166 | How to Write a business Plan
• Title page. This is a separate page with
the title of your business plan, the date, and your name and address. • Table of Contents. This appears after the Plan Summary and before the body of the plan. List the headings for the major sections of your plan as well as important subsections. After you assemble your plan and number the pages, come back and put the appropriate page number next to each heading.
Complete Your Final Edit By now, your material should be in a computer file or typed, double-spaced, in semifinal form. Assemble your plan for a final edit. It’s wise to make a working copy of the entire plan that incorporates all the changes you’ve made so far, either from a computer printout or by photocopying your earlier work. Read through everything you’ve written to spot any inconsistencies or obvious goofs. Make any necessary corrections. First impressions count. You won’t have time to show your potential backers a rough draft, followed by a final edit and more revisions. Somebody said that you only get one chance to make a first impression; make your first impression your best.
Let Your Plan Rest Put your completed and organized business plan aside for a day or two. You want to come back to it as fresh as possible. Assess the overall business message of your proposal. Does it make sense? Would you lend money on the strength of it? Can you make it more convincing by strengthening some of its sections? Can you document all your claims? If someone asks you to elaborate on your plan, are you ready with facts and figures? Check for consistency one more time. Your plan should say the same things in the financial section that it says in the business description, and so on. For example, if Antoinette says she will do free alterations, she must budget enough money for a sewing machine.
Final Details Your plan needs a neat and businesslike appearance to give the best impression. If you are using a word processor, make sure it has a laser or letter-quality printer. Most low-cost dot matrix printers do not produce acceptable results. It should be placed in a three-hole binder or folio. What about visuals, charts, colors, and so forth? Simply watch the sophistication level of your business plan. If you’re going to market a new laser printer, your plan will include elaborate visuals that demonstrate your product’s abilities as well as your