflects a professional approach that can positively influence the grantor's perception of the applicant.

Creating Your Educational Vision

A clear and compelling vision is the cornerstone of any successful educational proposal. This vision guides the development of your proposed educational program and captures the interest of funding sources and decision-makers. Creating an educational vision involves articulating the desired outcomes and the broader impact of your program.

When creating your vision, think about the long-term goals of your educational project. What changes do you hope to see in students, educational institutions, or the broader educational landscape? A well-defined vision statement should express these aspirations clearly and concisely. For example, suppose your proposed educational program aims to enhance critical thinking skills through STEM education. In that case, your vision should highlight how this will benefit students and prepare them for future challenges.

Stakeholder engagement plays a vital role in shaping an educational vision. By involving key stakeholders, you ensure that the vision is comprehensive and aligned with the needs and expectations of those it aims to serve.

Winning support for your proposal often hinges on aligning your vision with the interests of potential funders. It's crucial to articulate your vision to resonate with their priorities to achieve this. Whether seeking a grant or institutional backing, your vision statement should demonstrate how your education program addresses a significant need and offers measurable benefits. This alignment strengthens your proposal and increases the likelihood of securing the necessary support to bring your educational ideas to life.

The Blueprint of an Education Proposal: Key Sections

An effective educational proposal follows a structured format that covers all key aspects. Understanding the key sections of a proposal is essential to present a winning case. The main sections include the executive summary, project plan, and budget breakdown.

Here's the order your proposal sections should follow: 1) introduce yourself, 2) summarize the project needs, 3) describe your solution and costs, and finally, 4) provide information about your organization, credentials, and capabilities.

The executive summary serves as the first impression of your proposal. It encapsulates the essence and urgency of the proposed educational program, providing a snapshot that can win over evaluators before they look into the detailed parts of the proposal. The executive summary should be able to stand alone as a summary of the major points, describing the project's aims and procedures in accessible terms.

The project plan should include the following:

• A clear set of objectives
• Expected significance and its relationship to the educational field
• Research design
• Ethical considerations
• Data analysis approaches
• Comprehensive timeline showcasing detailed planning and the sequence of activities
• Needs assessment to identify the specific needs the proposal aims to address

This will help map out the desired outcome of your proposal and establish methodological soundness.

Finally, the budget breakdown is critical for estimating costs and securing necessary funds. A well-defined budget and funding strategy demonstrate responsible financial planning. The budget should include detailed estimated costs, broken into direct and indirect costs, for the entire project period. Justifying the budget ensures that the costs are reasonable and aligned with the project's aims and methods.

Executive Summary: Your First Impression

The executive summary is the most important part of your proposal because it sets the stage for everything that follows. A well-written executive summary should:

• Capture the essence of your proposed educational program and its program objectives
• Highlight its urgency and relevance
• Provide a snapshot that can win over evaluators even before they look into the detailed parts of the proposal.

An effective executive summary should concisely describe the project's aims and procedures in terms accessible to a general audience. This section should stand alone as a summary of the major points, including the client's challenge, solution overview, and unique qualifications that set your proposal apart. By capturing the essence and urgency of your educational program, the executive summary serves as your first step toward winning support and making a lasting impression.

Project Plan: Mapping Out Success

In the project plan, you articulate a clear set of objectives and outline the steps needed to achieve them. This section should explain the project's expected significance and relationship to the educational field. A detailed timeline is essential to illustrate the sequence and duration of specific activities, ensuring that your planning is thorough and well-organized. An implementation timeline ensures that each project phase is executed promptly and organized.

In addition to setting objectives, the project plan must detail the research design, ethical considerations, and data analysis approaches. This establishes methodological soundness and shows how success will be measured. Furthermore, the project plan should outline how stakeholders are involved and managed through surveys, interviews, and workshops. By providing a comprehensive roadmap, the project plan demonstrates your commitment to achieving the desired outcomes and addresses potential challenges proactively.

Budget Breakdown: Estimating Costs for a Grant Proposal

A well-defined budget is crucial for the success of any educational proposal. It helps estimate costs and secure necessary funds. Your budget should include detailed estimated costs, broken into direct and indirect costs, for the entire project period. This level of detail demonstrates responsible financial planning and ensures that all aspects of the project are accounted for.

Conducting a cost-benefit analysis is essential to justify the budget and demonstrate the financial viability of the educational program.

Justifying the budget is equally important, showing that the costs are reasonable and aligned with the project's aims and methods. Including a budget and schedule document in the proposal reinforces your commitment to transparency and accountability. By carefully estimating costs and outlining a clear funding strategy, you can build a strong case for the financial viability of your educational program.

Tailoring Proposals with Proposal Templates and Proposal Kit Advantages

Proposal Kit is an invaluable resource for anyone involved in proposal writing. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools, including:

• Pre-written templates
• Graphic options
• Automation software

Proposal Kit helps create a professional proposal format that meets specific requirements, ensuring your proposals are effective and visually appealing.

This allows users to tailor each proposal to address the client's unique needs, including specifics like the project's schedule, budget, and goals.

The professional design capabilities of the Proposal Kit enhance the overall impact of your proposal. With thousands of customizable templates and sample proposals tailored to educational endeavors, you can start with a solid foundation and personalize it to suit your project. The ability to incorporate visual elements further strengthens your proposal's effectiveness. By streamlining the proposal creation process, the Proposal Kit saves time and ensures a polished, professional appearance.

From Concept to Reality: Writing Process Insights

Writing a successful educational proposal involves well-defined steps, from initial research and data collection to drafting and refinement. Thorough research before writing the proposal provides a solid understanding of the project, helping to identify the needs and gaps the proposal can address. Gathering relevant data early establishes a foundation for creating an argument in the proposal.

Drafting the proposal involves the following steps:

• Create an outline that categorizes various aspects of the program, providing a roadmap for detailed writing.
• Refine the writing to ensure clarity, coherence, and the avoidance of jargon to make the proposal accessible to all stakeholders.
• Use clear, persuasive language throughout the proposal to communicate its goal and significance to the educational field.
• Conduct a proposal review to refine grammar, spelling, and overall clarity.

Including case studies and testimonials within the proposal helps to illustrate the success of similar educational programs, providing a model for the proposed initiative. Evidence of qualifications, through training, certifications, education, experience, or awards, solidifies the proposal's credibility. Following these steps, you can transform your concept into a reality that resonates with readers and secures the necessary support.

Research and Data Collection: Building a Strong Foundation

Clarifying the project's purpose and desired results at the initial stage is crucial to conceptualizing the project's entirety. The foundational step in creating an education grant is pinpointing the specific educational gap or challenge the project intends to solve. Examining successful grant applications can provide a roadmap for structuring information and deciding what to encapsulate in each section of the grant application proposal. Following these guidelines and presenting a well-prepared proposal is essential to requesting funding effectively.

In-depth research is essential to support the education project proposal and describe its transformative potential and benefits. Gathering and analyzing relevant data can create an argument showcasing evidence-based needs and your educational project's potential impact. Data analysis is essential in supporting the proposal and demonstrating its likely impact.

Drafting and Refinement: Creating a Compelling Narrative

Storytelling in grant proposals helps readers understand students' backgrounds, experiences, and challenges, engaging them with a narrative that reflects real-life scenarios. Writing a proposal involves being pragmatic and persuasive, presenting the educational challenges and goals without implying that specific technology tools are premature solutions.

The proposal should provide a detailed visualization of the student projects, emphasizing how their execution will tackle educational issues and achieve set goals. A clear proposal structure is crucial in making the proposal accessible to all stakeholders. It's recommended that the first draft of the proposal be reviewed by a qualified proofreader or editor to refine grammar, spelling, and overall clarity. Continuous refinement ensures the proposal is clear, coherent, and compelling to all stakeholders.

Using Evidence to Support Your Case

Including evidence-based solutions that address real educational needs demonstrates a proposal's potential as a model for other educators. Using varied sources in the proposal to substantiate the claim that the proposed solution can improve student learning adds to its overall strength. Supporting documentation plays a vital role in substantiating the claims made in the proposal, providing a solid foundation for the arguments presented. Examples of successful student projects can be a tangible measure of the educational strategy's effectiveness and potential impact.

Evidence of an organization or individual's qualifications through:

• certifications

This solidifies the proposal's credibility. By incorporating these elements, you can create a robust and persuasive case that resonates with evaluators and stakeholders.

Securing Buy-In: Addressing Stakeholder Interests

Securing buy-in from stakeholders is crucial for the success of any educational proposal. Here are some steps to follow:

• Draft an instructional vision statement.
• Collect feedback from various stakeholders.
• Refine and finalize the vision statement based on the feedback.
• Address any concerns and build consensus through a collaborative approach.
• Conduct a stakeholder analysis to understand and address stakeholder interests.

By following these steps, you can ensure that the instructional vision statement aligns with the interests of all stakeholders.

Linking the services offered in the proposal to the direct benefits they will provide is essential in solving the client's challenges and securing stakeholders' buy-in. Clear communication and demonstrating the tangible benefits of the proposed educational program can significantly increase the likelihood of success in acquiring funding and support.

Delivering and Following Up: Making Your Proposal Count

Delivering your proposal according to the specified method is just the beginning. Follow-up is essential to ensure the proposal was received and address any questions. A communication plan should be in place to ensure regular and clear communication with stakeholders post-delivery, specifying:

• Formats suitable for each stakeholder group.

A well-defined communication strategy ensures regular and clear communication with stakeholders post-delivery.

Showing appreciation through letters, certificates, or events can strengthen relationships with stakeholders and increase the credibility of those proposing the educational project. Being proactive and engaging can make your proposal count and pave the way for successful implementation. A well-written cover letter can also enhance the impact of your proposal.

Here are some related samples included in every Proposal Pack

• Educational Grant Sample Proposal
• Educational Grant Sample Proposal #2
• Research Assistant Sample Proposal
• Corporate Event Planner Services Proposal
• USDA Federal Government Grant Proposal
• Training Services Sample Proposal
• Software and Hardware System Sample Proposal
• Charter School Educational Sample Proposal
• School Funding Request Sample Proposal
• Mining Safety Sample Proposal
• Youth Sports Program Sample Proposal
• Ranching Educational Grant Funding Sample Proposal
• Disaster Preparation and Training Sample Proposal
• Orphanage Non-Profit Funding Sample Proposal

Here are some related templates

• Charter School Educational Proposal
• Computer Lab for Students Educational Proposal
• Distance Learning Education Proposal
• Educational Training for Special Needs Proposal
• Mobile Classroom Sales and Rental Proposal
• Music School Educational Proposal
• New College Curriculum Proposal
• Online School and Media Outlet Funding Proposal

Leveraging Tools for Efficiency: Proposal Kit's Role

Proposal Kit offers invaluable tools and templates that enhance the professional appearance of your proposals and save significant time. These education proposal templates are designed with prepared formats for headers, logos, and outline structures, giving your proposal a polished look.

Institutions can benefit significantly from using Proposal Kit's suite of related templates tailored for courses, grants, and programs, each designed to meet departmental requirements and expectations. By leveraging these resources, you can ensure your proposals are professional and efficiently managed from creation to submission.

Photo Design Proposal Packs

Line art design proposal packs.

Creating a winning educational proposal involves a comprehensive approach, from understanding the types of proposals to creating a clear vision, detailed project plan, and well-defined budget. The executive summary plays a vital role in making a solid first impression. At the same time, the project plan and budget breakdown provide the necessary details to map out success and estimate costs. Tailoring your proposals with the advantages of the Proposal Kit can streamline the process and enhance the overall impact.

Each step is critical in building a narrative, from conducting thorough research and data collection to drafting, refining, and using evidence to support your case. Addressing stakeholder interests, delivering the proposal, and following up are essential to secure buy-in and ensure successful implementation. Proposal evaluation is vital in ensuring the proposal meets all necessary criteria and stands out to evaluators. Leveraging tools like Proposal Kit can enhance your proposal's efficiency and professionalism, ultimately making your educational ideas a reality that drives meaningful change.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should a proposal be delivered to the client or committee.

Deliver the proposal according to the specified delivery method, then follow up with a phone call after a reasonable period to ensure it was received and address any questions.

What is the importance of customizing each proposal?

Customizing each proposal is crucial as it demonstrates personalized attention and helps differentiate it from mass marketing. This personalization can make the recipient feel valued and increase the likelihood of a positive response.

What are Proposal Packs designed for?

Proposal Packs are designed for writing educational proposals, such as RFP responses, grants, educational products, services, and funding. They provide a comprehensive solution for education-related proposal writing.

What is the purpose of writing an education business proposal?

Writing an education business proposal aims to present ideas and secure funding or support from key stakeholders. This is crucial for implementing innovative educational initiatives.

What should be included in the introduction section of a proposal?

In the introduction section of a proposal, include a cover letter introducing yourself, the purpose of the proposal, what action you seek, and your contact information. This will provide a clear overview and set the tone for the rest of the document.

Using our professional quality proposal and contract packages, wizards, and support documents to develop your proposals, business plans, and other business documents will give you a comprehensive final document that will present you and your organization as a highly professional alternative that instantly inspires trust.

It will provide you with the inside track. You can order and instantly download the Proposal Kit that best suits your needs.

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School Business Plan Template

Written by Dave Lavinsky

School Business Plan

Over the past 20+ years, we have helped over 500 entrepreneurs and business owners create business plans to start and grow their schools.

If you’re unfamiliar with creating a school business plan, you may think creating one will be a time-consuming and frustrating process. For most entrepreneurs it is, but for you, it won’t be since we’re here to help. We have the experience, resources, and knowledge to help you create a great business plan.

In this article, you will learn some background information on why business planning is important. Then, you will learn how to write a school business plan step-by-step so you can create your plan today.

Download our Ultimate Business Plan Template here >

What is a School Business Plan?

A business plan provides a snapshot of your school as it stands today, and lays out your growth plan for the next five years. It explains your business goals and your strategies for reaching them. It also includes market research to support your plans.

Why You Need a Business Plan for a School

If you’re looking to start a school or grow your existing school, you need a business plan. A business plan will help you raise funding, if needed, and plan out the growth of your school to improve your chances of success. Your school business plan is a living document that should be updated annually as your company grows and changes.

Sources of Funding for Schools

With regards to funding, the main sources of funding for schools are donations and gifts, tuition, personal savings, credit cards, bank loans, and angel investors. When it comes to bank loans, banks will want to review your business plan and gain confidence that you will be able to repay your loan and interest. To acquire this confidence, the loan officer will not only want to ensure that your financials are reasonable, but they will also want to see a professional plan. Such a plan will give them the confidence that you can successfully and professionally operate a business. Personal savings and bank loans are the most common funding paths for schools.

Finish Your Business Plan Today!

How to write a business plan for a school.

If you want to start a school or expand your current one, you need a business plan. The guide below details the necessary information for how to write each essential component of your school business plan.

Executive Summary

Your executive summary provides an introduction to your business plan, but it is normally the last section you write because it provides a summary of each key section of your plan.

The goal of your executive summary is to quickly engage the reader. Explain to them the kind of school you are running and the status. For example, are you a startup, do you have a school that you would like to grow, or are you operating a chain of schools?

Next, provide an overview of each of the subsequent sections of your plan.

• Give a brief overview of the school industry.
• Discuss the type of school you are operating.
• Detail your direct competitors. Give an overview of your target customers.
• Provide a snapshot of your marketing strategy. Identify the key members of your team.
• Offer an overview of your financial plan.

Company Overview

In your company overview, you will detail the type of school you are operating.

For example, you might specialize in one of the following types of schools:

• Private K-12 school : this type of school typically charges tuition, and may be affiliated with a religious organization, or specialize in a particular learning method.
• Charter school: this type of school offers primary or secondary education for a tuition, and may receive some public funding, and/or donations. These schools require their students to take state-mandated exams.
• Special subject school: this type of school specializes in teaching a specific subject, such as driving, first-aid, self-defense, fine arts, language, or general tutoring.
• Preschool: this type of school typically serves children who are aged 3 and 4. These schools prepare young children to enter formal education, and are funded by some combination of tuition, donations, and government grants.

In addition to explaining the type of school you will operate, the company overview needs to provide background on the business.

Include answers to questions such as:

• When and why did you start the business?
• What milestones have you achieved to date? Milestones could include the number of students served, the number of students accepted into elite formal education institutions, etc.
• Your legal business Are you incorporated as an S-Corp? An LLC? A sole proprietorship? Explain your legal structure here.

Industry Analysis

In your industry or market analysis, you need to provide an overview of the school industry.

While this may seem unnecessary, it serves multiple purposes.

First, researching the school industry educates you. It helps you understand the market in which you are operating.

Secondly, market research can improve your marketing strategy, particularly if your analysis identifies market trends.

The third reason is to prove to readers that you are an expert in your industry. By conducting the research and presenting it in your plan, you achieve just that.

The following questions should be answered in the industry analysis section of your school business plan:

• How big is the school industry (in dollars)?
• Is the market declining or increasing?
• Who are the key competitors in the market?
• Who are the key suppliers in the market?
• What trends are affecting the industry?
• What is the industry’s growth forecast over the next 5 – 10 years?
• What is the relevant market size? That is, how big is the potential target market for your school? You can extrapolate such a figure by assessing the size of the market in the entire country and then applying that figure to your local population.

Customer Analysis

The customer analysis section of your school business plan must detail the customers you serve and/or expect to serve.

The following are examples of customer segments: families with elementary-aged children, families with high-school-aged children, families with preschool children.

As you can imagine, the customer segment(s) you choose will have a great impact on the type of school you operate. Clearly, families with high schoolers would respond to different marketing promotions than families with preschoolers, for example.

Try to break out your target customers in terms of their demographic and psychographic profiles. With regards to demographics, including a discussion of the ages, genders, locations, and income levels of the potential customers you seek to serve.

Psychographic profiles explain the wants and needs of your target customers. The more you can recognize and define these needs, the better you will do in attracting and retaining your customers.

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Competitive Analysis

Your competitive analysis should identify the indirect and direct competitors your business faces and then focus on the latter.

Direct competitors are other schools.

Indirect competitors are other options that customers have to purchase from that aren’t directly competing with your product or service. This includes public schools, virtual schools, and families who do homeschooling. You need to mention such competition as well.

For each such competitor, provide an overview of their business and document their strengths and weaknesses. Unless you once worked at your competitors’ businesses, it will be impossible to know everything about them. But you should be able to find out key things about them such as

• What types of students do they serve?
• What type of school are they?
• What is their pricing (premium, low, etc.)?
• What are they good at?
• What are their weaknesses?

With regards to the last two questions, think about your answers from the customers’ perspective. And don’t be afraid to ask your competitors’ customers what they like most and least about them.

The final part of your competitive analysis section is to document your areas of competitive advantage. For example:

• Will you provide specialized instruction, either in subject or in method?
• Will you offer courses or services that your competition doesn’t?
• Will you provide better customer service?
• Will you offer better pricing?

Think about ways you will outperform your competition and document them in this section of your plan.  

Marketing Plan

Traditionally, a marketing plan includes the four P’s: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion. For a school business plan, your marketing strategy should include the following:

Product : In the product section, you should reiterate the type of school that you documented in your company overview. Then, detail the specific products or services you will be offering. For example, will you provide religious-focused K-8 education, college preparatory courses, or single-subject instruction like driving or fine arts?

Price : Document the prices you will offer and how they compare to your competitors. Essentially in the product and price sub-sections of your plan, you are presenting the courses and/or extracurricular activities you offer and their prices.

Place : Place refers to the site of your school. Document where your company is situated and mention how the site will impact your success. For example, is your school located in a growing neighborhood, in the city center, or will you operate purely online? Discuss how your site might be the ideal location for your customers.

Promotions : The final part of your school marketing plan is where you will document how you will drive potential customers to your location(s). The following are some promotional methods you might consider:

• Advertise in local papers, radio stations and/or magazines
• Reach out to websites
• Distribute flyers
• Engage in email marketing
• Advertise on social media platforms
• Improve the SEO (search engine optimization) on your website for targeted keywords

Operations Plan

While the earlier sections of your business plan explained your goals, your operations plan describes how you will meet them. Your operations plan should have two distinct sections as follows.

Everyday short-term processes include all of the tasks involved in running your school, including answering calls, planning and delivering instruction, applying for grants, fundraising, performing administrative tasks, overseeing instructors, handling discipline, scheduling and monitoring extracurricular activities, etc.

Long-term goals are the milestones you hope to achieve. These could include the dates when you expect to enroll your Xth student, or when you hope to reach $X in revenue. It could also be when you expect to expand your school to a new city.  

Management Team

To demonstrate your school’s potential to succeed, a strong management team is essential. Highlight your key players’ backgrounds, emphasizing those skills and experiences that prove their ability to grow a company.

Ideally, you and/or your team members have direct experience in managing schools. If so, highlight this experience and expertise. But also highlight any experience that you think will help your business succeed.

If your team is lacking, consider assembling an advisory board. An advisory board would include 2 to 8 individuals who would act as mentors to your business. They would help answer questions and provide strategic guidance. If needed, look for advisory board members with experience in running a school or experience with public school administration or who has served on a public school board.  

Financial Plan

Your financial plan should include your 5-year financial statement broken out both monthly or quarterly for the first year and then annually. Your financial statements include your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statements.

Income Statement

An income statement is more commonly called a Profit and Loss statement or P&L. It shows your revenue and then subtracts your costs to show whether you turned a profit or not.

In developing your income statement, you need to devise assumptions. For example, will you enroll 100 or 1,000 students per semester, and/or offer extracurricular activities? And will sales grow by 2% or 10% per year? As you can imagine, your choice of assumptions will greatly impact the financial forecasts for your business. As much as possible, conduct research to try to root your assumptions in reality.

Balance Sheets

Balance sheets show your assets and liabilities. While balance sheets can include much information, try to simplify them to the key items you need to know about. For instance, if you spend $50,000 on building out your school, this will not give you immediate profits. Rather it is an asset that will hopefully help you generate profits for years to come. Likewise, if a lender writes you a check for $50,000, you don’t need to pay it back immediately. Rather, that is a liability you will pay back over time.

Cash Flow Statement

Your cash flow statement will help determine how much money you need to start or grow your business, and ensure you never run out of money. What most entrepreneurs and business owners don’t realize is that you can turn a profit but run out of money and go bankrupt.

When creating your Income Statement and Balance Sheets be sure to include several of the key costs needed in starting or growing a school:

• Cost of equipment and supplies
• Payroll or salaries paid to staff
• Business insurance
• Other start-up expenses (if you’re a new business) like legal expenses, permits, computer software, and equipment

Attach your full financial projections in the appendix of your plan along with any supporting documents that make your plan more compelling. For example, you might include your school location lease or a list of elective courses or extracurricular activities you will offer.  

Writing a business plan for your school is a worthwhile endeavor. If you follow the template above, by the time you are done, you will truly be an expert. You will understand the school industry, your competition, and your customers. You will develop a marketing strategy and will understand what it takes to launch and grow a successful school.

Don’t you wish there was a faster, easier way to finish your School business plan?

OR, Let Us Develop Your Plan For You

Since 1999, Growthink has developed business plans for thousands of companies who have gone on to achieve tremendous success.   Click here to learn about Growthink’s business plan writing services .

Other Helpful Business Plan Articles & Templates

Using a Business Proposal to Develop Students’ Problem-Solving Skills and Entrepreneurship

The current technology-infused and globalized job market is putting pressure on students to apply knowledge and use it to solve complex problems (Pham & Sampson, 2022). As a result, instructors in higher education often encounter difficulty in designing and guiding learning experiences that are relevant and like what students could face in their jobs (Talbert & Bergmann, 2017). To address that gap, many instructors apply experiential learning activities to not only provide relevant and authentic learning experiences but also to promote the development of high-order skills (e.g., problem-solving, entrepreneurship).

A business proposal/plan is a written document that details how a potential business wants to achieve its goal (Joseph et al., 2021). Business plan projects are widely used in business education (Malach, & Malach, 2014) as they are seen as useful to facilitate knowledge transfer and help prepare students to pitch their brand to potential investors. Business proposals have also been used in online courses that include technology as a core dimension of knowledge and can improve students’ collaboration, communication, creativity, and planning skills (Yoke & Ngang, 2017).

Link to example artifact(s)

We illustrate how to leverage a business proposal assignment to enhance students’ problem solving and entrepreneurship based on our experience with the online course HMG6449 (Smart Travel and Tourism) taught at University of Central Florida. We explain the purpose and steps of the assignment. We also provide artifacts and share the outcomes of the assignment after its implementation in Fall 2022.

Description of the Assignment

Explain to students why the business proposal is relevant for their future careers. Highlight that the business proposal will allow them to articulate their long-term goals by creating an original and potentially feasible business opportunity based on their skills and interests. Include a list of knowledge, skills, and abilities relevant to the specific industry sector. Ideally, you would want to encourage group work since it is probed to lead to more creative and innovative products. However, some students might prefer to work individually to have more flexibility and control over the project (especially in online/mixed-mode courses). Briefly summarize the different steps of the assignment and present its goal (see Figure 1).

Fig. 1. Business Proposal Assignment

Location of the Assignment

In the HMG6449 course, the business proposal project was presented in a separate module on top of the module pages (See Figure 1) which allowed students to quickly see the deadlines for each step of the project and quickly navigate to the directions and rubrics. In addition, the instructor provided reminders within the content modules of which deliverables were due for the week. It is important to note that the reminders were included in the modules as webpages, which turn, directed students to the specific assignments available in the business project module. This strategy was taken based on students’ feedback provided in prior course sections highlighting that a specific module for the project would facilitate access to the project’s resources, directions, rubrics, and submission pages.

Team Formation and Brainstorming

Discuss with students their initial ideas since some propounded solutions might not be feasible, could be unrealistic, or could simply lack common sense. To maximize the impact of the proposed businesses, you can ask your students to come up with a team/company name and submit a one-page abstract summarizing your initial business idea. You can clarify that their initial business idea can evolve, so it does not happen to be perfect at first. The abstract is intended to show how each team/student is making progress. The crucial aspect of this stage is providing personalized feedback.

Revision/feedback on Initial Business Idea

Here is an example of how written feedback was provided to an initial idea developed by students to create a gamified app for travelers:

Thank you for sharing your initial idea. Research suggests that travelers’ sustainability awareness is generally increasing among the younger generation of consumers. Uses cases show that T&H businesses are increasingly using gamification strategies (apps with points, rewards, leaderboards) to promote customers’ engagement and brand awareness. Combining both ideas to promote sustainability behaviors and consumer engagement sounds promising. Please keep developing your idea and be more specific about the product/service that you will offer. At this point, it is not clear to me if you are thinking about developing a technological service (e.g., H&T businesses under a B2B model) or a social tool under a B2C model for consumers. You can start conducting some Internet searches to get some inspiration by seeing similar solutions (e.g., scavify) and identifying the gaps. Great work on your initial business idea!

Ask students to conduct consumer discovery through rounds of user interviews

User interviews are intended to explore users’ current journeys in a service, identify unknown needs, and provide insights to inform the design of students’ technological products or services. Recommendations for implementing include:

• Require students to complete one or two rounds of interviews. Each team member can interview 2 potential users of the propounded product/service to understand the user’s needs and to surface unknown needs and insights, not to get reactions from the work or ideas.
• Provide your students with an interview template to exemplify how the interview report should be organized.
• Provide a few complementary resources (e.g., videos) related to creating a journey map , and how to ask a question: get better answers as supplementary materials for students to dive deeper into the interview process.

Ask students to prepare a pitch deck

After potential users’ interviews, ask each team to record a mid-term project pitch talk. Each team is asked to create an up to 5-minute 8-slide presentation video of a mock business proposal accompanied by audio explanations and upload it to the online course. Invite external audiences (e.g., venture capitalists from local investment firms, and industry experts) to provide feedback on the team presentations. Provide examples of successful startups pitch decks. Provide a rubric to guide students’ performance.

Solicit students to submit a business proposal draft

The last stage consists in submitting the final business proposal. Students can be provided with an outline to summarize their business planning decisions. Students can also be encouraged to title each section of their written plan as indicated in the outline and write using their own words answers to the questions listed. A rubric is fundamental to guide the writing of the business proposal.

We found useful reminding students that they do not have to win a Pulitzer Prize but focus on selling their ideas in a compelling way. You can also provide a few examples and nonexamples of prior students’ submissions to help them visualize the required performance in the assignment.

Outcomes of the Learning Experience

Our experience implementing the business proposal assignment was positive. Students developed their ideas, creativity, and research skills to create amazing ideas on new products, services, and technologies with potential to be founded and marketed in the tourism and hospitality industry. Designed products and services included:

• Gaming app based on AR technology that can be downloaded into mobile or another digital gadget to explore destinations.
• Mobile app that makes the travel planning experiences fun and accessible.
• Autonomous and AI-enabled trams/carts that can be rolled out to airports.
• Robotic assistant that provides guests with easy access to both room supplies and room service throughout their stay.
• Full-service virtual check-in kiosk applications.
• AI-based systems to streamline the process of handling food allergies and dietary restrictions.
• Smart luggage tags that utilize biometric sciences to track and locate the items.

Students’ perceptions

Students’ reflective essays indicated they the business proposal assignment was effective for the development of soft skills: teamwork, interviewing skills, entrepreneurship, creativity, communication, leadership, and collaboration, and team commitment. Students also mentioned that the business proposal assignment was relevant for their future professional life, facilitate transfer of class knowledge to real-life practice and social impact, and provided meaningful student-student and student-instructor interactions. Some students identified a few challenges, including difficulty in matching group members’ schedules and differential contributions of group members.

Online instructors could leverage business proposal assignments to develop students’ soft skills, facilitate transfer classroom knowledge to industry, and to enhance students’ entrepreneurship/creativity. By including formative feedback and well-designed rubrics to guide students’ efforts, business proposal assignments can help learners to exercise creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and potentially find investments in the future to growth their companies and follow their professional dreams.

Link to scholarly references

Joseph, C., Hossen, R., Rahmat, M., Noyem, J. A., & Ho, V. B. (2021). Exploring the readiness for business proposal pitching video activity using the competition-based Learning Model among Accounting Students.  International Business Education Journal ,  14 (2), 13-24.

Malach, S. E., & Malach, R. L. (2014). Start Your own business assignment in the context of experiential entrepreneurship education.  Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement ,  18 (1), 169-186.

Pham, S. T., & Sampson, P. M. (2022). The development of artificial intelligence in education: A review in context.  Journal of Computer Assisted Learning ,  38 (5), 1408-1421.

Talbert, R., & Bergmann, J. (2017).  Flipped learning: A guide for higher education faculty . Routledge.

Yoke, T. C., & Ngang, T. K. (2017). A study on soft skill development among final year diploma in business studies students.  MOJEM: Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Management ,  3 (2), 32-50.

de la Mora Velasco, E., &  Huang, A.  (2023). Using a business proposal to develop students’ problem-solving skills and entrepreneurship. In A. deNoyelles, A. Albrecht, S. Bauer, & S. Wyatt (Eds.),  Teaching Online Pedagogical Repository . Orlando, FL: University of Central Florida Center for Distributed Learning.  https://topr.online.ucf.edu/using-a-business-proposal-to-develop-students-problem-solving-skills-and-entrepreneurship/ .

Business Plan Template for Education

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Starting or expanding an educational venture can be an exciting yet challenging endeavor. To ensure that your goals are clearly defined and your strategies are solid, you need a comprehensive business plan. That's where ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Education comes in!

This template is perfect for education institutions, entrepreneurs, or investors who want to outline their goals, strategies, and financial projections. With ClickUp's business plan template, you can create a roadmap for success and attract potential stakeholders to support your educational venture.

This template includes everything you need to:

• Define your educational goals and mission
• Develop strategies for growth and sustainability
• Create financial projections and budgets
• Outline marketing and outreach plans
• Identify potential risks and mitigation strategies

Don't miss out on the opportunity to bring your educational vision to life. Get started with ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Education today!

Business Plan Template for Education Benefits

A business plan template for education offers a multitude of benefits to education institutions, entrepreneurs, or investors looking to start or expand their educational ventures. Some of the key benefits include:

• Providing a clear roadmap for success by outlining goals, strategies, and financial projections
• Attracting potential stakeholders, such as investors or partners, by showcasing a well-thought-out plan
• Ensuring alignment and focus by defining the mission, vision, and values of the educational enterprise
• Analyzing market trends and competition to identify unique selling points and opportunities for growth
• Guiding resource allocation and budgeting decisions to optimize financial sustainability
• Facilitating communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders
• Supporting decision-making processes by evaluating risks and creating contingency plans
• Enhancing credibility and professionalism for grant applications or funding proposals
• Monitoring progress and tracking key performance indicators to measure success and make adjustments as needed.

Main Elements of Education Business Plan Template

ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Education provides all the essential elements to help you create a comprehensive and strategic roadmap for your educational venture:

• Custom Statuses: Track the progress of your business plan with statuses such as Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do.
• Custom Fields: Utilize custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section to add important information and categorize different sections of your business plan.
• Custom Views: Access different views to organize and analyze your business plan, including Topics view to focus on specific topics, Status view to track the progress of each section, Timeline view to visualize milestones and deadlines, Business Plan view for a holistic overview, and the Getting Started Guide view to help you navigate through the template.

With ClickUp's Business Plan Template for Education, you can streamline your planning process, collaborate with stakeholders, and ensure a clear path to success for your educational venture.

How To Use Business Plan Template for Education

If you're in the education industry and need to create a business plan, our Business Plan Template for Education can help guide you through the process. Follow these four steps to effectively use the template and create a comprehensive and actionable plan for your educational institution:

1. Define your vision and mission

Start by clearly articulating your vision and mission for your educational institution. What is the long-term goal you want to achieve? What values and principles will guide your organization? By clearly defining your vision and mission, you'll have a solid foundation for your business plan.

Use a Doc in ClickUp to brainstorm and outline your vision and mission statements.

2. Conduct market research

To create a successful business plan, you need to have a deep understanding of the market and the competitive landscape. Research trends in the education industry, analyze your target audience, and identify your unique selling points. This information will help you position your institution effectively and develop strategies to attract and retain students.

Use the Table view in ClickUp to organize and analyze your market research data.

3. Develop your curriculum and programs

The curriculum and programs you offer are crucial to the success of your educational institution. Define the courses and programs you will offer, outline the learning objectives, and design a comprehensive curriculum that aligns with industry standards and meets the needs of your target audience.

Create tasks in ClickUp to outline each course and program, assign responsible team members, and set deadlines.

4. Create a financial plan

A solid financial plan is essential for the sustainability and growth of your educational institution. Determine your startup costs, projected revenue, and operating expenses. Additionally, consider funding options, such as grants or investments, and create a budget that aligns with your financial goals.

Use Dashboards in ClickUp to track your financial projections, expenses, and funding options in one centralized location.

By following these four steps and utilizing our Business Plan Template for Education in ClickUp, you'll be well on your way to creating a comprehensive and actionable business plan for your educational institution.

Get Started with ClickUp’s Business Plan Template for Education

Education institutions, entrepreneurs, or investors who are looking to start or expand educational ventures can use the ClickUp Business Plan Template for Education to create a comprehensive and organized business plan.

First, hit “Add Template” to sign up for ClickUp and add the template to your Workspace. Make sure you designate which Space or location in your Workspace you’d like this template applied.

Next, invite relevant members or guests to your Workspace to start collaborating.

Now you can take advantage of the full potential of this template to create a successful business plan:

• Use the Topics View to outline and organize the different sections of your business plan
• The Status View will help you track the progress of each section, with statuses like Complete, In Progress, Needs Revision, and To Do
• Utilize the Timeline View to set deadlines and milestones for each section, ensuring timely completion
• The Business Plan View provides a comprehensive overview of your entire plan, allowing you to review and make adjustments as needed
• Create a Getting Started Guide View to provide step-by-step instructions for team members or stakeholders involved in the implementation of the plan
• Customize the template by adding custom fields like Reference, Approved, and Section to provide additional information and categorization for each section
• Update statuses and custom fields as you progress through the plan to keep everyone informed and ensure accountability.
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education business plan example

How to start a school business? Starting an education-related small business in the United States can be a fulfilling journey, providing an opportunity to make a positive impact on the lives of learners. Whether you’re considering private school business plans, charter school business plans, or university business plans, the foundational steps to launch your venture remain similar.

In-Depth Planning with School Business Plan Templates

Begin by crafting a comprehensive school business plan . Whether you’re aspiring to start a private school, charter school, or university, a well-structured private business plan is crucial. Utilize school business plan templates or business plan examples available online to guide you through essential components such as your mission, target market, financial projections , and marketing strategy. This document serves as your roadmap, helping you stay focused on your educational goals and providing a basis for potential investors or lenders.

Research and Navigate Regulations

Education businesses are subject to various regulations , which may vary based on your location and the type of institution you plan to establish. Private schools, for instance, may have different requirements than charter schools. Be thorough in your research , ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. Check for licensing requirements and any certifications needed to operate legally.

Choose the Right Legal Structure

Selecting the appropriate legal structure for your education-related business is crucial. This decision influences your liability, taxation, and operational flexibility. Whether you opt for a sole proprietorship, LLC , or corporation, ensure that it aligns with your business goals and provides the necessary legal protection.

Secure Funding with College Business Plans

Explore funding opportunities with The Drexel Fund to augment your financial planning endeavors. Align your college business plans with their mission and connect with potential investors who share an interest in innovative education initiatives. The Drexel Fund’s network may offer insights into alternative funding sources and grant opportunities specifically tailored to private schools and charter schools. Collaborating with The Drexel Fund not only enhances your chances of securing financial resources but also opens doors to a supportive community committed to advancing educational excellence. 

Develop a Curriculum Aligned with Your Vision

Regardless of whether you’re starting a private school or a university, develop a curriculum that aligns with your mission and meets the needs of your target audience. Consider the latest educational trends, teaching methodologies, and the skills demanded by today’s job market.

Build an Online Presence

In the digital age, a professional online presence is non-negotiable. Develop a user-friendly website that not only showcases your institution but also serves as a hub for information. This applies to private school business plans as much as it does for university business plans. Include details about your programs, faculty, admission requirements, and any unique features that set your educational institution apart.

Implement a Robust Marketing Strategy

Effective marketing is essential to attract students and build a positive reputation. Utilize a mix of online and offline strategies. Ensure that your marketing efforts are aligned with your institution’s values and resonate with your target audience .

Whether you’re focusing on private school business plans or university business plans, adaptability is key to long-term success.

By following these steps, you can navigate the complexities of starting an education-related business in the US, be it a private school, charter school, or university, and contribute positively to the educational landscape.

Education Project Proposal

Proposal maker.

Whenever you desire to see something to happen what do you do? Of course! You make an excellent proposal to encourage people to see the need from your standpoint and help you achieve your goals. However, if you find yourself inadequate to create an exceptional and excellent Education Project Proposal , you don’t have to worry because we got you covered. We provided you with an excellent collection of Project Proposal Samples that you can pull up whenever you need one. Nonetheless, that’s not the end. We also created a concise guide so you can create one without breaking a sweat. Go on take a scroll below and see it for yourself.

10+ Education Project Proposal Examples

1. university project proposal template.

• Google Docs

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2. School Project Proposal Template

3. College Project Proposal Template

4. Free Sample School Project Proposal Template

5. Child-Friendly Education Proposal

Size: 34 KB

6. Project Proposal for Girl Child Education

Size: 827 KB

7. Education Project Proposal Example

Size: 214 KB

8. Project Proposal for Poor Child Education

Size: 51 KB

9. Project Proposal Educational Support to Poverty

Size: 60 KB

10. Recycling Education Project Proposal

Size: 106 KB

11. Education Project Proposal in PDF

Size: 130 KB

What is an Education Project Proposal?

An Education Project Proposal is a document that anyone can use within the education industry. This type of proposal is something students , teachers , and other staff can use to showcase their ideas to the school board or to the PTA.

What are the characteristics of a project life cycle?

A project life cycle is a process in which people from an organization or a project management team go through to finish a project successfully. In this way, people can gauge if what they are doing is advantageous to the overall project or not, and how it affects the company in the long run. 

The Initiation stage of the project is the conception part of it. It is the part where people create the ideas and concepts of the whole project. Determining the purpose and desired outcome of the project is within this stage.

The Planning stage is all about determining the details and processes to ensure that the project will hit the desired outcome. It is also in this phase that the proposal submission should be done.

The execution stage is usually the longest stage. The whole duration of this stage is not something the other stages can eclipse. However, this is the most hectic and time-consuming of them all. This is also the stage where all the plans are executed and come to life.

At this stage of the project, the whole execution is done and people are ready to close the project. Maybe some projects opt to become a program like the Indian Poshan Project that pushed for health and nutrition or ultimately ending the project in view of another. Nonetheless, this should never be done quickly but instead by a proper and deliberate process.

How to Create an Education Project Proposal

Education is one of the most favorable works that the older generation can do for its successor. Without a proper and genuine early childhood education , even our civilizations can be endangered. That’s why to help you make the most of their education we provided steps below for you to create an excellent project proposal.

Step 1: Determine the Readers

Your first step in creating your education project proposal should be on determining the reader of the said proposal. In this way, you can be sure that what you’re writing is tailor-made to the specific person and will see its fruits. So make sure to write something that your readers would appreciate.

Step 2: Define Project Summary

After having a definite audience you should also make sure that what you’re writing should include all the details of the project. However, since it is a proposal you may only opt to provide a summary of the project plan itself.

Step 3: Establish a Work Plan

The actions your team will do has a cause and effect, in this way, you can also see that it has further effects in the long run that might affect the readers. So make sure that you determine these within your work plan. If you’re planning to tackle school health in a certain primary school make sure that you detail it.

Step 4: Tackle the Budget and Schedule

Lastly, ensure that your proposal has a budget and schedule document or section. If you check the internet for some proposal templates you may also see these embedded usually in the later pages of the document. However, this is important and you should make sure that you write these well.

What details should I put in the project proposal?

The main details that a project proposal should have are the vision and goals, key deliverables, schedule, and ownership. Other resources and details that can also be included are the success criteria, key issues and risks, and reporting.

What is the proposal format?

The major format of creating a proposal includes: 1. Introduction 2. Issue 3. Solution 4. Qualification 5. Conclusion

What are the five elements of a concept paper?

The five elements of a concept paper are: 1. Vision 2. Scope of Work 3. Goals 4. Schedule/Timetable 5. Milestones/Criteria

With the rise of the internet and the promulgation of its uses, comes the rise of higher education. The concepts that once thought impossible are now right around the corner. However, it is still necessary to put forth ideas and concepts to the test. Use PDF, Word, or other formats as you see fit, but make sure that you are creating proposals to make the world a better place.

Text prompt

• Instructive
• Professional

Generate a proposal for a new school recycling program

Compose a proposal for a school field trip to a science museum.

Education Consulting Business Plans

Consulting seminars business plan.

Seminars is a start-up consulting company offering business planning training.

Educational Research Business Plan

University Patents, Inc. is a start-up company serving as a technology transfer conduit between universities and the business sector specializing in licensing.

Government Services Business Plan

The mission of the ASTI is to bring newly developed technologies and discoveries from the State University schools research system into public use as economically viable products.

Scholarship Consulting Business Plan

ScholarshipAssist is a start-up business that assists college-bound students with their search for scholarship money.

If you have expertise and experience in a given field, you may be able to turn that into an education consulting business. Whether it’s TED-talk like presentations, research programs, or onsite consulting, if you have the knowledge to share, people and companies are looking for it. Check out our library of education consulting sample business plans and successfully support educational, government, and private institutions with your expertise.

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School Business Plan

High demand and a recurring revenue model make starting a school business a lucrative and rewarding profession.

Anyone can start a new business, but you need a detailed business plan when it comes to raising funding, applying for loans, and scaling it like a pro!

Need help writing a business plan for your school business? You’re at the right place. Our school business plan template will help you get started.

Free Business Plan Template

Download our free school business plan template now and pave the way to success. Let’s turn your vision into an actionable strategy!

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How to Write A School Business Plan?

Writing a school business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan:

1. Executive Summary

An executive summary is the first section planned to offer an overview of the entire business plan. However, it is written after the entire business plan is ready and summarizes each section of your plan.

Here are a few key components to include in your executive summary:

• Introduce your Business: Start your executive summary by briefly introducing your business to your readers.This section may include the name of your school business, its location, when it was founded, the type of school business (E.g., private schools, charter schools, virtual schools), etc.
• Market Opportunity: Summarize your market research, including market size, growth potential, and marketing trends. Highlight the opportunities in the market and how your business will fit in to fill the gap.
• Educational programs & services: Highlight the school services you offer your clients. The USPs and differentiators you offer are always a plus.For instance, you may include education programs, extracurricular activities, special education services, etc as your services.
• Marketing & Sales Strategies: Outline your sales and marketing strategies—what marketing platforms you use, how you plan on acquiring students, etc.
• Financial Highlights: Briefly summarize your financial projections for the initial years of business operations. Include any capital or investment requirements, associated startup costs, projected revenues, and profit forecasts.
• Call to Action: Summarize your executive summary section with a clear CTA, for example, inviting angel investors to discuss the potential business investment.

Ensure your executive summary is clear, concise, easy to understand, and jargon-free.

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2. Business Overview

The business overview section of your business plan offers detailed information about your business. The details you add will depend on how important they are to your business. Yet, business name, location, business history, and future goals are some of the foundational elements you must consider adding to this section:

• Public schools
• Private schools
• Charter schools
• Magnet schools
• Virtual or online schools
• Boarding schools
• International schools
• Religious schools
• Describe the legal structure of your school, whether it is a sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, or others.
• Explain where your business is located and why you selected the place.
• Owners: List the names of your school’s founders or owners. Describe what shares they own and their responsibilities for efficiently managing the business.
• Mission Statement: Summarize your business’ objective, core principles, and values in your mission statement. This statement needs to be memorable, clear, and brief.

This section should provide a thorough understanding of your business, its history, and its future plans. Keep this section engaging, precise, and to the point.

3. Market Analysis

The market analysis section of your business plan should offer a thorough understanding of the industry with the target market, competitors, and growth opportunities. You should include the following components in this section.

• Target market: Start this section by describing your target market. Define your ideal customer and explain what types of services they prefer. Creating a buyer persona will help you easily define your target market to your readers.For instance, families looking for additional education or extracurricular activities are the ideal market for private schools generally.
• Market size and growth potential: Describe your market size and growth potential and whether you will target a niche or a much broader market.For instance, the US education industry is to be $3.12 trillion by 2030, so it is crucial to define the segment of your target market and its growth potential.
• Competitive Analysis: Identify and analyze your direct and indirect competitors. Identify their strengths and weaknesses, and describe what differentiates your school from them. Point out how you have a competitive edge in the market.
• Market Trends: Analyze emerging trends in the industry, such as technology disruptions, changes in customer behavior or preferences, etc. Explain how your business will cope with all the trends.For instance, personalized learning or STEM education is getting important; explain how you plan on dealing with this potential growth opportunity.
• Regulatory Environment: List regulations and licensing requirements that may affect your school business, such as education laws & regulations, government accreditation, teacher certificate & licensing, health & safety regulations, etc.

Here are a few tips for writing the market analysis section of your school business plan::

• Conduct market research, industry reports, and surveys to gather data.
• Provide specific and detailed information whenever possible.
• Illustrate your points with charts and graphs.
• Write your business plan keeping your target audience in mind.

4. Products And Services

The product and services section should describe the specific services and products that will be offered to students. To write this section should include the following:

• Education programs
• Extracurricular activities
• Counseling & Guidance
• Special education services
• Transportation services
• Food services
• Testing and assessments
• Describe specialized programs: Highlight any specialized programs or services your school provides in this section. Extracurricular activities, artistic initiatives, sports teams, STEM efforts, language immersion programs, and advanced placement courses may fall under this category.
• Student leadership programs: If your school has a vibrant student leadership program that encourages students to grow as leaders, participate in volunteer work in the community, and actively contribute to the improvement, then mention it here.
• Additional Services: Mention if your school business offers any additional services. You may include services like, after-school programs, school transportation, food services, parent education & involvement, etc.

In short, this section of your school plan must be informative, precise, and client-focused. By providing a clear and compelling description of your offerings, you can help potential investors and readers understand the value of your business.

5. Sales And Marketing Strategies

Writing the sales and marketing strategies section means a list of strategies you will use to attract and retain your clients. Here are some key elements to include in your sales & marketing plan:

• Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Define your business’s USPs depending on the market you serve, the equipment you use, and the unique services you provide. Identifying USPs will help you plan your marketing strategies.For example, specialized programs, educational philosophies, experienced faculty, or a strong track record of academic achievements could be some of the great USPs for school business.
• Pricing Strategy: Describe your pricing strategy—how you plan to price your services and stay competitive in the local market. You can mention any discounts you plan on offering to attract new students.
• Marketing Strategies: Discuss your marketing strategies to market your services. You may include some of these marketing strategies in your business plan—social media marketing, Google ads, brochures, content marketing, and print marketing.
• Sales Strategies: Outline the strategies you’ll implement to maximize your sales. Your sales strategies may include targeted marketing, personalized sales approach, referral programs, conversion strategies, etc.
• Customer Retention: Describe your customer retention strategies and how you plan to execute them. For instance excellent services, alumni engagement, parental engagement, etc.

Overall, this section of your school business plan should focus on customer acquisition and retention.

Have a specific, realistic, and data-driven approach while planning sales and marketing strategies for your school business, and be prepared to adapt or make strategic changes in your strategies based on feedback and results.

6. Operations Plan

The operations plan section of your business plan should outline the processes and procedures involved in your business operations, such as staffing requirements and operational processes. Here are a few components to add to your operations plan:

• Staffing & Training: Mention your business’s staffing requirements, including the number of employees or teachers needed. Include their qualifications, the training required, and the duties they will perform.
• Operational Process: Outline the processes and procedures you will use to run your school business. Your operational processes may include enrollment process, staffing & human resources, classroom management, finance & budgeting, etc.
• Equipment & Software: Include the list of equipment and software required for school, such as whiteboards & projectors, student information systems, learning management systems, communication & collaboration tools, etc.Explain how these technologies help you maintain quality standards and improve the efficiency of your business operations.

Adding these components to your operations plan will help you lay out your business operations, which will eventually help you manage your business effectively.

7. Management Team

The management team section provides an overview of your school business’s management team. This section should provide a detailed description of each manager’s experience and qualifications, as well as their responsibilities and roles.

• Founders/CEO: Mention the founders and CEO of your school, and describe their roles and responsibilities in successfully running the business.
• Key managers: Introduce your management and key members of your team, and explain their roles and responsibilities.It should include, key executives(e.g. principal), senior management, and other department managers (e.g. operations manager, admission manager, facilities manager) involved in the school business operations, including their education, professional background, and any relevant experience in the industry.
• Organizational structure: Explain the organizational structure of your management team. Include the reporting line and decision-making hierarchy.
• Compensation Plan: Describe your compensation plan for the management and staff. Include their salaries, incentives, and other benefits.
• Advisors/Consultants: Mentioning advisors or consultants in your business plans adds credibility to your business idea.So, if you have any advisors or consultants, include them with their names and brief information consisting of roles and years of experience.

This section should describe the key personnel for your school, highlighting how you have the perfect team to succeed.

8. Financial Plan

Your financial plan section should provide a summary of your business’s financial projections for the first few years. Here are some key elements to include in your financial plan:

• Profit & loss statement: Describe details such as projected revenue, operational costs, and service costs in your projected profit and loss statement . Make sure to include your business’s expected net profit or loss.
• Cash flow statement: The cash flow for the first few years of your operation should be estimated and described in this section. This may include billing invoices, payment receipts, loan payments, and any other cash flow statements.
• Balance Sheet : Create a projected balance sheet documenting your school business’s assets, liabilities, and equity.
• Break-even point: Determine and mention your business’s break-even point—the point at which your business costs and revenue will be equal.This exercise will help you understand how much revenue you need to generate to sustain or be profitable.
• Financing Needs: Calculate costs associated with starting a school business, and estimate your financing needs and how much capital you need to raise to operate your business. Be specific about your short-term and long-term financing requirements, such as investment capital or loans.

Be realistic with your financial projections, and make sure you offer relevant information and evidence to support your estimates.

9. Appendix

The appendix section of your plan should include any additional information supporting your business plan’s main content, such as market research, legal documentation, financial statements, and other relevant information.

• Add a table of contents for the appendix section to help readers easily find specific information or sections.
• In addition to your financial statements, provide additional financial documents like tax returns, a list of assets within the business, credit history, and more. These statements must be the latest and offer financial projections for at least the first three or five years of business operations.
• Provide data derived from market research, including stats about the industry, user demographics, and industry trends.
• Include any legal documents such as permits, licenses, and contracts.
• Include any additional documentation related to your business plan, such as product brochures, marketing materials, operational procedures, etc.

Use clear headings and labels for each section of the appendix so that readers can easily find the necessary information.

Remember, the appendix section of your school business plan should only include relevant and important information supporting your plan’s main content.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

Fill-in-the-blanks and automatic financials make it easy.

This sample school business plan will provide an idea for writing a successful school plan, including all the essential components of your business.

After this, if you still need clarification about writing an investment-ready business plan to impress your audience, download our school business plan pdf .

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Frequently asked questions, why do you need a school business plan.

A business plan is an essential tool for anyone looking to start or run a successful school business. It helps to get clarity in your business, secures funding, and identifies potential challenges while starting and growing your business.

Overall, a well-written plan can help you make informed decisions, which can contribute to the long-term success of your school.

How to get funding for your school business?

There are several ways to get funding for your school business, but self-funding is one of the most efficient and speedy funding options. Other options for funding are:

• Bank loan – You may apply for a loan in government or private banks.
• Small Business Administration (SBA) loan – SBA loans and schemes are available at affordable interest rates, so check the eligibility criteria before applying for it.
• Crowdfunding – The process of supporting a project or business by getting a lot of people to invest in your business, usually online.
• Angel investors – Getting funds from angel investors is one of the most sought startup options.

Apart from all these options, there are small business grants available, check for the same in your location and you can apply for it.

Where to find business plan writers for your school business?

There are many business plan writers available, but no one knows your business and ideas better than you, so we recommend you write your school business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind.

What is the easiest way to write your school business plan?

A lot of research is necessary for writing a business plan, but you can write your plan most efficiently with the help of any school business plan example and edit it as per your need. You can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less with the help of our business plan software .

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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How to write a business proposal (The modern way)

Yauhen Zaremba Director of Demand Generation at PandaDoc

Reviewed by:

Jenny Pak Director of Program Management at PandaDoc

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Nothing speaks to a customer’s direct needs like a well-written business proposal.

It’s the key to unlocking new opportunities, securing lucrative deals, and watching your ideas flourish.

But how do you make sure that your proposal is engaging to every potential client and business owner?

As it turns out, our customers might have some ideas.

More than 7 million documents were sent via PandaDoc in 2023, and the vast majority of those documents were proposals .

This article (originally released in 2021) has been updated with insights from our analysis into those documents.

Here’s a closer look at how to write a business proposal that actually works.

Key takeaways

• A business proposal outlines a product, service, or project that a company offers potential clients or partners to convince them the business can meet their needs.
• A well-crafted business proposal is essential and should include information about your company, demonstrated knowledge of the problem, and pricing and methodology.
• Modern business proposals are sent electronically. Platforms like PandaDoc have tools to help you create a collaborative environment for negotiation, feedback, and electronic signature.
• 65% of business proposals containing a signature block close within 24 hours. Don’t forget to follow up and ask your potential client if they have any questions.

→DOWNLOAD NOW: FREE BUSINESS PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

Our data: the breakdown

Like we mentioned at the top, the insights in this article are compiled from our analysis of nearly 7 million documents that were sent through the PandaDoc platform in 2023.

Here’s a quick list of the most popular proposal and document types that were sent through our systems last year:

• NDA Template .
• Social media marketing proposal .
• Digital marketing proposal .
• Software development proposal .
• Business proposal (generic).
• Marketing proposal (generic) .
• Grant proposal .
• Sponsorship proposal .

Similar proposals of various types were also sent in smaller numbers, along with a wide array of other sales documents.

Because PandaDoc is more than a proposal platform, the lion’s share of documents flowing through our platform are invoices, quotes templates, contracts, and similar business collateral.

Proposals represent a small but essential segment of business documentation.

Other insights

While we were analyzing proposals and business documents, a few other statistics stood out to us.

• The average creation time for proposals dropped significantly when using automation tools like templates and the content library.
• The addition of an e-signature block made no significant difference in proposal creation time.

Business proposals are essential sales collateral in the business world. You’ll need one if you’re selling complete and/or complicated solutions.

Business proposals: the basics

This section covers basic information about business proposals, including an in-depth look at what they are and why you might need them.

While the technical specifications required for a proposal vary between industries, the basics regarding how a proposal is intended to function are largely the same.

We’ll cover the parts of a business proposal in the next section so, if you’re already familiar with the basics, feel free to skip ahead.

What are business proposals & why are they important?

A business proposal is a document that outlines a specific product, service, or project that a company offers to potential clients or partners, with the aim of persuading them that the business can meet their needs.

As proposals often present the benefits, features, and terms of a certain idea , these documents are important in many industries for sales, marketing, project management, and other business endeavors.

Typically, a business deal follows after a proposal has been accepted.

However, not all proposals are the same.

Depending on the needs of the client and the industry that you occupy, the content included in the business proposal format may fluctuate.

For example, while a digital marketing proposal and a proposal for building construction may have some broad similarities (introduction, pricing section, FAQs, etc.), both documents will vary wildly in terms of composition and overall goals.

It’s fair to say that the proposal required for building construction is probably longer, takes more time to create, and is likely to include a broader variety of business proposal topics than that of a sales representative trying to close a marketing deal.

The basic format of a business proposal

At a high level, most business proposals follow a similar structure and/or include similar information.

Based on our research into proposals created on the PandaDoc platform, most business proposals following this standard format are around nine pages in length .

However, keep in mind that lengths will vary depending on your industry and scope of work.

Particularly in industries like construction or home repair, where physical components and labor play a role, proposals become more complicated due to the parts and expertise involved.

As several of our own account executives and sales team members were quick to point out, longer doesn’t always mean better.

“ Short and sweet has a high conversion rate , fewer pages and less fluff is better. Ideally, a proposal should be fewer than 10 pages for transactional proposals below $10,000, and never more than 50 pages.” Josh Gillespie, Upmarket Sales

Artyom Voronetskiy, Account Executive with PandaDoc, agrees:

“ Keep it short, on-point, and eye-catching . Do not write more than six to ten pages unless your product is extremely complicated.”

While you’ll need to include all relevant information that prospective clients will need in order to make a decision, take care to avoid overcrowding them with irrelevant details.

To get a closer look at how to get started and bring your business proposal ideas to life using these steps, check out the next major section of this article.

Types of business proposals

Aside from the subject matter of your proposal — which is usually determined by the type of product/service your business provides — proposals fall into a handful of categories centered around how and why the proposal was initially created.

This information is particularly important, because proposals that originate from a request for proposal (RFP) document may be required to follow specific requirements and guidelines set forth by the requesting organization.

Here’s a breakdown of the types of proposals commonly used today.

Solicited business proposals

Solicited business proposals are proposals that a company has asked you to provide for their consideration.

The potential customer has reached out to your business and requested a proposal. These proposals fall into one of two categories:

Formally solicited proposals are typically competitive and follow a standardized (formal) process.

The prospective client sends out an RFP detailing the scope of work and requests that your business formally submit a bid to complete that work.

Informally solicited proposals are typically created based on conversations between a prospective client and a vendor that they want to work with.

There might not be any formal documentation, and there may be no competitive process.

This work can often lead to a sole-source, non-competitive contract.

Unsolicited business proposals

Unsolicited business proposals are proposals that your company sends to a prospective client who hasn’t asked for one.

They are not submitted in response to an RFP or an information request.

Such proposals are typically created based on a market opportunity — often one that the client is either unaware of or hasn’t yet acted upon.

How to write a business proposal

Writing a business proposal is like building a house.

While certain elements are always necessary — like the foundation — some components vary based on location and the architect or homeowner’s preferences.

In the same way, the components of a business proposal can vary based on industry, company size, and many other factors.

Just like writing anything else, a well-written proposal begins by gathering information and assessing the problems that your potential client is trying to solve.

When writing a business proposal, the following items are what readers are looking to understand. Think of these as the roof, walls, and foundation of your document:

• Information about your company. Your background, your qualifications, and why you’re a better fit than the rest of your competitors.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the problem. Proof that you’ve listened and done your research. You know what the client needs and you have a viable solution.
• Pricing and methodology. How you plan to solve the client’s problem, information about your proposed solution, and how much it’s going to cost.

In this section, we’ll take you through how to write a business proposal using a modified version of social media proposal template as an example.

Social Media Marketing Proposal Template

Used 13721 times

4.2 rating (29 reviews)

Reviewed by Yauhen Zaremba

If you’re not a social media company, don’t worry.

While the business proposal template we’re using is an example of a simple project proposal, the basic structure applies to nearly every business proposal — no matter how complex they might be.

You can download this business proposal example or other business proposal templates on our website.

Here are the main elements of a business proposal.

How to write an outline for a business proposal

A standard proposal outline typically includes most or all of the following elements:

• Title page.
• Cover letter.
• Table of contents.
• Executive summary.
• Proposal & solutions pages.
• Testimonials & social proof.
• Agreement & CTA.

However, this won’t always be the case. Shorter projects and abbreviated formats may not call for every single section.

When creating your business proposal, you should include everything you believe you need in order to sell your product or service to your prospective customer.

This usually includes the sections above, as well as any supplemental documentation to justify your costs and reinforce your proposed approach to solving the client’s problem.

If you’re sending your proposal electronically, you should also consider including an electronic signature block so that decision makers can quickly and easily seal the deal when they’re ready to proceed.

In addition to basic information about your product/service, you may want to include the following:

• Contact information.
• Value statements.
• Pricing tables.
• Client testimonials.
• Examples of past work (case studies).
• Images, graphics, and related multimedia.

To save time, gather this information before you start the proposal process.

Having this information on hand while building your proposal will make the process much easier.

Once you’ve got all the essential details and sales collateral you need, you’re ready to start creating your proposal document.

Many templates in the PandaDoc library feature fun, editable cover pages. We’re also integrated with Canva, if you want to take a hands-on approach to your layouts.

1. Create a cover page

This section of a business proposal includes basic information that your readers will need to understand the document and its content.

Consider including each of the following elements:

• Proposal title.
• Date of submission.
• Company information (company logo, company name, etc).
• Your name, title, and contact information.
• Client’s name, title, and contact information.

A cover page is the very first thing that your prospective client will see when they open your business proposal.

Give them all the details they need to identify the document at a glance, and take the time to make it look good.

Everyone knows how important that first impression can be.

Studies have shown that you have as little as 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression when designing visual content like websites.

The same holds true for the cover page of your business proposal.

This page is a place where you can freely place graphics and visual content to set the tone before the reader dives into the meat of your presentation.

Variables make it easy to modify proposal items that will change each time you send your content and allow you to reuse the same document by swapping the variable values.

PandaDoc supports variables by default, but you can also create them manually and replace the text using the find/replace tool in your word processor.

However, you won’t need to go overboard with complicated graphics and logos.

Users love simple and familiar designs , especially at a first glance.

Spending time on this page is also a great way to give your proposal a unique look and feel.

Based on what we’ve seen, some businesses skip cover pages entirely.

However, we don’t recommend it.

Take advantage of this missed opportunity from your competitors and use it to make your proposal stand out.

A simple cover letter is a great introduction to your proposal document. Using template tools and variables, each letter can be customized in moments.

2. Introduce yourself with a cover letter

You wouldn’t walk up to your potential client and dive into project specifics without taking the time to introduce yourself, would you?

A cover letter is that introduction. Consider including each of the following:

• A short blurb about your company.
• A quick summary of your proposal.
• A reason that your approach is best.
• A signoff with your contact information.

This section is essential because it helps anyone reading the document understand your relationship to their organization and how the proposal came about.

With your business proposal introduction, keep the tone light and friendly and encourage your reader to reach out with any questions.

Sign off by including your contact details so that the client can get in touch directly if they need to follow up or would like to move forward.

Cover letters don’t need to run to the point of exhaustion. They can be simple, short, and sweet.

This page can take on many forms, and you can use that flexibility to make your cover letter easier to parse.

This example rephrases the text in the image above by using bullets to make the formatting more legible:

Dear [Client.FirstName]

Thank you for considering [Sender.Company] for your social media marketing needs.

Enclosed, you’ll find a proposal based on our understanding of your social media expectations. Briefly, we propose:

An expanded social media strategy across currently unused platforms and channels.

A comprehensive distribution strategy designed to generate original and unique content.

Improved post automation for increased audience engagement during peak times.

Our methods and procedures are based on extensive analysis, an intense study of social media trends, and the application of specifics unique to [Client.Company].

We are confident in delivering effective results within your social media channels.

Thanks again for considering us, and please don’t hesitate to get in touch with questions.

My contact information is below.

Lastly, in our initial example, you’ll also notice that we’ve used an image to keep things fresh and interesting.

This is critical throughout your proposal. In our research, we found that a business proposal with media like photos and videos included is 34% more likely to close.

Including graphics and multimedia create visually appealing content that prompts engagement.

That’s huge!

As you’re making your proposal, don’t be afraid to add graphics and images to keep readers engaged.

A winning business proposal is more than just black text on a white page.

In a digital proposal, a clickable table of contents can make navigation easy. If you think the proposal will be printed, include page numbers for faster manual navigation.

3. Table of contents

A table of contents is an important, but often overlooked, part of any longer document because it helps the reader know what they can expect to find in the proposal.

Unless your business proposal is very brief, include a table of contents that outlines the basic structure of your document.

This element isn’t always necessary, but it can make a business proposal much easier to parse as your document is passed around to all appropriate parties.

How you want to approach this may vary, depending on the nature of the proposal and the client business.

Electronic documents

Electronic documents can benefit from a clickable table of contents .

Word processors typically generate these using the headings in your document .

Readers can click on them to jump to relevant sections without the need to navigate through multiple pages.

Physical documents

Physical documents will benefit from having page numbers associated with the table of contents since a business proposal PDF (hard copy) isn’t clickable.

Most word processors have an option to include page numbers in your table of contents , but make sure that you update the element when your document is complete in case the page numbers have changed.

Keep in mind that proposal documents may not be read chronologically.

Different decision makers will care about different things and will check your business proposal to see how it addresses their unique pain points.

Don’t lose a deal just because stakeholders couldn’t find what they were looking for!

The executive summary provides a high-level overview of your proposed solution and can be broken down with headings into multiple components.

4. Set the stage with an executive summary

The goal of an executive summary is to provide a holistic, high-level overview of your proposal, how it addresses the client’s problem, and its expected outcomes.

If you provided a few of these points in your cover letter, this is your opportunity to go into greater detail and summarize your overall strategy.

However, because this section needs to give a full overview, it’s difficult to write if you haven’t created the rest of your proposal.

For this reason, experienced proposal writers often write this section last.

Don’t get lost describing deliverable logistics or strategic plans.

Focus on the client’s needs and the outcomes they specifically wanted to address in their RFP.

Let your executive summary present a high-level overview and leave the other pages of the document to explain the details.

This will prevent your summary from getting overcrowded or bogged down with specifics best handled elsewhere.

Using the example in our social media proposal template , let’s pretend that our potential clients are primarily realtors in the greater Chicago area looking to reach new clients through social media marketing.

With that in mind, we could modify the executive summary in the existing template to something like this:

This proposal outlines a coordinated plan crafted with the intent of building [Client.Company]’s social media presence, primarily including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and X (Twitter).

By engaging an audience through social media channels, our team will demonstrate the ability to generate awareness, widen your company’s potential reach within your target market, and contribute to driving more website traffic, which will ultimately result in top-line growth.

We help teams identify, target, and communicate with their ideal clients through each of the following:

1. Creating engaging social content.

2. Posting company-related updates.

3. Promotions and social campaigns.

4. Integrating social activity into marketing initiatives.

5. Sustained monitoring.

6. Analytics & reviews.

While our competitors work to serve multiple industries and target audiences, we specialize in the [Client.Industry] industry. Founder Mike Smith also has a background in both social media and [Client.Industry], giving him a unique perspective on the needs of the market.

Your own executive summary and the tone you use to address problems may shift depending on the duties you’re performing for your client, and what kind of industry they’re in.

For example, if you’re targeting a young travel startup run by new college graduates, you might use a more casual tone peppered with industry jargon and humor.

By contrast, a group of C-level executives might prefer a more formal summary styled with specific metrics and numbers.

Keep your audience in mind as you write this section and demonstrate that you understand what they’re trying to achieve.

Remember: The executive summary previews the rest of the document. If your summary fails to address reader concerns, your proposal may be discarded without a full review.

Make sure your approach is clear. Tables and other visual aids are useful when summarizing your solution.

5. Proposal and solutions pages

The proposal section is the heart of your entire document.

In this section, you’ll need to fully present the solution your company has devised for a potential client.

This section should do each of the following:

• Provide a comprehensive breakdown of the solution your company has devised to solve a client’s problem.
• Tell readers exactly what deliverables they can expect and when they should expect them.
• Answer obvious questions that reviewers may have about your approach and/or methodology.

While you can write this section out in full paragraphs, visual aids can be extremely helpful in conveying critical information in a digestible way.

A timetable that pairs deliverables with their expected date can make your document more visually appealing, and your information much easier to parse.

You might also break down your main objectives even further by describing how you plan to execute a given strategy.

In our executive summary example (above), we touched on six key goals. Let’s expand on those here.

1. Creating engaging social content

Beginning with quick and thorough planning/preparation, our team will plan out a dynamic, ongoing social content calendar to guide you to your goals.

We will grow an increasing social audience and follower base using each of the following techniques:

• Hashtag campaigns.
• Strong use of keywords.
• Sharing/retweeting relevant news.
• “Liking” posts.
• Staying updated within the industry.
• Contributing our own unique content to broaden reach.

2. Posting company-related updates

Our plan is to engage your social media audience by sharing company news, press releases, events, employee spotlights, and more.

We will also pay attention to industry trends and share them.

This will help to gain exposure to your target market.

3. Promotions and social campaigns

We will utilize social channels to connect with your follower base and engage them with promotions to get them excited about both current events and the brand itself.

These campaigns may be as short as a day or run up to six months.

We’ll analyze the results from each campaign, and then we will provide a report of its success.

Results of campaigns can be compared so the most effective promotions, offers, or contests can be replicated.

4. Integrating social media activity into other marketing plans

With clear communication and monthly brainstorm meetings, we’ll be able to consolidate the marketing initiatives to fit your goals and promotional material.

Campaigns via social media are more important than just sharing about giveaways, sales, contests, and/or promotions.

We will agree on a schedule for a series of posts to keep up the exciting momentum for all prospective customers.

5. Monitoring

For maximum growth, it’s important to regularly engage with users on social platforms.

We will continually monitor each social channel and will respond to any questions, comments, and posts within a two-hour time period (during business hours).

A small delay will allow us to confirm that the information we relay to customers is accurate.

6. Analytics

We will provide you with each of the following:

• Daily and weekly analytics. Follower growth, reach, demographics, comments, “likes”, shares, retweets, and additional metrics as provided by each platform and our own internal tracking data.
• Reporting. Summarizing various results and activities over each quarter.

We will also set up a monthly meeting to go over the results and then tweak our approach accordingly.

Your own content may look different than this depending on your business proposal writing skills and services, but you can still use the example as a framework. Add in more details as needed.

For example, a cybersecurity company would need to include information on penetration testing and how often it would be done to look for possible intrusions and hacks.

Breaking up this section

While writing business proposal content, keep in mind that this section is both the most important and the most flexible section of all.

Your entire proposal doesn’t need to be bundled into a single, long section. It can easily be broken down into smaller sections such as:

• Strategic Assessment.
• Implementation.
• Goals & Outlook.

There are other combinations you can try, depending on your business proposal and how your solution should be explained.

If you’re offering a complex solution to a client problem, breaking your proposal into bite-sized chunks is a great way to ensure that readers understand your solution.

The importance of good data

Leveraging good data is critical when creating an effective business proposal.

Use details surrounding impact and ROI around your products and services to prove your worth and add value to your proposal.

Consider these two phrases:

• “Our customers love us!”
• “To date, our products and methodologies have helped more than 700 companies increase their sales by 35%!”

Which sounds better? Which is more compelling?

Numbers and figures catch the eye and help readers build trust.

By demonstrating a proven record of success, with numbers and data, you’re adding tangible details that help to justify your costs.

This is especially useful when competing with other solicited proposals, especially if you can include these data points as visual representations (charts, graphs, etc.) of your success within your proposal document.

Providing totals as an itemized list or a package option are effective approaches to pricing.

The pricing section explains how much it will cost the client for you to solve their problem.

In this section, you’ll need to do each of the following:

• Break down your proposed solution by cost.
• Indicate any product quantities as line items.
• Give package options (if applicable).

Regardless of your pricing structure, clarity and specifics are critical in this section.

To eliminate confusion, consider creating a pricing table that clearly identifies each product or service, and pair it with the most accurate pricing information you can provide.

With a dedicated table, all you’ll need to do is set the price for the item and the quantity of distribution.

If you were sending an hourly contract, the quantity is the estimated number of hours invested at a predetermined rate.

For recurring payment schedules, you’ll need to structure the document in a way that accurately reflects your monthly workflow.

Transparency is critical in this section.

Potential customers need to know how you’re charging them, what they’re being charged for, and what to expect in return.

Be sure to include these details in a clear and accurate way.

A biographical section can speak to years of experience, awards and accolades, and more.

7. About us

While you already said hello with the cover letter, this section is where you get to explain what makes your company unique.

If you’re a small business or a new company, get personal and give your potential client a chance to get to know you and your team members.

Consider including the following items:

• A brief summary of your business and its operations.
• Bios and photos of the individuals they’ll be working with.
• Relevant qualifications, certifications, or experience.

If your company has a unique backstory, a mission, or a cause that your company stands for, share that with readers. For example:

Too often in social media, good things come at a price. At Jump, paying for followers or favorable reviews of products is tantamount to criminal activity.

Authenticity is important in today’s online world, and Jump Social Media Marketing makes this our No. 1 priority in your social media space.

The information on this page doesn’t have to be a stodgy company boilerplate or a cleverly designed sales pitch.

Don’t be afraid to let your team’s personality shine through.

Glowing reviews and positive feedback can help prospective clients better understand how your organization delivers on your initiatives.

8. Testimonials and social proof

No sales proposal is complete without information about your past successes, awards, and jobs well done.

In a business proposal, this comes in the form of a social proof section, which might include:

• Past client testimonials.
• Case studies.
• Reviews and/or ratings.
• Industry awards.

Regardless of what you choose to include, don’t skip this section. Social proof matters!

According to data, over half of customers are more likely to trust earned media, like recommendations from friends and family, above all other forms of advertising.

By including recommendations from satisfied customers and industry awards that prove your expertise, you can earn additional trust from prospective clients.

Here’s a good example of how Jump Social Media Marketing might leverage the accolades they’ve received:

Jump Social Media Marketing has received major public recognition for our work.

We’ve been named as Chicago’s Best Social Media Agency for Small Businesses by the Chicago Tribune for the past three years and have been recognized as a recommended partner by the National Association of Realtors.

We also grew the Chicago Real Estate Solutions Facebook page from 0 to 5,000 in six months , secured 250 new leads in that time frame, with 25% converting to sales .

You can also provide testimonials from past clients who can speak to your approach and how it worked for them.

However, keep your industry in mind when compiling testimonials and do your best to find user feedback that fits the mood.

If your industry has serious clients, a humorous approach may not be appropriate.

If you’re working with a manufacturing company focused on B2B industries, the messaging and tone they take with their own clients — and what they expect from the businesses they work with — may follow different expectations.

Be sure to plan accordingly.

With onboard e-signing in your document, the call to action is often the signoff itself. If you choose not to include an e-signature, provide your contact information and instructions on next steps.

9. Agreement and CTA

Depending on your business proposal, you may include an agreement, a call to action, and terms and conditions at the end of your document.

Your signature below indicates acceptance of this social media marketing proposal and entrance into a contractual agreement with Jump Social Media Marketing beginning on the signature date below.

Depending on your goals and your sales process, you need to be very careful in this section.

In many jurisdictions, proposals are considered legally binding agreements if they meet the criteria for a contract.

By adding legal language and/or an electronic signature request at the bottom of your document, you might be entering into a contract earlier than expected.

This may not be ideal if your proposal is only intended to provide a rough estimate of costs or bring the client into further negotiations.

If you don’t intend to create a legally binding contract from your proposal, be sure to note that in your document and prompt the reader to contact you when they’re ready to move forward.

On the other hand, well-built proposals can double as complete contracts with all the terms and conditions necessary to start work immediately.

If you’re confident in the scope of work and you’re ready to move forward, let the client know by prompting them for a signature and using a payment gateway to capture their first payment or deposit.

How should a business proposal look?

First things first: We’re well past the turn of the century.

Nobody likes getting thick envelopes in the mail.

Modern business proposals are sent electronically, and this is more convenient for both you and your potential customers.

While it’s possible to email a proposal created with a word processor like Microsoft Word, platforms like PandaDoc are a better fit.

Our tools help you create a collaborative environment for negotiation, feedback, and electronic signature .

Regardless of how you choose to send a business proposal, be sure to pay close attention to the look and feel of your document.

Especially because your proposal may be your first impression with several key stakeholders, it’s essential that you follow expected formats and make a good impression.

Having the right design and layout tools can transform your proposal from a black-on-white Word document to a standout document that readers want to engage with.

If you search for business proposal examples online or take a look at our template library , you’ll find that most proposals rely on the structure described above to emphasize their value propositions.

Taking care to create a visually appealing business proposal will help you communicate your ideas more easily.

It’s also something that your competitors are doing and something that many clients are beginning to expect.

In our research, we found that roughly 80% of proposals included an image and 20% included a video.

We also saw higher close rates when these multimedia tools were used compared to when they weren’t.

Exactly how a business proposal is designed still has some flexibility, depending on your brand and what you’re trying to achieve, but keep in mind that it can have a big impact on success.

Business proposals with pages of blocky text are much harder to navigate than proposals with charts, graphs, images, and bullet points.

Rather than writing a 1000-word About Us section, consider including team member headshots and a brief bio.

Rather than adding highly technical language about operational processes and leaving stakeholders to figure it out, provide visual aids that summarize the information in a clear and easy fashion.

Generating personalized content quickly improves relevance and helps your team clearly define a scope of work. Onboard formatting and AI tools inside the PandaDoc platform can help.

Clearly defining your milestones isn’t the only reason to pay careful attention to how your business proposal is written.

While there can be legal ramifications to poorly written proposal content, perhaps the most important consideration is the impression that your proposal leaves behind.

Your proposal introduces your client to the quality of work they can expect from your business.

If it’s full of typos, spelling, and grammatical errors, or just seems sloppy, you’re unlikely to close the deal.

Read and re-read. Be sure to proofread every passage for errors before you send it to prospective clients or save it as a template.

You can also offset some of this tedium, especially on smaller deals, by focusing on creating a concise offering rather than a long-winded document.

A word about costs

When you’re creating proposals, it’s easy for costs to add up.

Costs for customized professional business proposals can take hours of research, consultation, and preparation — all with no guarantee of success.

That’s why savvy companies do everything they can to lower the cost of proposal preparation.

Typically this is done by generating a template for business proposals — an outline or skeleton that someone can fill out quickly to save time and expedite internal company processes.

It’s an effective way to keep overhead low.

Based on our research, an average of 20 documents are generated from each template you create.

That’s a huge time saver for any business.

If these aren’t assets that you have on your staff, consider hiring that skillset onto your team or hiring a freelancer to assist with proofreading and correction.

While many clients will overlook a stray typo or a misplaced comma, too many errors will land your proposal in the discard pile.

After you hit ‘Send’ on your business proposal

Once you’ve sent your proposal, your next step will depend on the process.

Based on our information, about 65% of business proposals containing a signature block close within 24 hours.

Even for proposals that take a little longer to close, having an e-signature block and collaboration options inside an interactive document means that review, redlining, and signoff happen in one place.

However, your mileage may vary. RFPs tend to be competitive processes, so you may have to wait until the submission window closes before you hear a response.

Don’t forget to follow up and ask your potential client if they have any questions.

Based on the business proposals we looked at, you are 30% more likely to close a deal if you send a series of reminders to keep your proposal top of mind.

Roughly one out of every three proposals you send will close faster if you send reminders. It’s a big deal.

PandaDoc and other proposal software tools can help you monitor your proposal using document analytics so that you know exactly when to reach out.

These tools let you know when your potential client viewed your proposal, how many times they opened it, and which sections they spent the most time on.

With these insights, you can anticipate their questions or objections and have your responses ready to go.

A great proposal is a blend of text and modern design. Personalization is as much about how your document looks as about what it says.

5 ideas to make your business proposal stand out

Just because you may have a perfect business proposal all ready to go, it doesn’t mean it will stand out from the crowd.

Many startups fail due to larger competitors, so a unique proposal idea can make your readers sit up and take notice.

Pizazz isn’t what matters here, rather any idea that adds value to your proposal and communicates quality.

Here are a few ideas to put the spotlight on your business proposal.

Personalize your proposal for each client

Ensure that your business proposal meets the exact challenges and interests of each recipient, as this will show you understand their specific needs.

Send a digital proposal

While you may need to send a business proposal as a PDF, include a link to a digital copy of the proposal where potential clients can review content, ask questions, and collaborate with your team.

A tool like this will give your recipient access to additional resources and make your proposal interactive.

Add a video introduction

As part of the personalization process, create a memorable experience by recording a brief video introduction.

Small touches like this can help your proposal stand out by demonstrating that you’re willing to do a little more to grab their attention.

Provide effective visual aids

Charts, graphs, and other visual aids are game-changers when it comes to creating effective documents.

Whether you need to present a specific data set or pricing breakdown, take the time to use visuals when the opportunity presents itself.

Readers will thank you for it.

Hide a few Easter eggs

A hidden message, cute animation, or a secret section are all little surprises that add a touch of fun and intrigue to your business proposal.

Easter eggs can encourage exploration and will encourage your readers to spend more time on your proposal.

It won’t be one they’ll forget in a hurry!

Jumpstart your proposal creation process with one of 1000+ documents in the PandaDoc template library.

Start with a free business proposal template

Need to know how to write a business proposal but don’t know where to begin? PandaDoc can help with some great templates.

In the data we reviewed, proposals created using our business proposal templates regularly generated high-performing results for customers with minimal editing time.

Take a look at some of the metrics around the top professional business proposal templates currently in our template library .

With PandaDoc, it’s possible to modify our existing templates and then save them as new, private templates in your content library for faster reuse.

In doing so, you can slim the entire business proposal design process down from hours to minutes or spend more time refining your proposal for maximum appeal.

To see the true power of the PandaDoc editor, be sure to check out our community gallery for expertly designed templates from real PandaDoc customers.

If you’re a PandaDoc user, you can even grab these business proposals and load them directly into your PandaDoc editor with a single click.

It’s just that easy.

PandaDoc can dramatically increase your proposal output, allowing you to send custom proposals to more customers in less time.

Use specialized tools to streamline your workflow

Ultimately, your proposal should be focused on your client’s problems and how your business plans to fix them.

But that doesn’t mean you have to do it alone.

Personalizing documents and tailoring them to a client’s needs is a time-consuming process.

For most businesses, striking a balance between personalization and efficiency is essential.

PandaDoc can help.

Our document creation process streamlines your end-to-end document workflow so that you can generate beautiful, customized documents in less time.

Send better proposals. Close deals faster.

It’s possible with PandaDoc.

Sign up for a demo to see it for yourself, or jump into the driver’s seat with a free 14-day trial and change the way you handle proposals forever.

PandDoc is not a law firm, or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. This page is not intended to and does not provide legal advice. Should you have legal questions on the validity of e-signatures or digital signatures and the enforceability thereof, please consult with an attorney or law firm. Use of PandaDocs services are governed by our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Originally was published in October 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness in April 2024

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How to Write a Proposal for an Education Project

by Heather Skyler

Published on 10 Dec 2018

The purpose of an education proposal is usually to secure grant money and get approval for a specific education project. Often, an entire team is involved and will collaborate to put the proposal together. Whether it's the idea of one person or of many, a proposal for an education project generally follows a basic format.

Start With an Abstract

The abstract is a concise paragraph or a single page that explains the entire purpose and scope of the proposal. Similar to a blurb on the back of a book, the abstract gives you a short version of the whole. Abstracts help to focus readers and guide them through the proposal. While the proposal starts with an abstract, some people find it easier to write this section last so it essentially acts as a summary of the entire report.

Write the Needs Assessment or Statement of the Problem

There is a reason you are proposing this plan or idea – to fulfill a specific need or solve a problem – so the first section should clearly explain what the need is or describe the problem that will be solved. This section is very important, and the content should be clear and concise. For example, you are proposing a program to improve the math scores of eighth-grade students. Describe the current state of their grades and show why these students would benefit from your program.

The needs assessment section should also explain how you've analyzed the needs of this particular group and why the implementation of the project will be helpful. How did you identify the eighth-grade project participants? How did you determine that your project could be successful with this group? Don't describe the entire project or plan in detail here. That comes next.

Include the Program Description

Now you've come to the meat of the proposal. What exactly is your proposed idea? Describe the nature of the project and show how it will lead to improving student performance. It's a good idea to keep the focus of the project limited so it can be implemented effectively within the time and budget constraints of the project. In this section, also include the project's goals and objectives. Explain what you plan to achieve and lay out the timeline.

Let's say your idea to improve eighth-grade math involves building a specialized computer game that can match the pace of a single student's progress. You'll outline how long it will take to develop and test the game, then lay out how many students will test your project and what variables you'll use to measure success.

Describe How the Project Will Be Implemented

The implementation section provides a more detailed explanation of how exactly you will operate the project. You gave a brief outline of this in an earlier section, but here is your chance to further explain the objectives, activities, instructional methods, materials and assessments that will be essential for the implementation and evaluation of the project.

List the Key Personnel

Identify each member of the project team and describe their duties and responsibilities. Indicate the amount of time this team will devote to the project. Provide a short bio for each team member, highlighting their backgrounds and achievements and revealing why they are a good fit for this project.

Budget and Justification

In this section, create a detailed budget. State the total amount you are requesting, then break down the spending for each part of the project. For our eighth-grade math example, this could include staff salaries, computers and other related costs.

Methods and Measurement Tools

Describe exactly the methods you will use to measure the success or failure of the project. It is important to connect the ideas in this section to the rest of the plan. This section should illustrate the strategies you plan to use to determine the extent to which you are attaining the project's objectives. List the data you plan to collect and the assessment measurements you will use. Provide a timeline for collecting the data and explain your strategies for compiling and reporting evaluation results.

Education proposals are typically long and very detailed. They also involve lots of initial research and revision. This is a nutshell version of how you can put one together, but any successful proposal for a major project should be thorough and well-written.

Education Proposal Templates

Elevate your educational ideas with our proposal templates. They're the 'class' act for your next big educational pitch!

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How to Write a Business Proposal in 2024 (+ Templates)

Written by: Unenabasi Ekeruke

When it comes to landing new customers, securing partnerships and funding and closing more deals, a well-crafted business proposal can be your silver bullet.

It's no longer enough to offer quality products and services. You need a compelling business proposal that makes a solid case for your product, attracts clients' attention and sways purchase decisions in your favor.

But how do you write a proposal that wins the hearts and minds of your potential client? What information and tools do you need? What should be in a business proposal?

This article has everything you need to know about writing a business proposal. We’ve included valuable tips and ready-made templates to help you get started.

Here’s a short selection of 8 easy-to-edit job proposal templates you can edit, share and download with Visme. View more templates below:

Let's get to it.

Table of Contents

What is a business proposal, business proposal vs. business plan, types of business proposals, how to create a business proposal that wins clients (step-by-step).

• 28 Business Proposal Templates You Can Customize Now
• Tips for Writing Winning Business Proposal

Business Proposal FAQs

Create winning business proposals that close more deals.

A business proposal is a document sent to prospects persuading them to buy your products or services.  It is mostly used by marketers, businesspeople and B2B and B2C companies to secure contracts and convince potential clients, investors, partners, or stakeholders to invest in or support a business idea.

You can send a business proposal in response to a client's request. Better yet, you can share it as a proposed solution to attract your client's attention.

Often, business proposals precede any business agreement and include details such as:

• What your business does (products, services) and the value you bring to the client
• When you can start and finish (timeframe and milestones)
• What the client stands to gain from the business relationship (expected results)
• Why you're the right person to do the job
• Or why the client should choose you to deliver that service (value proposition)

Take a look at these 20 proposal examples to get an idea of what yours can look like. Also, join Mike on this video from our YouTube channel to learn more about proposal design tips and templates. Don’t forget to subscribe and get notified of new videos.

The common myth is that business proposals and business plans are interchangeable. The thing is, both tools are important for growing your business. Yet, they play different roles.

Business proposals help you pitch your product and service to prospective customers. On the flip side, business plans lay a roadmap for your business and help attract investors and partners. They differ from each other by purpose, content and structure.

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There are generally two main categories of business proposals: unsolicited and solicited.

Formally Solicited Business Proposal

Solicited business proposals are sent in response to a client's request for a proposal. It may be a request for proposal (RFP), request for information (RFI) or request for quotation (RFQ).

The request outlines the clients' needs and expectations and the evaluation criteria used to select the vendors or service providers.

A solicited business proposal is usually an easier sell for marketers. That’s because the client is already sold on making the purchase or using the service. At this point, the customer is evaluating potential vendors or service providers to get the best value or deal.

Informally Solicited Business Proposal

This type of business proposal emanates from informal meetings and verbal discussions with clients. Since there's no formal or official request for a proposal from the client, you may have little information to work with.

Nevertheless, you'd have to thoroughly research the organization's unique needs to win the client over.

Unsolicited Business Proposals

These are proposals sent to prospects who haven't requested one. It’s more about pitching your business when they haven’t requested a proposal.

An excellent example of this proposal type is a cold email , sales brochure or marketing flyer . This type of marketing content is often generic. And even though it introduces your solution, it may not align with the client's unique requirements.

Here’s how to make prospects pay attention to your unsolicited business proposal:

• Research your potential customers and the markets they operate in
• Identify their pain points
• Propose a customized solution tailored to your customer's needs
• Personalize your proposal's content and make it persuasive

A winning business proposal should include these key elements

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Your title page is the first thing your client will see when they open your proposal. Aim to make it appealing, professional and engaging as it sets the tone for further engagement.

The title page should contain the following information:

• The proposal title
• Your name, company name, logo and date
• The prospect's business name

The title page below gives prospective customers a sneak peek into what the proposal is about. Aim to make it aesthetically appealing, as it helps you leave a strong first impression.

Proposals typically contain a lot of information. So, adding a table of contents helps you achieve these three things:

• Gives your prospects an insight into what you'll cover in the proposal
• Lays out the page numbers where readers can find each page, section and subsection
• Makes it super easy for readers to navigate your document

If you're going to send your proposal online, make your table of contents clickable. This will enable your audience to jump to the different sections with a single click.

This business proposal example shows how to craft a table of contents with a beautiful and interactive layout.

Executive Summary

The executive summary is the ticket to getting a prospect interested in your proposal. Why's that? Clients receive lots of proposals and may not have time to read the entire content.,

Hence, writing a stellar executive summary can hook them in and nudge them to read on.

It's a summary of the entire business proposal. And you'll typically find it in sales enablement content and other business documents like reports , sales and marketing plans , surveys and more.

At a glance, your readers should get a bird's eye view of:

• Your company's goals, mission and vision
• Proposed solution and value proposition
• How your project impacts their organization
• Expected outcomes
• Cost implications and more

This business proposal template below has a brief executive summary. It highlights what the company does, the proposed services, costs and timeline.

Company Background

The company background is a key aspect of the business proposal introduction. This is where you provide detailed information about your company. You should discuss your company's history, vision, mission and key staff here.

Be sure to include pictures and profiles of the executives and key personnel with experience related to your proposal. Showcase milestones, awards and industry recognition to build credibility and boost prospects' confidence in your company.

Notice how the template below offers elaborate information about the company.

Problem Statement

This section should outline your prospect's needs, problems and pain points. To drive a client's interest or develop a sense of urgency, explain the issues your client is facing and how they impact their business.

Writing a compelling problem statement does these three things:

• It shows that you have a deeper understanding of their unique needs
• Highlights your technical knowledge, experience and ability to help address them
• It allows you to point out a problem your prospect may not have been aware of

But how do you identify your client's needs? The simple answer is, that you have to do your homework. Research your client's business and study other companies in their niche and industry trends.

Proposed Solution

Your business proposal aims to help the prospect solve their problems. Hence, this section should address how you intend to achieve that.

Let your clients know the strategy and methods you'll use, why you chose that approach, deliverables and expected outcome.

Avoid making your proposed solution sound generic. Instead, customize it to your client's needs. Above all, paint a mental picture of how their business will turn out after implementing your solution.

Scope of Work

At this point, you should translate your proposed solution into an action plan. Start by elaborating on the areas you'll cover during the project execution.

Check that the scope of work is relevant to the potential client's statement of needs or problems. You should also try to avoid or translate industry jargon that the reader may not understand.

Timeline and Milestones

This section should include an estimated timeline of when the project will start and finish and how long it will take. We recommend presenting the project schedule, milestones, timeline and deliverables in a visually appealing way.

Check out the business proposal template below to get creative inspiration.

Qualification

This page should convince prospects that you're the best person or company for the job. Talk about your capabilities, experience, expertise and your team's qualifications. Also, reiterate why they should trust you to deliver.

Your job is to dispel any iota of doubt and boost the client's trust in your brand. You can include social proof like testimonials , reviews, case studies and client success stories. Also, mention relevant credentials, recognition or awards to demonstrate your authority.

Feel free to include a portfolio of the work you've done before or a list of clients you've served.

Pricing, Estimates and Billing

This section should outline your pricing, payment schedule and payment terms. Be sure to display the line items, the incremental cost and the total fee. You can also include a price per unit rate or a fixed monthly or hourly rate.

We recommend providing clients with options or breaking your fee into project stages or milestones. That way, the client knows his options and what he's paying for.

Not sure how to achieve this? Use an interactive pricing comparison table that automatically adjusts when the client selects the preferred product, service or plan.

Use this section to indicate when you'll require payment upfront, before or after each milestone or after project completion. Also, specify whether any portion of the payment is refundable in the event of an unforeseen event.

Look at how the business proposal template below elaborates on the budget and pricing information.

Thank the reader for considering your business. Next, summarize your proposal in this section and get the client in the mood to hire your company or purchase your solution.

Highlight the key points of your business proposal. Plus, reiterate your value proposition and why the client should choose you.

Mention that you're available for further discussion on your proposal. Add phone numbers, email and office address to enable your prospects to reach you.

Terms and Conditions

This is where you outline every legal aspect of the proposed business relationship. This part has to be as clear as possible to avoid disputes or legal issues.

If you're unsure what to include in your proposal, check with your lawyer or legal team. They'll highlight the legalities, confidentiality agreements and elements of a working contract.

The template below is an excellent example of how to outline your terms and conditions.

Include a small section at the end of your proposal where both parties (you and the client) can sign off if they agree to the terms of your proposal. You can include your contact details here and prompt the client to contact you if they have any questions or concerns.

The appendix section is perfect if you have visuals, tables or other content you've cited in your content. For instance, let's say you mentioned products, materials and other tangible items you plan to use during the project. In that case, you can include the product catalog in the appendix section.

28 Business Proposal Templates to Impress Clients

With Visme's wide range of proposal templates and easy-to-use editor, creating a professional business proposal is a breeze.

Hear what one of our customers has to say about Visme:

“Visme is something that I would highly recommend. It made us look a lot better in our clients’ eyes because it's something that's visually effective as a marketing tool.”

"With Visme, instead of days, a page would take us anywhere from 4-8 hours on a duplicate or templated process and even up to 72 hours for projects with unique needs and with immense input and back and forth on the design process.”

Brad Wills, Sourcing Executive at IBM's Recruitment Processing Outsourcing (RPO)! Read the full case study .

Check out these 28 business proposal examples professionally designed for almost every kind of business.

Service Proposal Templates

Product proposal templates, partnership proposal templates, investment proposal templates, consulting proposal templates, project proposal templates, bid proposal templates, 1. it service one-pager proposal template.

Looking for a quick and concise way to communicate the value and specifics of your IT service offering to potential clients or stakeholders? This service proposal template is your sure bet.

The minimalist design gives the plan a modern look and creates a powerful visual impact. Leverage the space to detail your executive summary , description of services, scope of work and lots more.

And if you’re tight on time, you can rely on Visme's AI document generator for instant proposal creation. Simply input your prompt, provide context, choose your preferred design and witness the tool swiftly generate your initial draft within seconds.

Check out how the AI document generator tool works here.

2. Marketing Agency Proposal Template

This comprehensive template is your ultimate tool to pitch your marketing agency's services and secure deals effortlessly.

Its sleek design, captivating visuals and icons ensure an attractive presentation. You can easily spotlight the problems you’ll address, solutions, project roadmap, services, the team, client testimonials and more.

Your brand identity conveys professionalism and makes your proposal more memorable to potential clients. To showcase your brand identity, ensure your proposal is branded using Visme's brand wizard . Simply input your web URL to automatically incorporate design elements from your website and access personalized, branded templates.

3. Clinical Laboratory Services

This template offers a framework to showcase your clinical services expertise and present your unique value proposition with clarity. The template offers dedicated sections for services, product breakdowns, certifications, locations and more.

Against a white backdrop, various shades of blue harmoniously blend to symbolize the beauty of healthcare and increase your proposal’s aesthetic appeal. The template also features captivating visuals, icons and an engaging layout.

Convert your product proposal into an engaging page-turner using Visme's flipbook effect . This allows your audience to virtually flip through pages, mimicking a real document experience.

4. Online Grocery Delivery Proposal Template

Seeking investment or partnerships for your groundbreaking online grocery delivery service? This online delivery service proposal template is your silver bullet.

The striking blend of lemon, blue and white gives it a great visual appeal. Each page also boasts engaging culinary visuals, icons and a refined layout that complements the content.

With detailed market analysis, innovative strategies and detailed financial projections, this template helps you present a compelling case. The best part is that the template design is fully customizable to suit any product or brand.

With our interactive features like hover effects or clickable pop-ups, you can provide more information, such as technical details or testimonials, without overwhelming the reader.

5. Consumer Product One Pager Proposal

Utilize this concise yet impactful one pager proposal to secure funding for your consumer product venture. This template allows you to distill your product's essence, market potential and competitive edge into a compelling one-page format.

It features captivating visuals, icons and harmonious color combinations, delivering a compelling presentation.

Personalize the template with your text, images, brand elements and more. You can streamline editing using Visme's dynamic fields , which eliminate the need to manually enter key information when customizing it for other clients.

Just create custom fields like company name, address, contact details and other information and automatically fill in the relevant fields with a single click.

6. Mobile Game Development Proposal Template

Looking for a way to capture potential clients' attention and secure software development projects? Start with this mobile game development proposal template. Its vibrant purple, orange and white scheme, complemented by compelling visuals and bold icons ensures your proposal stands out.

The template features sections to emphasize critical elements like introductions, overviews, goals, why to choose your services, action plans and more.

You can add more pages and customize the visuals, icons and layout to suit your brand’s needs.

7. 3D Modeling Software Proposal Template

Make a bold impression on your prospective software clients with this innovative proposal template.

The proposal boasts a captivating cover page, vibrant colors and stunning 3D visuals. It's structured with sections covering company overview, problem analysis, proposed solutions, delivery timelines and more.

Struggling with what to write in different sections? Leverage Visme’s AI writer for your initial draft. Simply provide instructions and the tool will generate well-written content matching your desired style and tone. Additionally, you can use this AI to refine, summarize, or edit your content effortlessly.

8. Jet Skis Proposal Template

Present your physical products to potential clients or investors effortlessly with this stylish proposal template.

This template comes with high-resolution stock photos, appealing vector icons and data widgets. It includes sections highlighting the advantages of your service, an overview of available models, pricing options and testimonials from satisfied customers.

Although this template was designed for water sports products, it can be customized for any brand or product.

If you want to change the visuals, explore Visme's extensive library of premium stock photos to find what suits your needs.

Learn more about how to create a product proposal in this complete guide .

9. Finance Consultancy Partnership Proposal Template

If you’re in search of a finance consultancy partnership proposal template that's straightforward and professional, then this proposal fits the bill. It features a clean, authoritative design using a white and green color palette.

All sections are neatly organized to present your firm's background, partnership model, client benefits, partner responsibilities and more. Leverage Visme analytics to track how your proposal is performing. You can easily monitor engagement metrics such as unique visits, average viewing time, duration, IP addresses and other analytics.

10. Lifestyle Brand Collaboration Proposal

Create impactful collaborations to elevate your lifestyle brand with this exquisite proposal. Its vibrant colors, dynamic layout and striking visuals make it iconic. The template provides a clear structure to showcase your brand's mission, project scope, responsibilities, terms and more.

Utilize Visme's intuitive editor to effortlessly customize colors, fonts and other elements of this template to fit your brand identity.

11. Payment App Brand Collaboration

Attract potential partners to your software brand using this well-structured collaboration proposal template. Each page employs a logical hierarchy in typefaces, fonts and elements to ensure an engaging reading experience.

You can highlight crucial aspects such as project objectives, payment app features, statistics and more with meticulous detail.

Visme’s data visualization tool will provide a clear and detailed presentation of statistics and figures in this proposal. You can access an extensive array of charts, graphs, maps, widgets and more from Visme’s library.

12. Non-profit Brand Collaboration

If you’re eager to team up with impactful organizations and expand your brand's reach while making a difference, this template is your blueprint.

With a sleek and modern design, a soothing color palette and exciting visuals, it’s sure to attract the reader's attention.

This template encompasses all essential sections to showcase your offerings, including a summary, project overview, plan, co-branding prospects, benefits, terms and beyond.

To get feedback about your proposal from coworkers quickly, you can invite them to your Visme project using Visme’s collaborative features . The workflow management tool also allows you to assign roles, establish deadlines and streamline approval processes effortlessly—all in one place.

Read this guide to learn more about how to create an effective partnership proposal.

13. Restaurant Investment Proposal

Attract prospective investors and secure funding for your culinary venture using this sophisticated investment proposal template.

Its combination of vibrant color schemes, icons and captivating images creates an impression of a refined restaurant.

Utilize its various sections to highlight your executive summary, target audience, competitive edge, business model , financial projections, SWOT analysis and other crucial details.

The template also incorporates charts to depict your target audience and financial projections. Visme enables you to seamlessly link real-time data from 3rd-party apps like Excel or Google Sheets and import tables, charts and graphs into your projects.

14. Project Investment Proposal

Showcase your project's potential to investors with this sleek investment template. Its elegant design incorporates a striking blend of black and yellow, exuding professionalism.

The template includes sections such as executive summary, project goal, target community, use of funds, assessments and more.

Customize this template by using images or videos to showcase your prior projects. This visual showcase will offer investors a glimpse of your work, significantly increasing your chances of winning.

15. Prime Real Estate Investment Proposal

Position your company as a trusted business for real estate investments with this stunning template. The layout, colors and captivating real estate imagery create a compelling visual narrative.

The template captures everything you need to show investors that you’ve done your homework. It includes an executive summary, overview, gallery, risk assessment, investment rationale and more. You can also include video testimonials of prior clients to gain potential investors’ confidence.

Each page of this document can be easily customized using Visme's user-friendly drag-and-drop editor.

16. Startup Investment Proposal

Starting a business? Utilize this startup investment proposal to highlight your idea's potential and leave a lasting impact on investors. The distinctive color scheme of yellow, white and navy blue blends to evoke a sense of innovation.

It includes clear sections to highlight your executive summary, market analysis, competitive advantage, business model and more.

In addition to your proposal, you can use Visme’s presenter studio to record your elevator pitch and share it with potential investors. This adds a personal touch and helps you engage busy executives.

17. Business Consulting Proposal

Win client's trust to hire your consulting services with this cutting-edge template proposal.

This design boasts a sleek color scheme of grays and blacks contrasted with a pristine white background, ensuring an attention-grabbing visual. It encompasses all crucial aspects, from an executive summary to project timelines, pricing models and compelling testimonials, to effectively showcase your expertise to potential clients.

You can link the icons, objects or text to a website or document for seamless navigation and engagement using interactive links.

18. IT Consulting Proposal

Craft a compelling pitch for your IT consulting service with this detailed consulting proposal template. It provides a structured framework to articulate your goals, expertise, services, recommendations and project details effectively.

Packed with captivating visuals, refined fonts, modern design elements and versatile layouts, this template ensures your proposal shines among competitors.

Personalize it to match your company's processes by incorporating text, applying your branding and expanding or adapting sections as needed.

19. Social Media Consulting Proposal

Whether you're an established social media agency or a freelancer looking to land your next big client, use this template to confidently pitch your social media consulting services.

With its sophisticated mix of blue and white hues, complemented by well-organized layouts and interactive icons, this template adds a touch of elegance to your presentation.

It covers crucial areas such as market analysis, personalized strategies, content planning and measurable objectives to craft a persuasive argument.

Make this template yours by swapping out the placeholder text and adjusting the visual elements until you're satisfied with the look and feel.

20. Marketing Consulting Proposal

Secure lucrative marketing projects confidently with this modern consultant proposal template. Its contemporary layout, crisp imagery and fusion of vibrant color themes project a high level of professionalism.

This template provides comprehensive coverage for essential aspects like the executive summary, "why choose us" section, project scope, deliverables, timeline, budget and more.

Lacking visuals for your projects? Utilize Visme's AI image generator to create relevant, high-quality, original images that breathe life into your design. Simply type in your prompts to generate professional-grade photos, paintings, pencil drawings, 3D graphics, icons, abstract art and more in seconds.

21. Web Development Proposal Template

You’ll require a standout proposal to win clients in a highly competitive web development industry. This sleek proposal can be your game-changer.

With an exquisite design layout, vector icons and a vibrant color scheme blending yellow, blue and white, this proposal immediately captures attention. The sections within cover the project overview, portfolio, website structure, timeline, budget breakdowns and more.

If you need to enhance your existing images and give them a professional look, you can utilize our AI Image Edit Tools within the Visme editor. The wizard allows you to remove backgrounds, unblur, or enlarge small images for optimal presentation.

22. Roofing Proposal

Whether you're a seasoned roofing contractor or a startup, this template will equip you to stand out and secure your roofing projects effectively.

The template utilizes a minimalist design with well-organized sections, ensuring your proposal looks both professional and visually appealing. Key sections such as project scope, materials, timelines, safety protocols and cost breakdowns lets you showcase your expertise and reliability.

Personalize the template by substituting the placeholder text and fine-tuning the visual elements until it suits your needs.

23. Construction Proposal

Utilize this refined template to leave a lasting impact and win your upcoming construction or renovation projects. Its blue, yellow and white color scheme radiates professionalism, while its captivating visuals and elegant layout effortlessly highlight your content.

The template features sections such as project scope, timeline, materials, costs and service specifics which underscore your expertise and dedication to top-notch work.

Share and download this proposal in various formats—PDF, PNG, JPG and GIF—or generate a link to share it with the client.

24. Architectural Proposal

Seal prestigious architectural deals confidently with this sleek architectural proposal template.

The template boasts high-resolution graphics, smart design elements, and engaging fonts. It includes sections for project goals, milestones, budgets and ample architectural images that add visual appeal.

Customize this template using Visme's built-in design assets or upload your own. You can use the shortcut feature for quick access to design elements on Visme. Simply type '/' to search and locate what you need in seconds.

25. Bid Proposal

If you would like to craft a winning bid proposal and enhance your business opportunities, this professional proposal template is perfect.

This template stands out with its captivating design layout, refined color scheme, and an impressive selection of fonts, icons, and images. It features a formal letter, budget breakdown and project commencement and completion terms.

What sets this template apart is its adaptability to suit any industry. Every aspect of this template is also customizable, allowing you to modify content, colors, fonts, shapes and logos to align perfectly with your brand identity.

26. Lawn Care Proposal

Communicate your expertise and dedication to impeccable lawn care with this stunning lawn care bid proposal.

This expertly crafted template boasts a captivating cover page and is filled with captivating fonts, high-definition images of lush greenery and dynamic vector icons.

You can customize every aspect of this template effortlessly. If you want to switch up the images, Visme offers an extensive array of top-notch images and design elements, from 3D icons and shapes to animated graphics, ensuring your proposal stands out vibrantly.

27. Fintech Agency Bid Proposal

Whether your agency specializes in digital banking, blockchain, payments, or other fintech solutions, this template equips you to stand out in competitive bids.

With a striking color palette of black, lemon and white, this template achieves a great balance—bold enough to captivate attention yet professional enough to exude credibility.

You can leverage the sections to highlight your firm's background, methodologies, budget and delivery aspects. The project timeline page is also particularly beneficial to provide clients with a clear glimpse of the project's completion date.

You can seamlessly integrate videos of client testimonials, your services, or a compelling brand narrative, enhancing your proposal's impact.

28. Marketing Campaign Bid Proposal Template

Looking to create a captivating bid proposal for marketing services? This template fits the bill.

The template boasts a lively color palette blending violet and white, setting the stage for a professional presentation.

It includes a succinct summary of your response to the RFP, featuring the challenge and proposed solutions, a compelling "why choose us" section and the estimated budget.

To further elevate engagement, Visme’s interactive features allow for linking specific sections to pricing pages, product page or terms and conditions. You can also employ hover effects or popups to reveal supplementary company information, enhancing the viewer's experience.

Read this article to discover professional bid proposal templates to win new clients.

Tips for Writing Winning Business Proposals

You now understand how to create a business proposal and what should be in a business proposal. Here are some design tips to make your business proposal attractive.

1. Know Your Audience and Recognize Their Needs

Don't make assumptions about your audience. Instead, do your best to understand their specific and unique needs and how you can assist them. Your potential customer wants to see how your solution will address their specific needs, not a generic solution to the problem.

Map your buyer persona to understand their pain points, budget, deadlines and more. This information will improve your chances of closing the deal.

2. Use Professionally Designed Template

When creating your business proposals, use professionally designed proposal templates . The upside is that you won't have to start from scratch, saving you a lot of time.

Using templates allows you to focus more on the copy and contents, ensuring you cover all the bases and include all the necessary information to warrant a positive response.

3. Pay Attention to Design

Every element of your business proposal should be crafted to catch your audience's eye.

Jazz up your cover page with a captivating image that depicts what the proposal is about. Give it a personal touch and build brand recognition by adding your logo on the cover and inner pages. Remember to use beautiful colors and fonts that align with your brand guidelines.

However, when using colors, maintain a contrast between the text and the background color. For example, using dark-colored text on a dark background will make your document impossible to read.

Likewise, avoid utilizing too similar hues or a lighter version of the same color background. Colors with a lot of contrast and color pairs that follow the basic idea of light and dark color combinations function well.

Adopt a minimalistic design to make your proposal look polished and help readers focus on the important information.

Make sure that each element in your proposal has enough white space around it, whether it's text, images, charts or anything else. Avoiding clutter will make your proposal look neat and easy to read.

4. Use More Visuals and Less Text

Visuals bring your presentation to life. And substituting text with more icons, images and visual aids makes your proposal readable. For example, you can use photos to:

• Introduce key stakeholders and team members
• Visualize key milestones, stakeholders and team members
• Demonstrate the look of the finished product
• Showcase customer reviews and testimonials

The proposal template below is an excellent example of how you can use visuals to make your proposal pop.

Charts and infographic elements effectively visualize statistical data, like KPIs and results. You can also use other visual aids like tables, diagrams, icons and tables to represent cost estimates and budgets.

Q. What is the best font for a business proposal?

We recommend using fonts that make your business proposal clear and readable. Basic fonts like Arial, Sans Serif, Courier New, Calibri, Cambria, Times New Roman, Tahoma and Verdana work well. Use a 10 to 12-point font size for the body and a 14–16 point font size for headings.

Q. How do you start an introduction to a business proposal?

Your business proposal's introduction should start with a brief overview of what your company does. Also, it should include what sets your company apart from its competitors and why you should be the top choice for the job or project.

Q. What to Include in a Business Proposal

A business proposal should include the problem statement, proposed solution, scope of work, qualifications, timeline, milestones, pricing and terms.

Q. What Is the Difference Between a Business Proposal and a Business Plan?

A business proposal is a document crafted to persuade a prospective client to choose a company for a particular task or project. It outlines the specific project or service, pricing, deliverables and the value the company can provide.

On the other hand, a business plan is a comprehensive document that serves as a roadmap for an organization's future, guiding decision-making and operations. It outlines the company's objectives, strategies, market analysis, financial projections and operational details.

Unlike a business plan, which is internally focused, a business proposal is tailored externally to win a specific opportunity or contract.

Q. How Many Pages Should a Business Proposal Be?

Generally, a business proposal can range from 1 to 20 pages. However, there's no strict rule on length. The length of a business proposal can vary based on the specific requirements of the project or the expectations of the recipient.

Shorter proposals (one to five pages) are suitable for simpler projects or when the recipient specifies a brief document. More complex projects might require longer proposals with detailed sections on various aspects like methodology, timelines, pricing and terms.

Q. What Is the Basic Format for a Business Proposal?

A typical business proposal usually follows this basic format:

• Cover Page: This page includes your proposal title, company name, submission date and contact information.
• Executive Summary: Your executive summary section gives a brief overview of the proposal, highlighting the key points, objectives and why the proposal should be considered.
• Introduction: This section introduces the company and its background.
• Problem Statement or Needs Assessment: This section describes the client's issue or need that the proposal aims to address. This section clarifies the problem and its significance.
• Proposed Solution or Methodology: Utilize this section to highlight the company's approach to solving the client's problem. You can detail the services, products, or methodologies offered.
• Timeline or Work Plan: Your timeline section should present a schedule or timeline of how the proposed solution will be implemented, including milestones and deadlines.
• Budget or Cost Proposal: Provide a breakdown of the costs associated with the proposed solution, including fees, expenses and payment terms in this section.
• Company Expertise, Experience and Accolades: Give a compelling overview of the company's expertise, experience, relevant projects and qualifications that make it suitable for the project in this section.
• Conclusion/Next Steps: Summarize the key points and reinforce the benefits of choosing your company. Then end with a clear call to action.

Q. What Are the 3Cs of a Business Proposal?

The 3 C's of a business proposal are clarity, compelling and competitiveness. Let's take a brief look at each component:

Your business proposal should be clear and easy to understand. It should articulate the problem, proposed solution, methodology and terms in a straightforward manner. You should also avoid buzzwords and stick to languages and examples that resonate with the client.

Your proposal should be engaging, well-structured and crafted in a way that maintains interest throughout. It should incorporate visuals like images, icons, graphs or charts to complement the text and make the proposal visually appealing. You can also use storytelling techniques to illustrate the problem, the solution and the positive impact your proposal will have.

Competitive

Your proposal needs to be persuasive. It should convince the recipient that your company's solution is the best fit for their needs. This involves showcasing expertise, providing evidence of past successes and demonstrating the unique value your company brings.

Q. How Do I Write My Business Proposal?

Here are some steps to help you write an effective business proposal:

• Understand who your audience is and what their needs are
• Design a compelling cover page, title page and table of contents
• Write your executive summary
• Clearly define the client's problem or needs.
• Propose a solution (product, features and benefits)
• Showcase your company's background, team expertise, experience and qualifications.
• List deliverables, milestones, and timelines
• Provide a detailed budget and payment structure
• Include quotes from satisfied clients or references and evidence of your track record
• Write a conclusion and appendix

Visme's proposal templates come with pre-made sections to make the proposal creation process easier and more efficient. With our intuitive editor, you can customize these sections, add or remove sections as needed to fit your specific needs.

Q. What Are 5 Things All Proposals Should Include?

The five key elements every proposal should include are:

• Project background and objectives
• Problem statement
• Project scope and plan
• Timeline and budget
• Conclusion and next steps

Q. What Are the Do’s and Don'ts of Proposal Writing?

When it comes to proposal writing, there are some do’s and don'ts to keep in mind to ensure that your proposal stands out and increases your chances of success.

• Understand the client's needs and tailor your proposal accordingly. Start with a catchy and attention-grabbing introduction.
• Clearly articulate your value proposition, unique strengths and capabilities.
• Use visuals and graphics to make your proposal more engaging and memorable.
• Include testimonials or case studies to demonstrate your track record.
• Provide a detailed and realistic project plan, timeline, and budget.
• Proofread and edit your proposal thoroughly before submitting it.
• Don't use a generic proposal template without customizing it to the client's needs.
• Don't overpromise or exaggerate your capabilities.
• Don't use jargon or technical terms that may confuse the client.
• Don't submit a proposal that is too long or too short.
• Don't forget to follow up with the client after submitting the proposal.

Q. Which Phrases Are Best Avoided in a Proposal?

• "I think," "I'm not sure," "I believe," and similar phrases can seem hesitant and unconfident. Instead, state your ideas and arguments with conviction.
• "The best," "the greatest," or "the top-ranked"—empty"superlatives like this can come across as exaggerated and lacking credibility.
• "This might be a stupid question, but..."—never apologize for asking a question or suggesting an idea. It's important to demonstrate confidence in your abilities and ideas.
• Jargon or technical language that the client may not understand; keep in mind that the proposal may be read by individuals who are not familiar with your industry or field. Use plain language and avoid technical terms that may be confusing.
• "Trust me"—this phrase can sound condescending and unprofessional. Instead, provide evidence and data to support your arguments and proposals.
• "Our competitors are terrible." Avoid speaking negatively about your competitors. Rather, focus on highlighting your own strengths and unique selling points.

Writing business proposals is a lot of work. With the tips and templates shared in this article, you have everything you need to create a professional proposal that impresses your client and wins them over.

Start creating business proposals today to market your business and close more deals. Visme's proposal maker is perfect for creating professionally designed business proposals for any business, industry or use case.

Easily put together winning business proposals using Visme

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The Trump policy that scares economists the most

Former President Donald Trump wants to spend trillions of dollars on tax cuts. His plan to pay for that is alarming some mainstream economists.

Trump proposed sweeping tariffs  on all $3 trillion worth of imports into the United States, including a 60% tariff on imports from China and a 10% across-the-board tariff on imports from other nations.

Recently, Trump doubled down on the threat, saying he is  considering tariffs of up to 20% on most imports in a bid to protect working-class jobs and punish what he labels unfair trading practices.

In theory, the unprecedented tariff hikes could raise trillions of dollars, funds that would help cover the cost of the tax cuts. However, many economists warn that those tariffs could backfire – badly – by raising prices on American families, killing jobs and setting off a global trade war.

It’s part of the reason Goldman Sachs in an analyst note this week said Trump’s economic policies – particularly on trade – would cause America’s economy to shrink. By contrast, Vice President Kamala Harris’ economic policy proposals would grow the economy, Goldman Sachs predicted.

Goldman and other experts fear Trump’s tough proposed trade tactics could worsen the affordability crisis in America.

“It’s one of those magical economic proposals that can actually cause inflation and put you into a recession – at the same time,” David Kelly, chief global strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management, told CNN in a phone interview.

Kelly warned that tariffs are a “perfect stagflation machine,” threaten to scramble supply chains and invite a punishing response from trading partners.

“It’s a two-year-old’s mentality: You punch someone in the nose and expect them not to punch you back,” he said.

‘Terrible economic policy’

Trump plans to detail his economic vision for America during a major address on Thursday at the New York Economic Club.

The speech comes as a  new CNN poll  finds that economic issues remain the biggest concern for voters, with an average of 39% of likely voters across six battleground states choosing it as their top issue.

Trump’s trade proposals could be equivalent to a $3 trillion tax hike, warned Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the center-right think tank the American Action Forum.

“It’s enormously protectionist and terrible economic policy,” said Holtz-Eakin, who served as an economic adviser to former President George H.W. Bush and an adviser to the 2008 presidential campaign of GOP Sen. John McCain.

It’s hard to know how much of Trump’s tariff talk is a negotiating tactic and how much he intends to enact if he were reelected, noted Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.

“But even just a step in that direction is problematic. It’s a very bad idea. If there is anything that most economists can agree on, it’s that tariffs are bad,” Zandi said.

Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt disputed the economists’ assessments in a statement to CNN.

“So-called economists and experts doubted President Trump’s economic plans in his first term. They were proven wrong then and they’ll be proven wrong again… President Trump successfully imposed tariffs on China in his first term AND cut taxes for hardworking Americans here at home – and he will do it again in his second term,” Leavitt said in the statement. “President Trump’s plan will result in millions of jobs and hundreds of billions of dollars returning home from China to America.”

Harris’ campaign accused Trump of lying to Americans about his policies.

“Donald Trump is denying this broad, bipartisan consensus, ‘hoping that most economic analyses of his ideas are dead wrong’ and blatantly lying to the American people about the severe costs and consequences of his economic plans,” Brian Nelson, a top economic adviser to Harris, wrote in a memo obtained by CNN.

Tariffs could cost families $2,600 a year

Trump has championed tariffs as a way to help working-class Americans by protecting workers from unfair trade practices and as a negotiating tactic to reach more favorable trade agreements. However, some experts fear they will do the opposite.

Trump’s call for a 20% across-the-board tariff combined with a 60% tariff on China would cost the typical middle-income household more than $2,600 a year, according to updated estimates published last month by the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

That’s up from the researchers’  previous estimate of $1,700 , which was based on a 10% tariff.

Importantly, these estimates do not factor in the impact from potential foreign retaliation, slower economic growth or lost competitiveness that a global trade war could cause. The actual impact could be far higher.

And the pain would not be evenly divided among families, the Peterson Institute found: Although households in all five income quintiles would lose money from the Trump tariffs and tax cuts, the lowest earners would be hurt the most.

“The losses are greatest for those at the bottom of the income distribution,” researchers Kimberly Clausing and Mary Lovely wrote in an August update. “The top 1 percent would experience net gains in income because losses from tariffs are more than offset by Trump’s proposed tax cuts.”

Trump-imposed tariffs on imported solar panels, steel and aluminum and Chinese-made goods have cost Americans more than $230 billion , according to US Customs and Border Protection.

And US states more exposed to US tariffs on imports from China experienced “lower increases or even decreases” in employment and output between 2018 and 2019, according to a study from St. Louis Federal Reserve economists.

But tariffs on Chinese goods have become popular on both sides of the aisle. Notably, the Biden-Harris administration has kept in place most of the Trump-era tariffs. In May, President Joe Biden announced  increased tariffs on $18 billion worth  of Chinese goods, including electric vehicles, solar cells and computer chips.

Harris has not detailed specific plans for ramping up or dialing back tariffs.

The cost of the Trump tax cuts

Trump has called for extending his signature 2017 tax cuts, which expire next year if no action is taken by Congress.

Trump has argued that extending the tax cuts will boost the economy, create jobs and help families. However, researchers from Princeton University, the University of Chicago, Harvard University and the US Treasury Department earlier this year found that while the 2017 tax law boosted investment in the American economy and helped to modestly increase wages, the tax cuts did not pay for themselves .

In any case, extending the tax cuts would be an expensive proposal.

Extending the individual income tax provisions from the 2017 tax law alone would cost $3.4 trillion over a decade, according to estimates from the  nonpartisan Penn Wharton Model . By contrast, Harris’ economic plans would cost between $1.2 trillion and $1.4 trillion over a decade, as of Penn Wharton’s latest model, which did not account for policy proposals Harris made this week.

Trump has suggested cutting the corporate tax rate again, dropping it from 21% to 20% or even 15%. The Penn Wharton model estimates a cut to 15% and extending the business tax provisions of the 2017 law would pile on another $1.2 trillion in costs.

Beyond the tax cut extension, Trump has also proposed eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits. That would cost $1.2 trillion over a decade, according to Penn Wharton.

The Trump campaign has not detailed significant spending cuts or tax hikes to offset these tax cuts.

The Penn Wharton model does not incorporate the revenue benefits from the potential tariff hikes, noting that key implementation details are “missing” and cautioning that the consequences of a new trade war could be costly.

“While new import taxes on tariffs could raise several trillion dollars in new revenue over the next decade, they could also lead to revenue losses due to potential retaliatory actions from other governments and other economic dynamics,” the report said.

CNN’s Katie Lobosco contributed reporting.

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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

At a recent conference of US and Canadian business schools to discuss sustainability and societal purpose in management education, a common thread linked many of the participants: a religious tradition.

From the Catholic St Joseph’s University in Philadelphia on the east coast to the Protestant Seattle Pacific University on the west, a significant number of business schools that were focusing on people and planet alongside profit had foundations in faith.

That is also true of some of the largest and best-known US institutions, such as Georgetown University in Washington DC. A Jesuit school open to all creeds, it was founded by the first Catholic bishop in the US in 1789, at a time when many other colleges in the country were not accessible to Catholics.

While some notably more fundamentalist Protestant universities take very different and less aligned perspectives on tackling climate change and societal problems, other more moderate Christian schools are at the vanguard of a broader movement to embrace these challenges.

Masters in Management Ranking 2024

This story is from the MiM report publishing on September 9

For example, Georgetown McDonough School of Business — part of the IgnitEd network of Jesuit schools in the US and beyond, and linked to the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ initiative embraced by Pope Francis — has built a wider movement around ecology and sustainable universities.

Paul Almeida, the dean, says: “Lots of people will talk about purpose today, when it’s cool, and not tomorrow, when it isn’t,” he says. “We will always talk about it. It’s in our DNA, it’s deeply embedded in who we are, in our programmes, in the way we address each other. Learning, engaging and reflecting is very, very Jesuit. Our duty is to affect our students, staff, faculty and set the world on fire.”

Prof Almeida points to “a focus on the common good”, enshrined in initiatives including students’ outreach projects into prisons and social impact consulting projects that they undertake as part of their coursework. “Most others think of ‘Do no evil’; we think about how to proactively discover what’s in you to do good,” he says.

However, Michael Pirson, a professor in the Gabelli School of Business at New York’s (also Jesuit) Fordham University and a pioneer in humanistic management, points out that there are long-established similar approaches in Asian schools embracing Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as in secular European universities.

“Many schools that do not have religious links may be equally or more open to humanistic development because it’s pragmatically better for business,” he says. “The US is all over the map: there is no school I would see aligning integrally to all these aspects.” 

Prof Pirson defines humanistic management as challenging the short-term, profit-maximising “homos economicus” that came to dominate many business-school curriculums in the latter half of the last century, in favour of a more human-centred approach. At his institution, that is embedded in courses focused on wellbeing, dignity and collaboration.

“It’s about the intrinsic value of human beings,” he says. “The ultimate goal is not becoming rich but becoming contributors to the common good.” He points to examples of family-owned businesses reflecting that tradition, as they are less dominated by the short-term pressures of public markets to generate rapid financial returns.

Ross Stewart, dean of the Seattle Pacific University School of Business, Government and Economics, founded by the Free Methodist Church of North America, says that all his faculty are expected to acknowledge Christianity and are evaluated on how they integrate it into their courses. The school includes a Center for Faithful Business and develops teaching cases of Christian businesses.

Stewart says that while some Baptist schools take a free-market approach to business and the dominance of man over nature, his teaching centres on “human flourishing” and “the [practice] of business for the common good, not just shareholder maximisation”. Similar values are reflected in Islamic business schools, long suspicious of usury, he adds. While about half of his students are Christian, there is a significant minority of Muslims who “like us for our values”.

Franz Heukamp, dean of Iese business school in Spain, which was founded in 1958 in Barcelona at the request of Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, the Catholic priest who founded Opus Dei, says: “I think the fact that we have a Christian background is important,” he says. “Our view of management is based on Christian ideals. You avoid very narrow interpretations of success and understand there is no such thing as a purely financial problem: there are clients, teams and collaboration.”

But, like his peers in other faith-based and humanitarian-influenced schools, Heukamp struggles to identify a large number of businesses built on the model, or evidence that his students go on to pursue related careers or demonstrate their commitment professionally.

“We say all business is important and needs to have good people,” he points out. “In banking, you need socially, sustainably oriented people. You don’t want to leave it to people only interested in their own gain. We want people to do well and to do good.”

That is a clear aspiration for others, even if it remains as much an act of faith as a proven fact among their alumni. 

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Home » Sample Business Plans » Education

How to Write an Education Consulting Business Plan [Sample Template]

Are you about starting an education consulting firm? If YES, here is a complete sample education consulting firm business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE . If you are an educationist or someone who has background in education matters, and you intend starting your business, then you should consider starting your own education consulting firm.

There are many would – be international students and students aspiring to go to colleges / universities who are trapped simply because they don’t know who to talk to when they have challenges with testing and educational related issues that is why it is important to set up your own education consulting firm.

Why Start an Education Consulting Firm?

Being an educational consultant means that you will help your clients handle all their educational concerns, help to gain admission to colleges or universities of their choice. You can also help your clients (international students) obtain work permits in their new country of residence / studies.

Starting an education consulting firm is not too expensive except for the money required to rent and furnish an office space. Running this type of business requires that you should be trained as an educationist and it is indeed a very lucrative business in the United States, Canada, Australia and The United Kingdom simply because of the inflow of international students from different parts of the world.

If you are truly convinced that starting an education consulting firm is the right business for you to do, then you need to write your own business plan. Below is a sample education consulting firm business plan template that will help you successfully write yours with little or no stress;

A Sample Education Consulting Firm Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

Establishments in the Testing & Educational Support industry that education consulting belongs to primarily provide non – instructional support services for the education industries. The major segments of this industry are educational testing services and educational consultants.

It is important to state that computer software designers that develop education support software are not part of the Testing & Educational Support industry; they are part of the IT Consulting industry

If you are a close observer of the Testing & Educational Support industry, you will agree that the controversial No Child Left Behind Act in the united states has been an important driver of revenue for the Testing and Educational Support industry over the past decade.

This is due to the fact that education consultants play a prominent role in administering the assessments that ensure schools meet federal guidelines. Hence, the industry will be heavily impacted in the next half a decade by potential education reforms and fluctuations in federal funding.

Nevertheless, college enrollment will continue to expand over the period, and international student growth will continue, driven by high demand from students from Nigeria, China and India. Even though tighter state budgets will limit unnecessary expenditure, underlying demand for support services will still be sustained.

The Testing & Educational Support Industry is indeed a large industry and pretty much active in countries such as United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Germany,  Italy, Holland, Switzerland, Australia and Canada et al.

Statistics has it that in the United States of America alone, there are about 7,639 registered and licensed education consulting firm scattered all across the United States responsible for employing about 115,967 and the industry rakes in a whooping sum of $15 billion annually.

The industry is projected to grow at 3.4 percent annual growth within 2011 and 2016. It is important to state that ETS and Pearson PLC has the largest available market share in the industry.

A recent research carried out by IBISWORLD reveals that the Testing and Educational Support industry has expanded over the five years to 2016. The report stated that during this time, revenue grew at an average annual rate of 0.9 percent to $13.7 billion in 2016.

The report pointed that the Testing and Educational Support industry is composed of three main segments: educational testing providers, educational consultants and student-exchange program providers. While overall growth has been strong, these segments have experienced different levels of growth over the past five years, with educational testing services accounting for the largest share of revenue growth.

The research further revealed that the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 has driven industry demand during much of the past decade. Under NCLB, which was signed into law in January 2002, states had to implement major educational changes to remain eligible for federal funding.

Lastly, one thing is certain about starting an education consulting firm, if you are able to conduct your market research and feasibility studies, you are more likely not going to struggle to secure clients because there are always individuals and even educational institutions / schools that would want to hire your services from time to time.

2. Executive Summary

Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP is a registered and licensed education consulting firm that will be based in New York City – New York.

The firm will handle all aspect of education related services; services such as providing college selection services, providing educational consulting services, providing educational guidance counseling services, providing educational support services, providing educational testing services, attending school buses and facilitating student exchange programs.

We are aware that to run a standard education consulting firm can be demanding which is why we are well trained, certified and equipped to perform excellently well. Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP is a client – focused and result driven education consulting firm that provides broad- based services at an affordable fee that won’t in any way put a hole in the pocket of our clients.

We will offer a standard and professional education consulting services to all to our individual clients, and corporate clients at national, and international level. We will ensure that we work hard to meet and surpass our clients’ expectations whenever they hire our services.

At Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP, our client’s best interest would always come first, and everything we do is guided by our values and professional ethics. We will ensure that we hire professionals who are well experienced in the testing and educational support industry

Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP will at all times demonstrate her commitment to sustainability, both individually and as a firm, by actively participating in our communities and integrating sustainable business practices wherever possible.

We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely. We will cultivate a working environment that provides a human, sustainable approach to earning a living, and living in our world, for our partners, employees and for our clients.

Our plan is to position the business to become the leading brand in the testing and educational support industry in the whole of New York City – New York, and also to be amongst the top 20 educational consulting firms in the United States of America within the first 10 years of operations.

This might look too tall a dream but we are optimistic that this will surely be realized because we have done our research and feasibility studies and we are enthusiastic and confident that New York City – New York is the right place to launch our education consulting firm before sourcing for clients from other cities in The United States of America and throughout the globe.

Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP is founded by Webster Magnus and Golden Jade, his business partner for many years. The organization will be managed by both of them since they have adequate working experience to manage such business.

Webster Magnus has well over 5 years of experience working at various capacities within the testing and educational support industry in the United States of America. Webster Magnus and Golden Jade have the required experience and qualifications to build a world class education consulting firm that can favorably compete amongst leaders in the industry.

3. Our Products and Services

Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP is going to offer varieties of services within the scope of the testing and educational support industry in the United States of America. Our intention of starting our education consulting firm is to favorably compete with leading players in the testing and educational support industry both in the United States of America and in the world at large.

We are well prepared to make profits from the industry and we will do all that is permitted by the law in the United States to achieve our business goals, aim and ambition. Our business offerings are listed below;

• Providing college selection services
• Providing educational consulting services
• Providing educational guidance counseling services
• Providing educational support services
• Providing educational testing services
• Attending school buses
• Facilitating student exchange programs

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to build an educational consulting brand that will become the number one choice for both individual and corporate clients in the whole of New York City – New York.
• Our vision reflects our values: integrity, service, excellence and teamwork.
• Our mission is to position our education consulting firm to become the leading brands in the testing and educational support industry in the whole of New York City – New York, and also to be amongst the top 20 education consulting firms in the United States of America within the first 10 years of operations.

Our Business Structure

Normally we would have settled for two or three full – time staff members, but as part of our plan to build a standard education consulting firm in New York City – New York, we have perfected plans to get it right from the beginning which is why we are going the extra mile to ensure that we have competent, honest and hardworking employees to occupy all the available positions in our organization.

The picture of the kind of education consulting firm we intend building and the business goals we want to achieve is what informed the amount we are ready to pay for the best hands available in and around New York City – New York.

We will ensure that we only hire people that are qualified, honest, hardworking, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stake holders (the owners, workforce, and customers).

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of five years or more depending how fast we meet our set target. In view of that, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions;

• Chief Executive Officer

Education Consultants

Admin and HR Manager

Marketing and Sales Executive

• Customer Care Executive / Front Desk Officer

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Office:

• Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives; developing a climate for offering information and opinions; providing educational opportunities.
• Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
• Responsible for providing direction for the business
• Creates, communicates and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
• Evaluates the success of the organization
• Responsible for providing college selection services
• Responsible for providing educational consulting services
• Responsible for providing educational guidance counseling services
• Responsible for providing educational support services
• Responsible for providing educational testing services
• Attends to school buses as it relates to students under our care
• Responsible for facilitating student exchange programs
• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
• Designs job descriptions with KPI to drive performance management for clients
• Regularly hold meetings with key stakeholders to review the effectiveness of HR Policies, Procedures and Processes
• Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
• Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
• Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carries out staff induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
• Oversees the smooth running of the daily office activities.
• Identifies, prioritizes, and reaches out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
• Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of projects; assures the completion of relevant projects.
• Writes winning proposal documents, negotiate fees and rates in line with company policy
• Responsible for handling business research, marker surveys and feasibility studies for clients
• Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
• Develops, executes and evaluates new plans for expanding increase sales
• Documents all customer contact and information
• Represent the organization in strategic meetings
• Help increase sales and growth for the organization
• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• creates reports from the information concerning the financial transactions recorded by the bookkeeper
• Prepares the income statement and balance sheet using the trial balance and ledgers prepared by the bookkeeper.
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions.
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting for one or more properties.
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for the company
• Serves as internal auditor for the organization

Client Service Executive / Front Desk Officer

• Welcomes students and clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
• Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the manager in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organization’s products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients
• Receives parcels / documents for the organization
• Distributes mails in the organization
• Handles any other duties as assigned the line manager

6. SWOT Analysis

Going by our vision, our mission and the kind of business we want to set – up, we don’t have any other option than to follow due process. Following due process involves hiring business consultant to help us conduct SWOT analysis for our business.

Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP hired the services of a seasoned business consultant with bias in start – ups in the United States to help us conduct a thorough SWOT analysis and to guide us in formulating other business strategies that will help us grow our business and favorable compete in the testing and educational support industry.

As a company, we look forward to maximizing our strength and opportunities and also to work around our weaknesses and threats. Here is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted on behalf of Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP.

Our core strength lies in the power of our team; our workforce. We have a team of highly qualified education consultants and support staff members that can go all the way to give our clients value for their money; a team that are trained, qualified and equipped to pay attention to details and to deliver excellent education consulting services.

We are well positioned and we know we will attract loads of clients (students and international students alike) from the first day we open our doors for business.

As a new education consulting firm, it might take some time for our organization to break into the market and gain acceptance especially from international students in the already saturated testing and educational support industry; that is perhaps our major weakness. So also, we may not have the required cash to give our business the kind of publicity we would have loved to.

• Opportunities:

The opportunities in the testing and educational support industry is massive considering the number of local and international students who can’t do with key services provided by only the testing and educational support industry. As a standard and well – positioned education consulting firm, we are ready to take advantage of any opportunity that comes our way.

Some of the threats that we are likely going to face as an education consulting firm operating in the United States are unfavorable government policies, the arrival of a competitor within our location of operations and global economic downturn which usually affects purchasing / spending power. There is hardly anything we can do as regards these threats other than to be optimistic that things will continue to work for our good.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

If you a closer observer of the trends in the Testing & Educational Support industry, you will agree that the controversial No Child Left Behind Act in the united states has been an important driver of revenue for the Testing and Educational Support industry over the past decade.

Although it is cheaper to start an education consulting business, but the fact remains that it is a bit challenging for new entrant to come into this industry, the primary barrier to the entry for new establishment is the stiff registration requirements applicable in most countries not just the United States of America.

As a matter of fact, education consulting firms must comply with local licensing criteria set out by registration boards and professional associations to obtain registration in their country or the state they want to operate from. This usually requires applicants to hold an accredited tertiary qualification before they can undertake written tests of skills, knowledge and abilities.

Lastly, the geographic distribution of education consulting firms and revenue in the industry is based on population levels and business locations. Education consulting firms tend to be located in areas with high populations students, and such areas tend to have higher level of students who would want to sit for college exams, apply for international studies or for student exchange programs.

8. Our Target Market

The demographic and psychographics composition of those who need the services of education consulting services providers cut across students and schools at all levels.

Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP will initially serve students within our immediate community, but that does not in any way stop us from growing to be able to compete with the leading education consulting firms in the United States.

As a standard and licensed education consulting firm, Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP offers a wide range of education consulting services hence we are well trained and equipped to services a wide range of clientele base. Our target market cuts across businesses of different sizes in both the individual and corporate clients.

We are coming into the industry with a business concept that will enable us work with individuals, small businesses and bigger corporations in and around New York City – New York and other cities in the United States of America. Below is a list of the people and organizations that we have specifically design our products and services for;

• International Students
• Local students
• Tutorial colleges

Our competitive advantage

The level of competitions in the testing and educational support services industry depends largely on the location of the business and of course the business model. If you can successfully create a unique brand identity for your education consulting firm or carve out a unique market, you are likely going to experience less competition.

For instance, if you are one of the few education consulting firms in your locations that has the most qualified and experienced education consultant with successful track record under your payroll, you are likely going to have a competitive advantage over your competitors.

We are quite aware that to be highly competitive in the testing and educational support services industry means that we should be able to deliver expected results, our clients should be able to pay for our services and we should be able to meet the expectations of clients.

Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP might be a new entrant into the testing and educational support services industry in the United States of America, but the management staffs and owners of the business are considered gurus. They are people who are core professionals and licensed and highly qualified education consultants and experts in the United States. These are part of what will count as a competitive advantage for us.

Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category (start – ups education consulting firms) in the industry meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our aims and objectives.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP is established with the aim of maximizing profits in the testing and educational support services industry and we are going to go all the way to ensure that we do all it takes to attract clients (local and international students) on a regular basis.

Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP will generate income by offering the following immigration consulting services;

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain, there would always be local students, international students, individuals, schools and tutorial colleges et al who would need the services of testing and educational support services providers.

We are well positioned to take on the available market in New York City – New York and other key cities in the United States of America and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income / profits from the first six month of operations and grow the business and our clientele base beyond New York City to other cities in New York and other states in the U.S.

We have been able to critically examine the education consulting services market and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projections are based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to similar startups in New York City – New York.

Below are the sales projections for Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP, it is based on the location of our business and the wide range of education consulting and advisory services that we will be offering to our clients;

• First Fiscal Year-: $250,000
• Second Fiscal Year-: $450,000
• Third Fiscal Year-: $950,000

N.B : This projection is done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and natural disasters within the period stated above. There won’t be any major competitor offering same additional services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales strategy

We are mindful of the fact that there are stiffer competitions amongst education consulting firms and other related educational support service providers in the United States of America; hence we have been able to hire some of the best business developer to handle our sales and marketing.

Our sales and marketing team will be recruited base on their vast experience in the industry and they will be trained on a regular basis so as to be well equipped to meet their targets and the overall goal of the organization.

We will also ensure that our excellent job deliveries speak for us in the market place; we want to build a standard and world – class education consulting firm that will leverage on word of mouth advertisement from satisfied clients (both individuals and corporate organizations).

Our goal is to grow our education consulting firm to become one of the top 20 education consulting firms in the United States of America which is why we have mapped out strategy that will help us take advantage of the available market and grow to become a major force to reckon with not only in the New York City – New York, but also in other cities in the United States of America.

Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP is set to make use of the following marketing and sales strategies to attract clients;

• Introduce our education consulting firm business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to migrant communities, corporate organizations, households and key stake holders in New York City and other cities in New York.
• Advertise our business in relevant magazines, newspapers, TV stations, and radio station.
• List our education consulting firm business on yellow pages’ ads (local directories)
• Attend relevant international and local education, international studies and business expos, seminars, and business fairs et al
• Create different packages for different category of clients (local students and international students et al) in order to work with their budgets and still deliver quality education consulting services to them
• Leverage on the internet to promote our education consulting firm
• Engage in direct marketing approach
• Encourage word of mouth marketing from loyal and satisfied clients
• Join local chambers of commerce and industries with the aim of networking and marketing our services.

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

Any business that wants to grow beyond the corner of the street or the city they are operating from must be ready and willing to utilize every available means (both conventional and non – conventional means) to advertise and promote the business. We intend growing our business which is why we have perfected plans to build our brand via every available means.

We know that it is important to create strategies that will help us boost our brand awareness and to create a corporate identity for our education consultancy services firm business. Below are the platforms we will leverage on to boost our brand and to promote and advertise our business;

• Place adverts on community based educational and related newspapers, radio stations and TV stations.
• Encourage the use of word of mouth publicity from our loyal customers
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Badoo, Google+ and other platforms to promote our business.
• Ensure that we position our banners and billboards in strategic positions all around New York City – New York
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas in and around our neighborhood
• Contact migrant communities, schools, and households et al by calling them up and informing them of Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP and the educational support services we offer
• Advertise our business in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site
• Brand all our official cars and school buses and ensure that all our staff members and management staff wears our branded shirt or cap at regular intervals.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Hourly billing for education consulting services is a long – time tradition in the industry.  However, for some types of education consultancy services, flat fees make more sense because they allow clients to better predict consultancy costs.

As a result of this, Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP will charge our clients a flat fee for many basic services such as providing college selection services, providing educational consulting services, providing educational guidance counseling services, providing educational support services, providing educational testing services, attending school buses and facilitating student exchange programs et al.

At Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP we will keep our fees below the average market rate for all of our clients by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance.  In addition, we will also offer special discounted rates to both local and international students from time to time.

We are aware that there are some clients that would need regular access to education consultancy and advisory services and assistance, we will offer flat rate for such services that will be tailored to take care of such clients’ needs.

• Payment Options

The payment policy adopted by Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.

Here are the payment options that Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP will make available to her clients;

• Payment via bank transfer
• Payment with cash
• Payment via credit cards / Point of Sale Machines (POS Machines)
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via check
• Payment via mobile money transfer
• Payment via bank draft

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our client make payment for our testing and educational support services without any stress on their part. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials to clients who may want to deposit cash or make online transfer for all education consultancy and advisory services rendered.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

When it comes to calculating the cost of starting an education consulting firm, there are some key factors that should serve as a guide. Besides, in setting up any business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake.

If you intend to go big by renting / leasing a big facility, then you would need a good amount of capital as you would need to ensure that your employees are well taken care of, and that your facility is conducive enough for workers to be creative and productive.

This means that the start-up can either be low or high depending on your goals, vision and aspirations for your business. The tools and equipment that will be used are nearly the same cost everywhere, and any difference in prices would be minimal and can be overlooked.

As for the detailed cost analysis for starting an education consulting firm; it might differ in other countries due to the value of their money. Below are some of the basic areas we will spend our start – up capital in setting up our education consulting firm;

• The total fee for incorporating the Business in the United States of America – $750.
• The total cost for payment of insurance policy covers (general liability, workers’ compensation and property casualty) coverage at a total premium – $9,400
• The amount needed to acquire a suitable Office facility in a business district 6 months (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) – $40,000
• The total cost for hiring Business Consultant – $2,500
• The cost for equipping the office (computers, software applications, printers, fax machines, furniture, telephones, filing cabins, safety gadgets and electronics et al) – $5,000
• Marketing promotion expenses for the grand opening of Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP in the amount of $3,500 and as well as flyer printing (2,000 flyers at $0.04 per copy) for the total amount of $3,580 .
• The cost for purchase of the required software applications (testing results tracking Software, Payroll Software, CRM software, and Accounting Software et al) – $10,500
• The cost of launching our official Website – $600
• Budget for paying at least three employees for 3 months plus utility bills – $10,000
• Additional Expenditure (Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions et al) – $2,500
• Miscellaneous: $1,000

Going by the report from the market research and feasibility studies conducted, we will need over one hundred and fifty thousand ( 150,000 ) U.S. dollars to successfully set – up a small scale but standard education consulting firm in the United States of America. Please note that the salaries of all our staff members for the first month is included in the expenditure.

Generating Funds / Startup Capital for Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP

No matter how fantastic your business idea might be, if you don’t have the required money to finance the business, the business might not become a reality. No doubt raising start – up capital for a business might not come cheap, but it is a task that an entrepreneur must go through.

Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP is a business that will be owned and managed by Webster Magnus and Golden Jade, his business partner for many years. They are the sole financial of the firm, but may likely welcome partners later which is why they decided to restrict the sourcing of the start – up capital for the business to just three major sources.

These are the areas we intend generating our start – up capital;

• Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings
• Source for soft loans from family members and friends
• Apply for loan from my Bank

N.B: We have been able to generate about $50,000 ( Personal savings $40,000 and soft loan from family members $10,000 ) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $100,000 from our bank. All the papers and document has been duly signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

The future of a business lies in the numbers of loyal customers that they have the capacity and competence of the employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business (company), then it won’t be too long before the business close shop.

One of our major goals of starting Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without the need for injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.

We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to offer our education consultancy and advisory services a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are well prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.

Webster & Golden® Education Consulting, LLP will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and re – training of our workforce is at the top burner of our business strategy.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more as determined by the board of the organization. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List / Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check: Completed
• Business Incorporation: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts various banks in the United States: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Securing a standard office facility (renovation of the facility inclusive): Completed
• Purchase of All form of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Generating part of the start – up capital from the founder: Completed
• Applications for Loan from our Bankers: In Progress
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
• Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
• Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: Completed
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of the Needed software applications, furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
• Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business (Business PR): In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
• Establishing business relationship with vendors and key players in the industry: In Progress.

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Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Another Pillar of Biden’s Student Debt Plan

The plan would affect millions of borrowers struggling with runaway interest and others who were still paying off loans after decades. It was set to take effect this fall.

By Zach Montague

Reporting from Washington

A federal judge placed a temporary hold on another component of President Biden’s student debt relief plan on Thursday, siding with a coalition of seven Republican states that filed a lawsuit to halt the program on Tuesday.

The ruling comes as yet another blow to the president’s student debt relief agenda after the Supreme Court upheld a similar hold on the SAVE program, the centerpiece of his strategy to cancel tens of millions of dollars in student debt.

The plan at issue in Thursday’s ruling is meant to cancel debt for as many as 27 million borrowers who saw interest on their loans balloon over time, or who were still paying off loans after at least 20 years.

Even though the policy was not scheduled to go into effect until the fall, the states bringing the lawsuit argued that they had obtained evidence that the Education Department had notified federal contractors to “immediately” begin canceling some balances.

“Through cloak and dagger, the Department has thus finalized a rule with a rollout plan that is maximally designed to forgive tens or hundreds of billions of dollars without any judicial review and is designed to boost the incumbent Democratic presidential candidate two months before the election,” the complaint filed on Tuesday read.

Angelo Fernández Hernández, a White House spokesman, said the administration would continue to fight the challenge in court.

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