sample of business proposal for investors

How to Write Investment Proposals to Get Funded Every Time

Learn how to write an investment proposal that gets you funded. Our expert guide offers engaging examples and ready-to-use templates to ensure your success.

9 minute read

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Short answer

What is an investment proposal?

An investment proposal is a detailed presentation crafted to persuade potential investors by outlining a business's goals, financial projections, and growth strategies, effectively demonstrating its potential for future success and profitability.

An investment proposal will make or break your business dream

So, you've got a great business idea and you're ready to take it to investors. But here's the hard truth – investors are bombarded daily, making them quick to dismiss anything that doesn't immediately stand out.

A poorly crafted proposal doesn't just risk rejection – it threatens the very lifeline of your business idea.

But don’t worry, I'm here to help you write an investment proposal that breaks through the noise, grabs attention, and gets you funded.

Alongside expert advice, you'll find successful investment proposal examples and a set of practical templates to help you build a proposal that resonates with investors and gets them to act.

Let’s dive in!

What are the main types of investment proposals?

Each type of investment proposal requires a different approach and focus. By understanding these categories, you can craft a proposal that resonates with the right investors and increases your chances of securing the funding you need.

5 main types of investment proposals:

Startup investment proposals: Aimed at securing funding for new ventures, focusing on innovation, market potential, and growth strategies.

Real estate investment proposals: They detail projects in property development or purchase, emphasizing location value, revenue projections, and market trends.

Angel investor investment proposals: Tailored for individual investors, emphasizing personal connection, business vision, and long-term growth potential.

Venture capital investment proposals: Designed for high-growth startups, stressing scalable business models, strong management teams, and significant return on investment.

Equity investment proposals: They offer a share of the business in exchange for funding, detailing equity stakes, business valuation, and investor benefits.

What’s the difference between a business plan and an investment proposal?

The difference between a business plan and an investment proposal lies in their scope and purpose.

A business plan is a comprehensive roadmap outlining a company's business idea and growth strategy, while an investment proposal specifically targets potential investors, highlighting the business's profitability, future growth potential, and funding needs.

What to include in an investment proposal?

Putting together an investment proposal is like crafting a story where each chapter is crucial to winning over your audience – the investors. ‘Here's what you should convey to make your proposal a compelling narrative.

10 essential parts of an investment proposal:

Introduction (UVP + hook): Start with a bang by presenting your Unique Value Proposition and an engaging hook that captures the essence of your business.

Problem: Clearly define the specific problem or need in your market segment that your business addresses.

Solution: Describe your unique solution that sets you apart and is difficult for competitors to replicate.

Market size and opportunity: Paint a picture of the market size and the opportunity it presents, backing it up with data and research.

Business and revenue model: Explain how your business will make money, detailing your revenue streams and business model.

Traction and validation: Showcase any traction or validation your business has received, such as customer feedback, sales figures, or awards.

Marketing/Growth strategy: Outline your strategy for acquiring and retaining customers, and how you plan to scale.

Team (Authority & experience): Highlight the strength of your team, focusing on authority, experience, and how it contributes to your business's success.

Financials: Provide a clear overview of your financials, including past and projected revenue, expenses, and profitability.

Investment and use of funds: Detail the amount of investment you're seeking and how you plan to use the funds to grow your business.

Yes, it's quite a list, but each element is a key ingredient in the recipe for a successful investment proposal. Stick around, and I'll walk you through writing an investment proposal that hits all the right notes with potential investors.

How to write an investment proposal that gets you buy-in

Writing a business proposal for investors is a critical step in securing funding for your business. It's your chance to make a compelling case to potential investors about why your business is a worthy investment.

A well-crafted proposal can be the difference between securing the funds you need and missing out on a crucial opportunity. Let's dive into the key steps to create an effective investment proposal.

1) Know who you’re pitching to

Before penning down your proposal, start by researching your potential investors. Use platforms like Crunchbase or AngelList to understand their investment history, sectors of interest, and investment patterns.

Are they risk-takers or conservative? Do they prefer tech startups or are they inclined towards sustainable businesses? This knowledge will help you tailor your proposal to resonate with their specific interests and investment philosophy.

2) Balance business and emotional needs

Ever noticed how you're more drawn to products or ideas that tug at your heartstrings? That's because our decisions are often influenced by emotions, not just logic.

To create this emotional connection, dive deep into what motivates your investors. Use the "jobs to be done" methodology to frame your product as the perfect solution to their problem.

Think about the "job" your investor needs to accomplish and how your solution is the perfect "hire."

Paint a vivid picture of how your business addresses a genuine problem or enhances lives. This emotional appeal can transform your proposal from just interesting to truly compelling.

3) Create a strong executive summary

Think of the executive summary as your elevator pitch in written form.

In just a few sentences, you need to capture the essence of your business idea, the opportunity in the market, what sets you apart (your unique value proposition), and the investment you're seeking.

This section should be so engaging that investors can't help but want to read on.

4) Address the challenges your customers face

To really hit home with your proposal, you need to show that you get what your customers are going through. Are they frustrated with complicated processes, high costs, or just finding it hard to get things done?

By showing you understand these everyday headaches, you can better position your business as the ideal solution. It's about saying, "We know what you're dealing with, and here's how we can make it better."

This approach not only builds trust but also clearly demonstrates how your business can make their lives easier.

Here's a great example of a problem slide:

5) Tell a compelling story

Imagine you're watching a movie where the main character faces a challenge you've dealt with yourself. You're instantly hooked because you relate to their struggle. That's the power of using a relatable problem in your story.

For example, if your business offers a time-saving app, start your story with the all-too-common scenario of being overwhelmed with tasks and not enough hours in the day.

Then, introduce your app as the hero that swoops in to save the day, ending with a future where time management is no longer a stressor.

This approach turns your proposal into a story that your audience can see themselves in, making your solution not just appealing, but necessary.

6) Simplify your business model explanation

The business model is crucial but can be dry. Keep this section concise, visual, and easy to understand.

Use analogies or comparisons to familiar businesses ("It's like Airbnb, but for office spaces") to make your model clear and relatable. Avoid lengthy explanations that could lose your audience's interest.

7) Showcase your early product

Before an investor reaches for their checkbook, they'll often want to see what you've got up your sleeve.

Have you ever wondered why Apple Stores let you play with all their gadgets? It's all about creating that "ownership experience." Letting potential buyers try before they buy is a powerful way to seal the deal. You can use this same approach in your pitch.

If your product is still in the design phase, you can use design tools to create prototypes or wireframes. It's a great way to showcase your product's functionality and design without needing a single line of code.

And if you're working on a physical product but aren't quite ready for production, no worries. You can hire a designer to whip up a stunning 3-D rendering. It's all about giving investors a taste of what's to come, making them excited to be part of the journey.

8) Focus on benefits, not features

Instead of detailing every feature or the cost, focus on how your product or service will improve lives, save time, or reduce stress.

For example, if your product is an app that helps with budgeting, emphasize the peace of mind and financial control it offers, not just its technical specifications. This approach helps investors see the real-life impact of your business.

Here's an example of a solution slide:

9) Present a solid financial plan

Your financial plan should provide a clear and realistic picture of your business's financial health and prospects. Include detailed projections for your income statement, cash flow statement, and balance sheet for the next 3 to 5 years.

Ground these projections in market research and realistic assumptions. This section is crucial to demonstrate that you have a well-thought-out strategy for financial management and growth, giving investors confidence in your business's financial viability.

Here's an outstanding example of a financial plan slide:

10) Articulate why you can beat the market

Now's your chance to show why your business is the one to watch. Talk about what makes you different from the competition. Maybe it's a special technology you've developed, a unique approach you're taking, or a fresh insight into the market.

Also, lay out your marketing plan in simple terms. Show how you'll draw customers in and keep them coming back. This part of your proposal should radiate confidence and show that you really get the market and know how to make a splash in it.

11) Highlight the right team composition

A well-rounded team is often a key factor in a startup's success. Jeff Clavier, a founder and managing partner at Uncork Capital (the company that has funded the likes of Fitbit and Eventbrite) has this piece of advice to offer:

“The best startup teams are made up of one developer, one designer, and one business person. That way, all your bases are covered: You can dream up the idea, build it, and make it look good.”

—Jeff Clavier, Founder and Managing Partner at Uncork Capital

In your proposal, shine a light on your team's mix of skills. Talk about what each person brings to the table and how together, you're more than the sum of your parts.

This helps investors see that you've got the right people to turn your business dream into reality.

12) Be prepared for objections and tough questions

Think of objections and tough questions as a part of the conversation, not a roadblock. It's like a friendly debate where you get to show off how well you know your stuff.

To get ready, make a list of the tough questions you might get asked and come up with clear, concise answers. Get some friends or mentors to give you feedback on your answers, then practice them until you know them by heart.

Being prepared like this means you can handle any curveballs with ease, showing investors that you're not just passionate about your business, but you've also thought through every angle.

13) Include clear funding needs

When it comes to the funding part, think of it as laying your cards on the table. You need to be crystal clear about how much money you need and what you're going to do with it.

Break it down for them – how much will go into making your product even better, how much you'll spend on getting the word out (marketing), and the day-to-day costs of running your business (operational expenses).

This approach will demonstrate to investors you've got a clear, well-thought-out plan for every dollar you're asking for. It's about building trust and showing them that their investment is in good hands.

Here's a great example of a use of funds slide:

14) End with a strong call to action

Remember, investors are swamped with proposals day in and day out. If they don't take action on yours right then and there, it's all too easy for them to move on to the next one.

So, at the end of your proposal, make it as simple as possible for them to take the next step. Whether it's reaching out for more information, setting up a meeting, or discussing further steps, your call to action should be clear and compelling.

It's like leaving a door open with a welcome sign – you're inviting them to continue the conversation, making it hard for them to walk away without taking action.

Here's an example of a smart CTA:

Adding an 'Accept' button to your investment proposals is also a smart move. It's a simple way for investors to say 'yes' right away, making the whole process faster and friendlier.

In the fast-moving world of investments, a quick 'yes' can make all the difference, helping you close deals faster and get your projects rolling sooner.

Here's an example of a proposal with an accept button:

Investment proposal examples investors can’t resist

Your investment proposal is your voice. It needs to speak volumes, not just about your business idea but also about your understanding of the market, your foresight, and your potential for success.

In this section, I'll show you examples of investment proposals that have mastered the art of persuasion, each one a shining example of how to capture investor interest.

AI investment proposal

This investment proposal is a prime example of how to present a tech-based solution in a way that's both comprehensive and compelling, making it an irresistible choice for investors in the AI space.

What makes this investment proposal great:

Comprehensive solution presentation: It effectively outlines an AI-powered solution to common market problems, demonstrating both innovation and practicality.

Strong market analysis: The deck includes detailed market size and opportunity analysis, positioning the product in a rapidly growing sector.

Competitive edge highlighted: The company clearly distinguishes itself from competitors by emphasizing advanced AI capabilities and broader market appeal.

Startup investment proposal

This proposal exemplifies how to effectively pitch a startup's vision and potential in a crowded market, making it an attractive option for investors looking for innovative business automation solutions.

Clear problem-solution dynamic: It effectively identifies key business challenges and presents a tailored, innovative solution.

Impressive market potential: The deck highlights a substantial market opportunity, backed by solid figures and growth potential.

Competitive analysis and differentiation: It provides a thorough comparison with competitors, showcasing unique advantages and superior features.

VC investment proposal

This proposal serves as a prime example of how to effectively pitch a tech enterprise to venture capitalists, emphasizing innovation and market readiness.

Targeted problem-solution approach: The proposal identifies specific industry challenges and aligns them with innovative, practical solutions.

Highlighting market growth potential: It emphasizes the vast market opportunity, supported by research and potential revenue figures.

Distinct competitive edge: It showcases unique advantages over competitors, focusing on scalability, integration, and user experience.

Light mode AI investment proposal

This proposal is a standout example of how to effectively communicate the potential and practicality of AI solutions to investors, making it an attractive option in the rapidly evolving AI industry.

Focused AI solution: The proposal highlights a comprehensive AI platform addressing key business inefficiencies and customer experience gaps.

Market demand and growth: It demonstrates proven success with increased revenue and customer satisfaction, indicating strong market demand.

Competitive positioning: It effectively contrasts its AI innovation and scalability against competitors, showcasing a clear market advantage.

Modern startup investment proposal

This proposal stands out for its innovative approach to solving key issues in the creative industry, presenting a compelling investment opportunity for those looking to support a platform that empowers creativity and innovation.

Bridging creative gaps: It highlights how the platform uniquely addresses the overlooked needs of the creative community, offering solutions that go beyond traditional creative tools.

Dynamic personalization: The deck utilizes dynamic variables for quick and easy customization of the platform, catering to individual investor preferences and needs.

Smart calendar integration: The editor offers an innovative feature to integrate with calendar tools, enabling a smart call-to-action (CTA) that enhances reader engagement and interaction.

Creative investment proposal

This proposal showcases a platform designed to revitalize the creative industry, featuring a unique blend of interactive storytelling and robust data-driven insights.

Engaging scroll-based design: The proposal captivates with a scroll-based layout, enhancing readability and engagement through its interactive storytelling approach.

Advanced data visualization : It features the option to add sophisticated data visualization tools to clearly communicate market trends, user engagement metrics, and financial projections.

Strategic market positioning: It effectively differentiates from competitors by providing a more immersive user experience and diverse funding opportunities.

Startup one-page investment proposal

This proposal is an excellent example of how a startup can succinctly yet effectively convey its vision and potential in the AI space, making it an attractive option for investors looking for cutting-edge technology solutions.

Concise yet comprehensive: It effectively distills complex AI solutions into a clear, engaging one-page format.

Strong focus on key areas: The proposal highlights the startup's impact on financial efficiency, user engagement, and reducing complexity.

Data-driven market analysis: It provides compelling market insights and statistics, showcasing the startup's strong understanding of the AI industry's potential.

Dark mode investment proposal

This proposal stands out for its unique dark mode design and smart incorporation of features like logo customization and reader analytics, presenting a modern and tech-savvy approach to investment proposals.

Clear investment and use of funds slide: It provides a transparent and detailed breakdown of funding needs and allocation, building trust with potential investors.

Logo placeholders and finder feature: It includes logo placeholders that can easily be customized using the logo finder tool, which allows you to extract logos from any website in just a few clicks.

Access to analytics panel: It offers an analytics panel to track how readers interact with the proposal, providing valuable insights for follow-up and engagement.

General investment proposal

This proposal presents a tech startup's innovative approach to revolutionizing financial management and user experiences, highlighted by a data-driven strategy for capturing market growth.

Responsive design: It ensures a smooth and consistent viewing experience across various devices, enhancing readability and engagement.

Adaptive content layout: The editor automatically adjusts added elements to the layout, so you don’t ever have to worry about accidentally breaking the design.

Embedding live data: It comes with the option to integrate real-time data within the deck, providing investors with current, dynamic insights into the startup's performance and market trends.

Investor introduction proposal deck

This presentation for an investment proposal skillfully introduces a new venture to investors, featuring a detailed timeline for strategic development, an engaging scroll-based design, and an innovative, interactive ROI calculator for real-time financial projections.

Timeline slide for roadmap: It offers a detailed and chronological roadmap, providing investors with a clear vision of the project's development and key milestones.

Scroll-based design: It utilizes a modern, interactive scrolling format that keeps the content dynamic, enhancing readability and investor engagement.

Interactive ROI calculator: It comes with the option to incorporate a hands-on tool for investors to calculate potential returns, adding a practical and immersive dimension to the financial aspects of the proposal.

Y Combinator investment proposal

This Y Combinator investment proposal is designed to guide founders in creating effective seed decks, focusing on clear problem-solution dynamics, impressive metrics, and a straightforward business model.

Problem-solution clarity: It directly addresses common issues faced by founders in raising seed capital, offering a clear and practical solution.

Impressive growth metrics: It showcases strong growth and retention statistics, emphasizing the effectiveness of the approach.

Simple yet effective business model: The deck presents a straightforward and scalable business model, making it easy for investors to understand and see the potential.

Interactive investment proposal templates

When it comes to creating the presentation for an investment proposal, there's a ton of pressure riding on this document. After all, it's the key to unlocking your business's future.

And starting with a blank slide? That's enough to make even the most seasoned entrepreneur sweat.

Interactive investment proposal templates can save you heaps of time and effort. They come with the layout, design, and essential sections already in place.

All you need to do is tweak them to fit your story. It's like having a map in a treasure hunt – you still get the thrill of the search, but without the fear of getting lost.

Grab one and see for yourself.

Hi, I'm Dominika, Content Specialist at Storydoc. As a creative professional with experience in fashion, I'm here to show you how to amplify your brand message through the power of storytelling and eye-catching visuals.

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How To Write A Proposal For Investors: The Ultimate Guide for 2021

Benjamin Reimann

Business proposals, investment proposal | investor proposals | proposal for investors | real estate proposal | writing investor proposals, september 23, 2021.

In the first quarter of 2021, US venture capitalists invested over $64 billion into private companies — that’s 43% of all VC money invested in the previous year.

The business world is seeing an unprecedented movement of capital and funding — and you’re perfectly poised to take advantage of it. Business operators and entrepreneurs will miss out big if they can’t master the art of the investment proposal.

But no need to worry — this ultimate guide on how to write a proposal for investors will walk you through everything you need to know. Ready to take your business to the next level?

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What Is An Investment Proposal?

A proposal is any business document outlining a plan to execute against a given goal or task. Many kinds of proposals exist in the world of small business and entrepreneurship, including partnership proposals , expansion plan proposals, and more.

Today’s special guest — the investment proposal — is a proposal constructed with the goal of obtaining investments from lenders, VCs, angel investors, and beyond. Typically, these funds are for a new project or company that will create a positive return on investment for lenders. A well-written business proposal should answer any questions investors have and get them excited about funding your project or business.

Steps To Take Before Writing An Investment Proposal

Before you even begin drafting your investment proposal, take these steps to guarantee you’re constructing a comprehensive and persuasive document:

• Do your market research. It’s crucial to show your potential investors that you have a solid understanding of your competitive landscape, growth opportunity, and total addressable market. Not only does it demonstrate foresight and professionalism, but as a result it will also help contextualize the rest of your proposal.
• Review your customer or client personas. Understanding your customers’ and clients’ issues and pain points means you know their desired solutions. By mapping out your customer journey, you can also uncover points of friction and opportunities for improvement. 
• Research your investors. Would you rather get a mug with no design or a mug with your name on it? If you’re like most people, you’d probably choose the latter. Investors are no different. Customizing your business proposal for investors demonstrates care and thoughtfulness that potential lenders will appreciate.

Finally, come up with a succinct title for your business proposal to investors. Ideally, an investor could hear those three to four words and immediately understand what the project is generally about.

What To Include In A Business Proposal For Investors

Executive summary.

Your executive summary (or project summary) may be one of the most essential segments of the entire investment proposal. Coming in at the start of your document, your executive summary should condense the most important content from the rest of your proposal into a concise and easily digestible format. 

Since the rest of the business proposal will likely be very technical, this might be the only section of your proposal that your prospective investors read thoroughly. Therefore, you should try to make the summary as convincing as possible. Make sure to include these details:

• Description of your target consumer. 
• The problem you’re addressing. 
• Your solution (project), a description of the product or service.
• Benefits that your solution provides to your customers and investors.
• The ROI your investors can expect.

That last one is critical — at the end of the day, your investors are simply wondering what benefit this investment provides them.

Description of the Company

Your introduction immediately after the executive summary should be an overview of the company or idea. Here are some core details you don’t want to miss:

• The Opportunity. Start by reiterating the market opportunity your project or company is exploring. This will set the tone for the rest of the introduction.
• Performance & Achievements. Describing the company’s historical performance is especially important if you’re already operating. Include a description of the business, the product or service it sells, and notable achievements of the past. If you’re not yet running a whole business, you can replace this section with information about you as an entrepreneur, current project stakeholders, and relevant market statistics.
• Financial Report. If your company has been operational for some time, simply include some business records like a company financial report. For companies that are just beginning, other compelling statistics about the market size and growth will do as well.
• Mission & Goals. Here, discuss your organization’s mission, values, and objectives. They should align with the problem your project is trying to solve.
• Team. A brief introduction to your team indicates talent working to make the project a reality. Highly skilled and dependable employees are a good sign for any investor.

Once you’ve covered your bases here, it’s time to move on to the bulk of your investment proposal.

Description of the Project

In this section, you are laying down a business plan to capitalize on an opportunity. For it to hold any weight with potential investors, it must be well-researched and in-depth. Here are the sections you’ll want to discuss:

• Market Research. The preparation you did before drafting this piece will come in handy here. Investors want to ensure their investment will make money — as such, it has to be invested in a high-growth or high-potential market. Leverage your most compelling statistics to get that idea across. Given your market’s competitive landscape, outline strategies you can use to get ahead of your opposition.
• Sales Strategy. Just like a regular business plan, you need to describe your marketing strategy, pricing models, unit economics, customer acquisition costs, and more. Developing these ideas in the business proposal demonstrates a level of experience that investors will be happy to see.
• Team Logistics & Operations. This proposal will serve mainly as a reference for your investors as they consider your offer, so provide all the details you can — about the supply chain, talent demands, team allocation, operating expenditures, and beyond. 
• Timeline & Plan for Measuring Progress. Reasonable goals are measurable and time-bound, and your proposal should be too. A timetable gives your investors an idea of how long the agreement will last, as well as a series of deadlines they can measure your progress against.
• Financing. Besides the executive summary, your section on project financing may be one of the most important. Your investors will want to know about their return on investment, predicted profits and losses, existing debt, and more. Providing this information ensures your investors know where their money is going and how it is being used.
• Exit Strategy. You should inform your investors about what they can do to divest their funds if they want to exit the agreement. This section should also cover what the protocols would be if the project meets failure or terminal success.

So you’ve covered all your bases — but we’re not done yet.

Tips For Writing Your Proposal For Investors

As you’re building out your business plan for investors, keep these Do’s and Don’ts in mind:

• Do — Keep it succinct. Investors are often very busy people, and they typically don’t have time to read an entire investment proposal. That’s why keeping your executive summary to about a page or two in length is a good idea. Otherwise, only include essential information and avoid any embellishments.
• Don’t — Avoid the subject. Be explicit about how large of an investment you’re seeking and discuss why you need it along with how you will leverage it.
• Do — Make it understandable. It might be tempting to use technical terms and jargon to demonstrate how well-versed you are in the field. But your investors are more concerned with actually understanding the document. Use approachable language in your business plan, and you open yourself up to many more investors.

Make sure you proofread once, then twice, and start sending your business plan out there!

Need Some Help Creating An Investment Proposal?

Here at Pure Proposals, our goal is to grease the wheels of your business trajectory by making proposals easier. Want to get started on that startup idea you’ve had for months? Maybe open a new location for your family restaurant? How about kickstarting a modernization effort in your SME? Whatever the case may be, we hope this guide has answered any questions you may have.

Feel free to get in touch with us to find out how PandaDoc Proposal Software can help you draft up the perfect investment proposal and much much more!

Frequently Asked Questions

What do investors look for in an investment proposal.

Amid the baseline qualities and information an investor looks at, they also prioritize several pillars. First, strong leadership. Next, a large market where the company has a competitive value proposition — ideally, an organization that is gaining momentum. Finally, many investors also look for companies that can generate consistent cash flow.

What is a fair percentage for an investor?

Different investors have different expectations for returns on investment. For example, angel investors may expect 20% ROIs, but career investors like venture capitalists are more likely to demand higher returns, even upwards of 40%. In high-growth sectors like technology, many VCs look for returns of 5x or higher.

How do you convince an investor?

Having a well-researched and thought-out business plan is the first step in convincing an investor. Any party you want to borrow money from will look for high demand, growth, and quantifiable results. So, do your best to provide statistics and proof of your company’s momentum.

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Investment proposals 101: How to write a business proposal for investors.

Explore what an investment proposal is, how it can help you attract investors, and how to write one in four easy steps.

Getting an investor to believe in your business can be a daunting task. Ultimately, if you can create a clear, concise, and effective business proposal, you’ll put yourself in a much better position.

But how exactly do you write an investment proposal that’s compelling to an investor? What are the essential steps in the process? Read on to learn how to construct your own startup investment proposal template.

What is an investment proposal?

Though business proposals for investors can definitely get complicated, at their core, their concept is pretty simple. An investment proposal is a carefully constructed presentation, crafted for potential investors, that describes your business’s purpose and goals. This presentation is a tool for finding partners and investors who might want to contribute financial support to your project, business, or goal.

How to write a business proposal for investors in four steps.

Learning how to write an investment proposal doesn’t need to be terribly difficult. Fundamentally, you’ll just need to include a few important things, be ready to answer any questions that come up, and know what type of support your business is looking for.

Here are four steps you should abide by when learning how to write an investment proposal for your business:

• Gather all your company’s existing information. This includes data on your business’s revenue, operating budget, expansion plans, and so on.
• Integrate your information. You’ll want to put your goals, data, and financial needs into a concise, clean presentation .
• Research thoroughly. This gives you the groundwork to resonate well with any investor you plan on presenting your investment proposal to.
• Practice, practice, practice. Your investment proposal presentation is important. Be ready for every potential question.

How to present a business plan to investors.

Now that you know how to write a business proposal for investors, it’s time to consider how you will present it.

Here are a few tips to integrate into your presentation strategy:

• Focus on storytelling. While quantitative data is important, focusing on presenting the information in a story-oriented way can help it to flow better.
• Dig into details. Doing this helps you to remain transparent and give investors more confidence in their choice.
• Research first. Before going into your investor proposal meeting, read up on who you’ll be speaking with. Then, you can tailor your presentation to match their interests and style.
• Focus on your unique selling points. Otherwise known as your USPs, these focus on how you stand out from competitors . Focusing here instead of on features alone can make your presentation more compelling.

Make business-document-signing tasks easier than ever.

When it comes to drafting the perfect startup-investment-proposal template, make sure it’s clear, concise, and easy to navigate — especially when your investor is ready to sign on. Use Adobe Acrobat Sign to ensure you’re offering a streamlined way for your investors to sign on instantly and digitally.

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Free Investment Proposal Template to Win More Clients

An effective investment proposal is critical to seeking financial backing to ignite a new venture or inject life into an existing one.

This detailed guide and our free investment proposal template can serve as your roadmap to crafting an attention-grabbing pitch that potential investors find irresistible.

What is an Investment Proposal?

At its core, an investment proposal is a meticulously crafted document created with one goal in mind – to convince potential investors that your business or project is a viable and profitable investment opportunity. It’s a persuasive tool utilized by startups, entrepreneurs, and existing businesses when they need financial support to kick-start or expand their operations.

The investment proposal is written by those seeking investment – from the inspired entrepreneur with a groundbreaking business idea to the established business looking to scale. Conversely, it’s presented to potential investors, individuals, or financial institutions with the capital to provide the financial backing these businesses need.

An investment proposal template isn’t just a bland list of facts and figures. It’s a story that paints a vivid picture of your business’s past, present, and future. It demonstrates your understanding of the market, showcases your unique value proposition, outlines the financial projections, and details the returns investors can expect. In essence, a successful investment proposal instills confidence in potential investors about the viability of your business idea.

When to Use an Investment Proposal Template

While there’s no universally perfect moment to use an investment proposal, specific scenarios naturally lend themselves to creating this business document . 

When starting a new business and securing funding, an investment proposal is a must. It’s also vital when planning to expand current operations, introduce a new product, or explore new markets, and you need financial backing to do so.

If you’re courting prospective investors or attending meetings with financial institutions, a well-crafted investment proposal template can also serve as your comprehensive reference document and effective sales tool.

An investment proposal template can be a lifesaver. It provides a tried-and-tested structure, ensuring that you include all the necessary information in an organized manner, thus helping you build a professional proposal to attract investors to your cause.

DISCLAIMER : We are not lawyers or a law firm and we do not provide legal, business or tax advice. We recommend you consult a lawyer or other appropriate professional before using any templates or agreements from this website.

What to Include in an Investment Proposal

The content of an investment proposal template is as crucial as the pitch itself. The proposal must tell a compelling story while presenting concrete details that boost your credibility. Here are some of the key elements to include in your investment proposal:

Company Background

First impressions matter; therefore your investment proposal template should start with a comprehensive company overview. This section should include your business’s name, location, type of legal entity, and the nature of your business. Give a brief history of your company, outlining significant milestones, achievements, or challenges overcome. Mention any patents, proprietary technology, or competitive advantages that set you apart from the competition.

Also, introduce your team. Investors often place significant emphasis on the quality of the management team, as a strong team can often lead a company to success, even if the original business idea changes along the way. Highlight key team members, their roles, experience, and how they contribute to the company’s success. This part could be make or break.

Project Details

Now that your potential investor knows about your company, it’s time to present the specific project for which you seek investment. Be as detailed and transparent as possible. Discuss the problem your project or product aims to solve and how it does so uniquely. Explain the project’s current stage, be it an idea, in development, or a market-ready product.

It’s also critical to outline your sales methods and revenue model. How do you plan to make money? Whether through direct sales, a subscription model, licensing fees, or something else, provide a clear picture of your business’s cash flow prospects.

Market Research

Market research is the heart of your business proposal. It shows that you understand your industry, target market, and competitors. You’ll want to include details like the size of your target market, your ideal customer’s demographic and psychographic profile, and how much market share you aim to capture.

An analysis of your competitors is also essential. Who are they, what are their strengths and weaknesses, and how do you differentiate from them? This research helps instill confidence in your target audience that you understand your business landscape and have a solid strategy to stand out.

Current Traction

In this section, you’ll share your current business performance or traction. This could include sales figures, growth metrics, significant clients, or notable milestones. If you have testimonials from satisfied customers or industry recognitions, this is a great place to include them.

For startups without much trading history, it could be evidence of market testing, a working prototype, or user engagement from beta testing. Showing traction is vital because it proves to potential investors that there’s a market for your product or service and that your business has the potential to scale.

Financing Requirements

In the financing requirements section, outline the specifics of your funding request. Begin by stating how much capital you need, followed by a detailed account of how you intend to use it. Whether it’s for research and development, marketing , hiring new staff, or improving infrastructure, be clear and specific.

Break down the costs and justify each one with a brief explanation. These details help prospective investors understand why the funds are necessary and how their investment will be used.

Don’t forget to include your financial projections for the next three to five years, detailing your expected revenue, profit margins, and cash flow. These projections should be realistic yet optimistic, backed by solid market research and sound business strategies.

Exit Strategy

You might wonder, “Why should I discuss the end when I’m just at the beginning?” The answer is simple. Your prospects will want to know how to recoup their investment and earn a return.

In this section, explain your exit strategy, whether it involves selling the company, going public through an IPO, or perhaps seeking acquisition by a larger entity. Detail the conditions and timeline that could trigger these exit opportunities.

Remember, investors are looking for a return on their investment. An exit strategy gives them a clear understanding of how that might happen and instills confidence in your strategic planning.

Finally, all parties involved should sign the investment proposal. A signed business proposal indicates that all parties agree with the terms and conditions outlined.

In our digital age, getting a signature doesn’t necessarily mean a face-to-face meeting or sending documents through snail mail. Online signature solutions, like Signaturely, offer a convenient and secure method for getting proposals signed quickly and efficiently. This saves time, decreases the chance of document loss, and speeds up the negotiation and agreement process.

Download our free example Investment Proposal Template

We’ve got your back here at Signaturely, and we’re ready to help make stress-free proposals a reality. Forget the confusing paperwork and overwhelming legal jargon – get easy, breezy p roposal templates for your customers in minutes with our free template.

How Do You Write an Investment Proposal?

Crafting an investment proposal template might seem like an overwhelming task, but with the right approach, it’s manageable. Identify your audience and tailor your message to address their interests and concerns. Using an investment proposal template is an efficient way to get started, ensuring you cover all the necessary elements.

Customization is key here. While a template provides a great starting point, remember to tweak and modify it to reflect your specific project and business needs. Reflect on your company’s personality and values in your writing style, and include the details mentioned above. 

Tips for Using an Investment Proposal Template

Below are handy tips that can help you leverage an investment proposal template effectively:

• Use Digital Signatures with Signaturely: Speed up the agreement process with an e-signature solution. Digital signatures are legal, secure, and easy to use. With Signaturely, you can secure the necessary signatures from all parties involved, accelerating the negotiation and agreement process , no matter where they are.

Using these tips can help you create a compelling investment proposal that not only presents your business in the best light but also catches the eye of high-impact investors, increasing the chances of securing the much-needed funding for your venture.

FAQs About Investment Proposal Templates

Below are some common questions about investment proposal templates.

What is the difference between a business plan and an investment proposal?

While both are essential documents for any business, they serve distinct purposes. A business plan outlines your business’s overall operation, goals, and strategies. In contrast, an investment proposal is a persuasive document presented to potential investors, detailing why they should invest in your business and how they’ll benefit from it.

What is a defined investment proposal?

A defined investment proposal outlines a clear value proposition, illustrating the project’s details, the required investment, projected returns, exit strategies, and more. It’s tailored to meet the interests and needs of investors.

What makes a good investment proposal?

An effective investment proposal template is comprehensive, clear, and persuasive. It includes a compelling executive summary, your company background, project details, market research, financial projections, and an exit strategy. It instills confidence in potential investors about the viability and possible success of the investment.

What is a proposal for investors?

An investment proposal is a document presented to potential investors that provides detailed information about a business opportunity aiming to secure financial support.

What You Need to Remember About an Investor Proposal Template

An investor proposal template is a valuable tool to streamline the proposal creation process. It serves as a structured guideline, but it’s crucial to customize it to reflect your unique business needs and value proposition. Remember, clarity, specificity, and persuasion are key in investment proposals. Moreover, an innovative tool like Signaturely can propel your investment strategy forward.

Investment Proposal Template

Investment proposal.

PREPARED BY

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PREPARED FOR

Date_____________________ Address_____________________

Dear_____________________,

My name is _____________________and I am delighted to submit our investment proposal for you.

Our mission is to ensure to provide you with a lifetime investment opportunity! 

Our Company has _____________________years history of providing investment opportunities where we have established a strong reputation in the market based on our international experience. 

We have been providing investment opportunities since _____________________with a vast range and variety of options!

With us, you ensure a confident investment and an everlasting opportunity. 

Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any inquiries on the matter. 

Contacts us on 

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________

We look forward to hear from you! 

Sincerely yours,

Investment Packages

Our Investment Team

Our team is made up from multinational and experienced individuals who have more than ten years of experience in the industry. 

Investment Strategies

• Our team has studied variant investment strategies over the years and together we have built and provided three main options that are currently available for our clients. 

Investment Options and Payment

Thank you and Sincerely yours,

_______________________________

Related Proposals and Templates

• Referral Agreement Template
• Property Management Agreement Template
• Payment Agreement Template
• Month-to-Month Rental Agreement Template
• Memorandum of Understanding Template
• Loan Agreement Template

Download Our Free Investment Proposal Template Today

Don’t waste any more time trying to craft the perfect investment proposal. Our free investment proposal template is ready and ready to download in one quick, convenient click—no more complicated documents for you or your clients to fill out. Just download, customize, and off you go!

Don’t wait – get your free investment proposal template today and get geared up for business growth.

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Blog Business

How to Write Business Proposal (Examples + Free Templates)

By Aditya Sheth , Jan 25, 2024

The great Mark Cuban once said, “Sales cure all.” If a business doesn’t sell, it doesn’t make money and by extension the business fails. That’s why you need to write business proposals .

A well-written business proposal can often mean the difference between winning or losing a prospective client.

In this in-depth guide to creating business proposals, we show you how to close more deals, make more sales and crush your business goals — all by using easy-to-edit professional business proposal templates .

Here’s what this guide will cover (click to jump ahead):

What is a business proposal, what are the components of a business proposal.

• How to write a business proposal step by step

What should you include in a business proposal?

What are the types of business proposals, more business proposal examples + writing and design tips.

• FAQs about business proposals

Looking for a shortcut? Watch this quick video for an overview of everything to include in your business proposal:

A business proposal is a document designed to outline a business plan to convince potential client, investor or partner to engage in a business agreement with you or your company. It’s basically a sales pitch in writing to persuade potential clients to show them benefits of working with you or your company for their business success.

A business proposal outlines what your business does and what you can do for your client . It can be general like this business proposal example:

Or it can be more specific, like this business proposal template which focuses on proposing a project for the Newton Center Rail:

Or this business proposal sample, which presents a plan for a social media strategy and campaign:

To design a business proposal that holds the client’s attention, identify their pain points . Then provide your buyer with the right solution to alleviate those frustrations.

Working on a new project? These project proposal examples might come in handy for you.

The components of a business proposal can change depending on the field, company size and client needs. While details may differ, strong proposals typically introduce your company, explain the problem, offer a solution and its benefits, highlight your team’s skills, and outline timeline, cost and next steps.

How to write a business proposal step by step

Before you start creating your business proposal template, you need to understand the business proposal format. At a high level, your effective business proposal should include the following:

• Create a compelling business proposal title
• Build a table of contents
• Craft the executive summary
• Write a detailed problem statement
• Propose your solutions
• Showcase your team’s expertise
• Create a realistic timeline
• Present your payment structure
• Specify the terms and conditions
• Receiving the decision

Below, you can see business proposal examples that demonstrate how to include these 10 sections.

1. Create a compelling business proposal title

A compelling title could mean the difference between someone reading your proposal or ignoring it in favor of a competitor’s . 

What makes a good title page? Here are the essential elements to include: 

• Your name along with your company’s name
• The name of the prospect (or their business) 
• The date you’re submitting the proposal

The gray business consulting proposal template above contains all the details a prospect would want to know. The title also offers a strong tangible benefit to the prospective buyer. Honestly, “Who doesn’t want to grow their business?”

2. Build a table of contents

The table of contents is a fundamental part of every winning business proposal template. It makes your proposal scannable and easy to read.

The people you will be pitching to are usually C-level executives. These are busy people who don’t have time to read your entire proposal in one go.

That’s why most of the business proposal examples in this list include a table of contents.

Adding a table of contents to your document makes it easy for them to go through it at their own pace. They can also skim through parts of the proposal that they deem more important. You can see how this abstract business proposal template uses the table of contents:

You can also make your business proposal template easier to navigate by adding hyperlinks to the document, particularly in the table of contents. This way your clients can jump to specific sections without having to scroll through the entire document. 

It’s easy to add hyperlinks in the Venngage editor. Select the text you’d like to turn into a link, then click the link icon in the top bar. From there, select the page you want to link to! Then download your completed design as an Interactive PDF .

3. Craft the executive summary

The executive summary is a staple in all kinds of annual reports , leadership development plan , project plans and even marketing plans . It is a concise summary of the entire contents of your document. In other words, write a business proposal outline that is easy to glance over and that highlights your value proposition.

The goals of your executive summary are:

• Introduce your company to your buyer
• Provide an overview of your company goals
• Showcase your company’s milestones, overall vision and future plans
• Include any other relevant details

This gray business proposal example has a detailed yet short executive summary including some social proof in the form of clients they’ve worked with:

Take note of how precise this business proposal example is. You want to keep your executive summary concise and clear from the get-go. This sets the right tone for the rest of your proposal. It also gives your buyer a reason to continue reading your proposal.

Crafting an executive summary and keeping it concise and compelling can be challenging. but you can use an AI summarizer online to generate an executive summary. Such tools are trained on relevant AI models that can extract core points from a given text. You can get such a point either in bullet form or in abstract summary form.

Pro Tip: Try to write an executive summary such that, even if your prospective client doesn’t read the entire proposal (with a good executive summary, they most likely will), they should have a clear idea about what your company does and how you can help them.

4. Write a detailed problem statement

The point of writing a business proposal is to solve a buyer’s problem. Your goal is to outline the problem statement as clearly as possible. This develops a sense of urgency in your prospect. They will want to find a solution to the problem. And you have that solution.

 A well-defined problem statement does two things: 

• It shows the prospect you have done your homework instead of sending a generic pitch
• It creates an opportunity for you to point out a problem your prospect might not be aware they had in the first place. 

This bold business proposal template above clearly outlines the problem at hand and also offers a ray of hope i.e. how you can solve your prospect’s problem. This brings me to… 

5. P ropose your solutions

The good stuff. In the proposed solution section, you show how you can alleviate your prospective buyer’s pain points. This can fit onto the problem statement section but if you have a comprehensive solution or prefer to elaborate on the details, a separate section is a good idea.

Spare no details regarding the solution you will provide. When you write a business proposal, explain how you plan to deliver the solution. Include an estimated timeline of when they can expect your solution and other relevant details.

For inspiration, look at how this business proposal template quickly and succinctly outlines the project plan, deliverables and metrics :

6. Showcase your team’s expertise

At this point, the prospect you’re pitching your solution to likes what they’re reading. But they may not trust you to deliver on your promises. Why is this?

It’s because they don’t know you. Your job is to convince them that you can fix their problem. This section is important because it acts as social proof. You can highlight what your company does best and how qualified your team is when you write a business proposal for a potential client.

This free business proposal template showcases the company’s accolades, client testimonials, relevant case studies, and industry awards. You can also include other forms of social proof to establish yourself as a credible business. This makes it that much more likely that they will say yes!

Pro Tip: Attaching in-depth case studies of your work is a great way to build trust with a potential client by showcasing how you’ve solved similar problems for other clients in the past. Our case study examples post can show you how to do just that.

7. Create a realistic timeline

To further demonstrate just how prepared you are, it’s important to outline the next steps you will take should your buyer decide to work with you.

Provide a timeline of how and when you will complete all your deliverables. You can do this by designing a  flow chart . Or add a  roadmap  with deadlines. Pitching a long-term project? A timeline infographic would be a better fit.

If you look at this abstract business proposal template below, even something as simple as a table can do the trick.

The timeline is not always set in stone, rather it’s an estimation. The goal is to clarify any questions your potential client might have about how you will deliver for the underlying B2B sales process.

8. Present your payment and terms

On this page, you can outline your fees, payment schedule, invoice payment terms , as well as legal aspects involved in this deal. You can even use the  Excel Invoice Template  to create professional-looking invoices (including brand logo and other elements) and add them to this page.

The key to good pricing is to provide your buyer with options. A  pricing comparison table can help with this. You want to give your client some room to work with. Make sure you’re not scaring off your client with a high price, nor undervaluing yourself. 

Breaking up your pricing in stages is another great way to make sure your potential client knows what he’s paying for. Look at how this simple business proposal template does this:

The legal aspects can slot right into the terms and conditions section. Alternatively, you can add them to the signature section of the proposal to keep things simple.

9. Specify the terms and conditions

Summarize everything you have promised to deliver so far. Include what you expect from your prospective buyer in return.   Add the overall project timeline from start to end, as well as payment methods and payment schedule, incorporating these details into an online digital project management tool. This way, both of you will be clear on what is being agreed on.

This step is very important as it outlines all the legal aspects of the deal. That is why the terms and conditions section of your proposal needs to be as clear as possible.

I recommend consulting a lawyer or your legal team when working on this section of the business proposal. If you’re a business veteran and understand the legalities of your business, you can use the same terms and conditions across all your proposals.

10. Receiving the decision

The final step of this whole process. Your client has read your business proposal and they want to buy what you have to offer.

Add a small section at the end of your proposal to get the necessary signatures. This way, you and your client can sign the proposal and the partnership becomes official.

Be sure to also include your contact information in your business proposal template. It acts as a gentle prompt to your client to contact you in case they have any questions. A professional way of doig that would be to include an e-business card with your contact details, email i.d and any other social links you want to share. You can go through this article for the best digital business cards .

A business proposal usually aims to answer the following questions: 

• Who you are and what your company does
• The problem your buyer is facing
• The solution your company offers to alleviate the problem
• How your company will implement this solution effectively
• An estimate of resources (time, money, etc) required to implement the solution

You can see how this sample business proposal template covers the above points.

Notice how this proposal template addresses the same project like in one of the previous templates, but uses a completely different design style (more retro, while the previous business proposal template is more modern and minimalistic).

Generally, there are three types of business proposals:

1. Formally solicited 

A formally solicited business proposal is made when you respond to an official request to write a business proposal.

In this scenario, you know all the requirements and have more (if not all) information about a prospective buyer. You simply need to write the business proposal for your buyer to evaluate so you can begin the sales process .

2. Informally solicited 

Informally solicited business proposals are written when there isn’t an official request for a proposal. A prospective buyer is interested in your services and asks for a proposal so they can evaluate it.

An informally solicited proposal requires a lot more research from your end. These types of proposals are usually created out of informal conversations. They are not based on official requests which often contain more detail.

3. Unsolicited 

Think of this as a marketing brochure or a cold email . Unsolicited business proposals will often take a generic, one-size-fits-all approach to business proposals. Unsolicited proposals lack any understanding of the buyer or their requirements.

But with additional  market research , personalization and identifying customer pain points , you can propose a customized solution based on your buyer’s needs. This can be a very persuasive approach, such as in this business proposal example:

Now that you know how to write a business proposal, let’s look at how you can optimize your proposal to deliver results!

Below you’ll find some winning business proposal templates and examples to get you started. I’ve also included some design tips to keep in mind when you’re creating your next business proposal: 

1. Know your audience 

If you have some clarity on who your ideal buyer is — their pain points, their budget, deadlines, among other things — you’ve already won half the battle.

If you are a business that helps clients with everything from running giveaways or helping grow their blog , identify which customers to pitch. This is a sure-shot way to close the deal.

Mapping user personas  for your ideal buyer can help bring some clarity. It will also help you position your business proposal correctly. This improves the chance of your buyer moving your business proposal to the “Yes!” pile.

2. Put your brand front and center

If your company follows certain brand guidelines, incorporate them in your business proposal templates. Consider how business proposal examples like the one below highlight brand identity :

From the color palettes to the company logos , everything follows their brand guidelines. The result: a business proposal that’s consistent across the board.

Pro Tip: Switching this template to match your brand assets is actually pretty easy. Venngage’s My Brand Kit feature allows you to import your color palettes, logos as well as font choices. Any Venngage template can now be your template.

You can also consider this sample business proposal template:

App design companies sure do know their design. They did a phenomenal job keeping their brand colors consistent while opting for a black design. This unique color scheme also makes their white logo prominent throughout the proposal.

3. Try less text, more visuals

Have you ever read a proposal and thought to yourself, “Wow, this is all text and has no images, I love it!”? Yeah, me neither.

The free business proposal template below is a perfect example of the “less is more” principle. It does a phenomenal job of communicating what it needs to. By substituting some of the text with icons and visuals, you get a clean business proposal that’s much more scannable.

Want to keep things strictly professional? Instead of icons, you can always add your team’s headshots. This shows your buyer exactly who they’ll be working with.  

Check out this formal business proposal format for some inspiration:

4. Switch up your business proposal designs

It doesn’t hurt to go above and beyond once in a while. Jazz up your business proposal template with some extra colors. This helps make your business proposal more engaging. It also helps your buyers retain information faster.

The business proposal example alternates between black, white and grey backgrounds. It still manages to maintain consistency in its branding . Just switching up your backgrounds once in a while can also bring in some variety to an otherwise standard business proposal.

This SEO business proposal sample proves that it’s possible to switch up the colors in every other page. But it still maintains the same color scheme across the entire proposal just like a professionally designed website : 

Pro Tip: Not a color expert? Our guide on picking colors can help you pick the right color scheme for your proposals.

FAQ about business proposals

What is the purpose of a business proposal.

A business proposal aims to streamline the B2B sales process (which is often complex ) between you as a seller and a buyer.

It does this by serving the dual purpose of acting as a source of information. The proposal also acts as a sales pitch aimed at convincing your buyer why they should buy what you have to offer.

What are the best practices for business proposal design?

• Do a thorough spell-check. The goal of your business proposal is to convince your buyer why you’re the perfect person for the job. A proposal with typos or grammatical errors communicates the opposite. A thorough spell-check before you send your proposal is a must.
• Keep things clear and readable: Clarity is an important aspect that you have to ensure in your business proposal. If you want your proposal to hit home and make an impact on the buyer, you have to write it in an understandable way. To keep things clear and readable, there are a couple of things that you can do. You can, for one, take care to use easy wording and segmented sentences from the get-go. You can also try paraphrasing the hard parts of your proposal once you are done writing it.
• Let your brand shine. As discussed before, writing a business proposal is all about knowing your ideal buyer and focusing on their pain points. But that doesn’t mean your business proposal template has to be boring. Demonstrate how different you are compared to other companies. You can do this through your brand guidelines , by using more visuals, switching up your proposal design or showing off your personality in your writing . 
• Create a business proposal PDF. Downloading your business proposal in PDF format allows you to attach other collaterals with your business proposal. These can include a company explainer video or case studies showcasing the work done with past clients. Also, who doesn’t love saving paper?

How long should your business proposal be? 

The length depends on the scope of the work as well as the complexity of the project. Here is a one-page business proposal template:

Can your business proposal template really be one page? Yes, as long as you understand who your buyer is and their pain points. You should also have the ability to communicate everything your ideal buyer needs to know about your business in a succinct manner.

Or if you’re feeling adventurous how about just two pages? Often, clients prefer if you go straight to the point and avoid all the fluff.

For example, this green modern marketing proposal template wastes no time in getting down to brass tacks:

Need more inspiration? Check out this blog on the 5 marketing proposal examples that’ll help elevate your business.

There is no one size fits all approach when it comes to deciding how many pages you should include in your business proposal template. And at the end of the day, “the only rules are the ones you set for yourself”.

At the end of the day, writing winning business proposals that sell is all about you understanding your buyer, their potential pain points and positioning yourself as someone who can alleviate those pain points. 

Now that you know how to write compelling business proposals, what are you waiting for?

Take action and start creating your own business proposals to close more deals and grow your business today!

More business communications templates + writing tips you might be interested in…

• 31 Consulting Proposal Templates to Close Deals
• 20+ Professional Business Letterhead Templates + Branding Tips
• How to Write a White Paper [Tips & Templates]

How to Write a Business Proposal [Examples + Template]

Published: December 05, 2023

Here's what every new business owner needs: an extra 8 hours in the day, an endless supply of coffee, and, most importantly, a really strong business proposal.

A business proposal can bridge the gap between you and potential clients. Done correctly, and it will outline your value proposition and persuade a company or organization to do business with you.

Here, we'll take a look at the various kinds of business proposals and go over how to write one. We’ll also see some ideas and examples to help guide yours.

Know exactly what you need? Jump to one of the following sections:

What is a business proposal?

Types of business proposals, how to write a business proposal, business proposal templates, business proposal example, tips for writing a business proposal, business proposal ideas.

A business proposal is a formal document that’s created by a company and given to a prospect to secure a business agreement.

It's a common misconception that business proposals and business plans are the same. However, a proposal helps you sell your product or service — not your business itself.

Think of it this way: instead of assisting your search for investors to fund your business, a proposal helps you seek new customers.

Follow Along With HubSpot's Business Proposal Template

Download the Template for Free

There are two types of business proposals: unsolicited and solicited.

• Unsolicited Business Proposals : With unsolicited business proposals, you approach a potential customer with a proposal, even if they don't request one, to gain their business.
• Solicited Business Proposals : Solicited business proposals are requested by prospective clients so that they can decide whether to do business with your company.

In a solicited business proposal, the other organization asks for a request for proposal (RFP). When a company needs a problem solved, they invite other businesses to submit a proposal that details how they'd solve it.

Free Business Proposal Template

Propose your business as the ideal solution using our Free Business Proposal Templates

• Problem summary
• Proposed solution
• Pricing information
• Project timeline

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

Fill out the form to get your template.

Whether the proposal is solicited or unsolicited, the steps to create your proposal are similar. Make sure it includes three main points:

• A statement of the organization's problem
• Begin with a title page.
• Explain your why with an executive summary.
• State the problem or need.
• Propose a solution.
• Share your qualifications.
• Include pricing options.
• Summarize with a conclusion.

Before writing your business proposal, it's crucial you understand the company. If they've sent you an RFP, make sure you read it carefully, so you know exactly what they want.

I recommend having an initial call or meeting with any new clients to ensure you fully understand their objectives. Ask open-ended questions to understand not just what they want, but why they want it.

Once you've done your research, it's time to begin writing your business proposal. While there's no one-size-fits-all approach to writing a business proposal, there's several elements most proposals include. (I designed this example business proposal using Canva .)

1. Begin with a title page.

You have to convey some basic information here. Introduce yourself and your business. Be sure to include:

• Your company's name
• The date you submitted the proposal
• The name of the client or individual you're submitting the proposal to

Your title page should reconcile engagement with professionalism. I think of it as your first tone-setter, so you need to make sure yours is sleek, aesthetically appealing, and not too "out there."

Here's an example of what a business proposal template looks like when done right:

The executive summary details exactly why you're sending the proposal and why your solution is the best for the prospective client.

Specificity is key here. Why are you the best choice for them?

Like a value proposition, your executive summary outlines the benefits of your company's products or services and how they can solve your potential client's problem.

After reading your executive summary, the prospect should offer a clear idea of how you can help them, even if they don't read the entire proposal. Here's what one should look like:

3. State the problem or need.

This is where you share a summary of the issue impacting the potential client. This is your opportunity to show them you understand their needs and the problem they need help solving.

In the example above, I included several signals to showcase my expertise – that I've been in the photography biz for 10 years, that I've worked with over 500 clients, and that I've been featured a number of publications. 

As you approach this section, focus on presenting yourself as an authority. Consider leveraging tools like:

• Case studies
• Client testimonials
• Relevant awards
• Industry accreditations

6. Include pricing options.

Pricing is where things can get a bit tricky, as you don't want to under or over-price your product.

The pricing section of your proposal could include:

• A detailed pricing breakdown, including packages, tiers, and add-ons or optional services
• How product features and benefits align with pricing choices
• Pricing for different needs and budgets
• How your pricing compares with competitors
• An FAQ section to respond to anticipated objections and explain your pricing strategy

7. Summarize with a conclusion.

After sharing the above information, simplify it all into one final section.

• First, briefly summarize the proposal. Be sure to share your qualifications and why you’d serve as the best choice.
• Then, to prompt further conversation, confirm your availability to go over the next steps.
• At the end of the proposal, the goal is to have the client ready to work with you. So, be sure to offer your contact information for easy follow-up.

In need of some inspiration before you begin writing? Here are example business proposal templates from popular business proposal software companies you can use to help create your proposal.

1. HubSpot's Free Business Plan Templates

Download these Templates

We know how crucial a great business proposal is to your and your client’s success. That's why we've compiled 2 Free Business Proposal Templates for you to use and customize for any of your projects.

You'll gain access to a concise, one-page template (pictured above), as well as a longer template for you to refine your plan and proposal.

Download the templates now to get started on building your proposal.

What We Like

The one-page template is clear, straightforward, and easy to read — without skipping on the key elements of a business proposal. This format is especially useful for busy clients who appreciate brevity and clarity.

2. Web Design Proposal

With advertising on social networks projected to reach $82.23 billion dollars in 2025 , it's in your business's best interest to have a plan for growing your client's social media presence.

To help you in that effort, the information in this social media marketing proposal includes an executive summary to help introduce your high-level ideas, an assessment of the client’s company to show your diligence, and a breakdown of billing to show how your company charges for posting, content creation, and analytics.

This template includes all the bells and whistles of a social media proposal packaged in a fun yet professional design. It also includes helpful writing instructions under each section.

8. Content Marketing Proposal

Business proposal templates are helpful places to get started, but what should your business proposal look like when it's complete? This template should inspire you.

When pitching your content marketing services to clients, this template can help you organize your ideas. While it walks you through initial objectives and how to communicate your prospected results, one of the most helpful parts of this template is the pricing ideas it gives you when charging for your services.

In the business template example below, Social Portal Consulting (SPC) pitches a marketing proposal to Graphic Bean. At first sight, this proposal appeals to the creative. I recommend going a step forward and designing the layout in your or your client’s brand colors.

Besides the design, the social media icons quickly tell the prospect what platforms Social Portal is pitching. Because we see Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest icons, the client instantly knows that this proposal doesn’t include LinkedIn, YouTube, or other platforms.

While maintaining its design, this example outlines Social Portal Consulting’s plans efficiently. It begins by providing insight into Graphic Bean and its goals before elaborating on how SPC can leverage its expertise to help them achieve them.

This business proposal template includes an easy-to-follow timeframe for goals and objectives while keeping the client abreast of how payment will happen across the project.

Overall, this is an excellent example of how to combine the elements of social media marketing into a creative and concise business proposal. Finally, we'll leave you with some business proposal ideas to get you started on your own.

• Start with an outline.
• Keep it simple.
• Stay on brand.
• Quality control.
• Include data and visuals.
• Add social proof.
• Use a call-to-action.
• Create a sense of urgency.
• Make the decision for them.
• Incorporate video into your proposal.
• Include up-sell and add-on opportunities.
• Clarify your terms and conditions.
• Include a space for signatures to document agreement.
• Create a table of contents.

1. Start with an outline.

If you want to produce a thoughtful, effective business proposal, you need to have some idea of what you're hoping to achieve with it.

Before I dive into writing a proposal, I always outline the major sections of the proposal that I want to include. That way, I can stay focused and make sure my message stays intact as I write.

Use these free business proposal templates to make sure that your outline includes everything you need.

2. Keep it simple.

Ultimately, there's no definitive blueprint for how long a business proposal has to be. Yours should be however long it takes to convey the information you want to get across.

That said, I'm a firm believer in quality over quantity, especially when it comes to business proposals. Keep your sentences short and simple, and avoid including too much business jargon.

You want anyone who picks up your proposal to make sense of it. So, be straightforward and don't get too fancy. Aim for substance over flash.

3. Stay on brand.

Don't be afraid to let your company's personality shine through in your proposal. Stay true to your brand and show the client what sets you apart from your competitors.

4. Quality control.

I've made it a habit to add an editing/QA step in my writing process. During this step, I do a quick spelling and grammar check before hitting send.

So, as you draft your proposal, and after checking for the basics, keep scanning this document until it's just right.

Check to make sure your proposal:

• Meets client needs and expectations
• Highlights your value proposition
• Is well-structured and easy to read or skim
• Complies with legal, ethical, and regulatory requirements
• Looks professional and engaging

5. Include data and visuals.

You want your business proposal to capture your prospect's attention and help set you apart from any other ones they might have received. One of the best ways to do that is to include hard, quantitative data that helps stress the value of your business.

Use relevant, compelling figures that highlight what you have to offer. This can establish authority and make your proposal more convincing. It also helps to include visuals such as charts and graphs to enhance your proposal.

6. Add social proof.

From my experience, you can only be so convincing when you're personally talking up how great your business is — which is why adding social proof is key to establishing credibility.

At the end of the day, prospects are skeptical. They may not take you at your word. But they'll likely trust peers and fellow customers. That's why including elements like customer quotes and testimonials can go a long way.

7. Use a call-to-action.

I've learned that the best proposal in the world can only take you so far if you don't clearly define the next steps. That's why you have to make sure the reader knows what to do after reading your proposal.

A clear call-to-action is the best way to get there.

Define and highlight exactly what they should do to act on the interest your proposal has generated. Without that guidance, you might leave your reader in limbo.

HubSpot customers : Use this CTA builder to create powerful customized CTAs.

8. Create a sense of urgency.

No one wants to feel as if they missed out on a great opportunity. From my experience, prospect tend to drag their feet and put off making a decision if there isn't a sense of urgency.

So, as you create your business proposal, your goal should be to add a degree of urgency. When prospective clients read your business proposal they should feel that the best time to sign up for your service is now .

One way I accomplish this is by stating short and long-term goals for their business. They'll have to wait for the long-term goals, but I make the short-term goals so enticing that they'll be ready to begin a collaboration.

9. Make the decision for them.

Craft your copy in a way that seems like saying "no" to the proposal would be stepping over dollars to pick up pennies. Your offer should go above and beyond their expectations. Do everything in your power to remove friction and objections along the way.

10. Incorporate video into your proposal.

If you're creating an online proposal using document file formats like PDF, add multimedia elements. This will enhance the proposal experience, make your document richer, and keep them engaged.

Try adding a video at the beginning as an intro to your proposal. Or, put a video in the project breakdown to verbally discuss some of the more confusing parts.

Extras like this can make an impression. This tip works especially well with prospects who are visual or auditory communicators.

Pro tip : HubSpot Video makes it easy to record and embed video into a website or email for a big proposal boost.

11. Include up-sell and add-on opportunities.

They say you won't receive unless you ask. And readers won't explore the upper tiers of your solutions if you don't give them the opportunity.

So, share some upsells and add-ons about your business that they can act on. Call out a specific pain point and how this extra can add value.

With this step, balance is important. Show them everything your business has to offer without overwhelming your recipient.

12. Clarify your terms and conditions.

Your business proposal should include details on your project timeline and payment schedule. This summary is basically what you and the client agree to if they accept your proposal.

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How To Write An Investment Proposal: A Guide + Free Template

Most startups look for funding . To get one, you’ll have to know how to draft an investment proposal . This is because this business presentation can help you reach financial support for your startup. 

So, what exactly do you need to include in an investment proposal? Here’s what you need to know. 

Table of Contents

How to Write an Investment Proposal

An investment proposal is a vital tool for any startup. It’s what will help you land a meeting with potential investors . Through the document, you can present critical information about your company, product, or project and potentially attract investors to fund it. 

Before you get started in writing an investment proposal, you will need to do the following:

Know your market and competition

Also known as the discovery or pre-development phase, you gather important data from a market analysis. The information you collect from this will help you eliminate risks that may arise from a lack of market demand, unexpected expenses, and other issues. 

Assess your product

If you already have an early version of your product, you can start drafting investment proposal to send out to potential investors. This way, you can figure out what your business goals are. 

Research your potential investors

You should also research what investors you wish to attract at this stage. Are they angel investors/groups? Or are you more interested in getting a bank or a venture capital firm to support you financially?

By preparing these things, you can make your investment proposal custom fit to who you are pitching to. 

Free Investment Proposal Template

Knowing how to write investment proposals can greatly benefit you as a startup owner. But it’s also wise to use an investment proposal template to understand where to start. 

Investment Proposal

What to Include When Writing an Investment Proposal

A winning proposal includes these key elements:

Company Introduction

Start your proposal with your company’s name and a brief description of your startup. You can also include information on what you do and your company’s current status. 

This lets the reader know who you are and what your business is about.

Identify the problem

In the next section of the proposal, state the problem you are trying to solve. Describe what it is that your customers need or try to achieve. Also, add information on your pain points and how your current status cannot meet your customers’ needs. 

Present a solution

Present a solution to the problems you previously identified. Since investors will be most interested in this part of the proposal, you have to ensure that it is written in a way they can easily understand. So, try to edit this part as much as possible if you can. 

A good tip: You can usually write this part last so you already have the information available to use.

Show your market research

It’s also a good idea to include the results of your  market research  in your investment proposal creation. This is your way of showing potential investors how knowledgeable you are about your product and its market. 

Show how your product can be profitable and how you intend to make that happen. 

Reveal your traction

Use a graph to show off your product’s traction in the market. This way, you can make this information visually interesting to potential investors. 

If you do not have any traction to present, it may be best to work on it before seeking funding . 

Identify your goals

Be open about your goals and how much funding you’re hoping to raise. It’s also wise to share how much of the budget will be used to reach your goals. 

At the same time, be realistic. Give your audience have a realistic figure instead of an estimate.

Present your team

Potential investors will also need to know who your team is. They need to know who they are working with, especially since they will fund your vision.

Make sure to present your key team members’ accomplishments in your company. 

Disclose your financials

Be open about your financials, especially if your legal and financial team recommends doing so. The information you need to include is your projected gains and losses, intended sources for funds, loans, and many more. 

You should also be clear about your project’s timeline. This will allow them to track how long you plan to accomplish each stage of your goal. 

Have an exit strategy

When writing an investment proposal, you should include information on how investors will get their return. You can also include information on potential plans for an acquisition, going for an IPO, or selling out to a buyer. 

Identify your monetization plans

Also, remember to include your monetization plans in the proposal. Remember to include your operating margins so you can be clear about your plans for your investors.

Know your challenges and risks

Every venture has its own challenges and risks. It’s important that you acknowledge what these are early on so you can prepare for competitive strategies to overcome them. 

Use Fill for Your Investment Proposal

Having knowledge on how to create investment proposal can be a big help to any startup owner. But if you’re pressed for time, you can use Fill’s investment proposal template. The site also allows you to collaborate with other members of your team without needing to be in one location.

Check out our template gallery by registering for a free account. You’ll easily find the template you need for your startup.

Andria is a seasoned content writer, specializing in document management solutions and HIPAA compliance, providing valuable insights for businesses and professionals alike.

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Top 10 Investor Proposal Examples with Templates and Samples

Mohammed Sameer

“she said YES!"

That's probably the best response to a proposal. The only community (after women) harder to convince to say "yes" to a proposal is "Investors."

Investor proposals, much like a heartfelt proposal, require the perfect blend of strategy, passion, and persuasion. In the world of business, these documents are the lifeblood of growth, innovation, and transformation. They are the means by which entrepreneurs seek the green light, the nod of approval that can turn a vision into a reality.

Not convinced? Let's explore some facts!

Tesla, Inc.:  Tesla's success is a prime example of how investor proposals can shape the future of a company. The electric vehicle and clean energy company, led by the visionary Elon Musk, presented compelling proposals that attracted investment, enabling them to pioneer innovations in sustainable transportation and energy solutions. Their proposals ignited a revolution in the automobile industry, setting the stage for a more sustainable and electrified future.

Airbnb:  Stepping into the world of hospitality, Airbnb is yet another exemplary case. This global platform, which allows travelers to experience unique accommodations and connects hosts with eager guests, owes much of its worldwide acclaim to investor proposals. The funding secured through these proposals empowered Airbnb to expand its reach, giving birth to a one-of-a-kind marketplace that is now a household name in the travel industry. The power of investor support transformed it into a hospitality giant, reshaping the way we explore the world.

Alphabet Inc. (Google):  Google's parent company, Alphabet, serves as an excellent example of how investor proposals can fuel innovation on an unprecedented scale. From dominating the search engine industry to venturing into cutting-edge technologies like autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence, Alphabet thrives on the foundation of investor support. These proposals have allowed Google's parent company to fund groundbreaking projects, rewrite the rules of technology, and redefine our digital future.

As we venture into the world of investor proposals, we'll explore how these strategic documents can make or break the destinies of businesses, providing the essential financial fuel for their dreams and ambitions. Whether it's driving electric cars into the mainstream, revolutionizing the way we travel, or leading the charge in technological advancements, these examples are a testament to the power of investor proposals.

We have condensed all this mojo into our PPT Templates, so you just have to tweak it a bit, present it to investors, and get their nod of approval. The 100% editable and customizable nature of these PowerPoint Templates provides you with the structure and the desired flexibility to edit your presentations.

Let's explore!

Template 1: Investor Business Proposal PPT Bundle

Are you in the search for a financier to secure venture capital, or perhaps an important investment meeting is on the horizon? To help you in your approach to potential investors with a compelling and professional business proposal, we have designed a comprehensive  investor business plan  deck. It allows you to input your own text, enabling you to highlight the important aspects of your business proposal with ease. This PPT Set presents a Market Gap Opportunity Template, a Solution Template, a Go-To-Market Strategy Roadmap, and a host of other resources tailored to address investment plans and innovative business solutions. What's more, this PPT Design promotes an impactful presentation of your company introduction, team introduction, timeline, and future roadmap. Download now!

Download this template

Template 2: One-pager Angel Investor Proposal Template

This comprehensive template covers important facets of your business proposal, including the executive summary, expected RoI for investors, use of funds, target market, terms and conditions, exit strategy, and more. It blends professionalism and engagement while enhancing your visual communication with personalized elements and graphics. Available for immediate download in A4 size, it ensures convenience for both online and offline sharing, empowering you to make a compelling case and secure investor support for your entrepreneurial vision. Download now!

Template 3: Problem/Opportunity

This slide sets the stage by addressing the core challenges and opportunities that your business proposal is poised to tackle. It's not merely about identifying problems but understanding the market gaps and unmet needs that create an opportunity for your solution. This PPT Design paints a vivid picture of the pain points in the market, shedding light on the specific issues your business intends to solve. After doing so, it underlines your profound market insights and paves the way for investors to appreciate the significance of your solution. Download now!

Template 4: Value Proposition

The value proposition slide is where you present the distinctive essence of your solution. It goes beyond listing features, digging deep into the tangible benefits that customers will gain from choosing your product or service. This slide showcases the unique selling points and encapsulates why your solution stands head and shoulders above competitors. Investors will find this slide particularly captivating as it masterfully communicates the value your business brings to the market, reinforcing your competitive edge. Download now!

Template 5: Underlying Magic

This slide explains the technical marvel that powers your product or service. It is where you disclose the features and functionalities that make your offering exceptional. You demonstrate a commitment to innovation and a profound understanding of how your solution fulfills market needs by showcasing the "magic" behind your product. This slide assures investors that your product is not just a superficial offering but a technically robust and innovative solution.

Template 6: Business Model

The Business Model slide is the blueprint of your venture. It provides a detailed breakdown of your revenue streams, cost structures, customer segments, value propositions, and distribution channels. This PPT Layout is the backbone of your proposal, elucidating how your business will generate revenue, allocate resources, and deliver value to customers. Investors rely on this slide to assess the sustainability and scalability of your business model, making it a crucial element of your pitch.

Template 7: Go-to-Market Strategy

Your Go-to-Market Strategy slide outlines the comprehensive roadmap your business will follow to connect with and engage customers. It encompasses strategies, from e-commerce and direct sales to retail and online marketing. This PPT Set serves as a strategic guide, showcasing your plans to acquire and retain customers. Investors view this slide as a key element for evaluating your ability to adapt to diverse market channels and execute effective marketing campaigns. Download it now.

Template 8: Competitive Analysis

In this slide, you provide an in-depth comparison of your business with competitors in the market. It's not just about listing competitors but analyzing their strengths and weaknesses, years of existence, geographic reach, product portfolio, quality, pricing strategies, customer service, warranties, business reputation, and sales funnel effectiveness. Investors lean on this slide to gauge your competitive awareness and strategic positioning within the market landscape. Get it now.

Template 9: Management Team

The Management Team slide is the pivotal introduction to your business's core drivers. It offers a comprehensive view of your leadership team, showcasing their skills, industry expertise, and extensive experience. This slide goes beyond titles, highlighting their backgrounds, qualifications, and roles within the organization. Investors scrutinize this slide to assess the team's capacity to execute their vision and overcome challenges. A strong, capable team instills confidence in investors, assuring them that your business is led by individuals with the knowledge and leadership qualities necessary for success. 

Template 10: Financial Projections

The slide offers a comprehensive look into the future financial performance of your business. It encompasses detailed projections, including annual turnover, gross profit margins, and potentially other key financial metrics. Investors scrutinize this slide to gain insight into the potential return on their investment. It reflects your financial acumen, foresight, and provides a basis for evaluating the long-term viability and profitability of your venture. This slide is critical for instilling investor confidence in your financial planning and execution.

The Proposal of Success

Just as the perfect proposal elicits a "yes" and paves the way for a lifelong commitment, investor proposals secure the "yes" that leads to a transformative partnership between entrepreneurs and financiers. We've explored the landscape of investor proposals, underlining their significance, the attention to detail they demand, and their profound impact on businesses, both grand and small. From the pioneering electric vehicles of  Tesla, Inc. , to the global hospitality marketplace of  Airbnb , and the tech innovation powerhouse,  Alphabet Inc. (Google) , the influence of these documents cannot be overstated.

As we conclude our exploration of investor proposals, we leave you with a reminder that the "yes" they secure is not just a word; it's a gateway to opportunity, to the fulfillment of entrepreneurial dreams, and to the evolution of industries. 

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Business Proposal Template for Word, PDF

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• Add a summary of the problem, your proposed solution, pricing info, timeline, a short conclusion, terms & conditions, and optionally, an appendix
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Business Proposal Template

No matter what kind of business you have, you will need to write a proposal at some point. You might respond to a Request for Proposals (RFP) that you saw advertised on an industry website, or you might receive an invitation directly from a client. Either way, it is essential to construct a clear, comprehensive response. You can adapt this template to meet the specific requirements of your potential client.

HubSpot Tip: If your business proposal is particularly long, consider including an Executive Summary that provides the highlights. See HubSpot’s Executive Summary template for more detailed guidance.

Understanding of the Problem

Projects are typically developed around problems that need to be solved. In this section, show the potential client that you understand the history of the problem and the unique requirements that it entails.

Keep your proposal customer-focused. Make the client feel like you understand them better than any of your competitors.

HubSpot Tip: Think of the organization of this section like a funnel. Start with a broad description of the context, then continue to give more specifics about the potential client and their general needs, and finally home in on the particular problem at hand.

Proposed Solution

This section is the heart of your proposal. Present your solution in as much detail as possible, preferably in a step-by-step format that addresses all of the client’s requirements.

To really drive home the point that your offering meets all of the client’s needs, consider providing a “features and benefits” table like the one below. It outlines key parts of your product or service and their specific value to the potential client.

Product/Service Feature

Benefit to the Client

You know the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”? Well, it rings true in business proposals! Try to provide tables and graphics when possible to break up the narrative and make your points easier to understand and digest. If you work in a field that is suited to it, consider including images and examples of your products or services.

HubSpot Tip: Keep your solution focused on the client. Be specific about how you will meet their unique requirements. Using a proposal template is helpful, but you need to tailor it to every new project.

Pricing Information

While the Proposed Solution section is important for persuading the potential client to choose your company, it is also crucial to provide a well-documented, competitive pricing summary. Make sure you include pricing for everything that you described in the previous section.

Depending on the good or service you are providing, you might be paid on a fixed fee, hourly, or per unit basis. You might want to suggest a one-time payment or a series of installments. If you will be paid in multiple installments, consider detailing this in a Pricing Schedule.

You should also list and explain any assumptions that, if they were to change, would alter the price of your proposal. For example, the number of in-person meetings required, the start and completion dates of the contract, and the number of rounds of revisions allowed.

HubSpot Tip: If your pricing structure is complicated, consider using Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or another spreadsheet tool to calculate your final price. You can provide the price in this format or transfer it to your proposal document.

Proposed Schedule

Whether or not your client specified an expected completion date, you will want to propose one. You should offer a detailed schedule of the phases needed to meet the requirements of the proposal. You should also describe the work products, also called deliverables, associated with each phase.

Consider presenting the schedule graphically in a timeline or as a table with activities and dates, as shown below.

Project Activity

Date of Completion

HubSpot Tip: A project schedule is an essential tool for successful project management. By providing a detailed schedule in your proposal, you can show the client that you are committed to completing the project by the deadline.

It is always a good idea to simplify things for the customer. Begin the conclusion by briefly stating why you are the best choice to meet the requirements. Describe the next steps and confirm your availability for future discussions.

Then, rather than make them search for it, provide detailed contact information right at the end of your proposal, so the client can get in touch with you easily.

HubSpot Tip: Consider including a signature page directly in your proposal. This way, the client can sign right away without having to request an additional document.

Terms and Conditions

Include your company’s terms and conditions. The terms and conditions indicate the provisions, requirements, rules, specifications, and standards on which the resulting contract will be based.

HubSpot Tip: Be sure to make any adaptations that are necessary for this specific proposal.

Appendices are a good place to include any information that you think is important, but that the client did not specifically request. Also, it is a good place to insert documents that are too large to include within the document. You can reference the proposal and attach them in the Appendices so that they do not interrupt the flow of the narrative.

HubSpot Tip: Sample items for the Appendices include the bios and/or resumes of the team that would work on the project, photographs of products you will use in the solution, or screenshots of your software solution.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i write a business proposal, is this template free, can i edit this template, related tags:.

• Proposals, Estimates & Quotes

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How to Create a Startup Funding Proposal: 8 Samples and Templates to Guide You

Being a founder is difficult. Managing the day-to-day as a founder while trying to secure capital for your business can almost feel impossible. Thankfully, there are different tools and techniques that founders can use to systemize their fundraise to focus on what truly matters, building their business.

One of those tools is a startup funding proposal. In this guide, we’ll break down what a startup funding proposal is and how you can leverage it to build momentum in your fundraise.

What Is a Startup Funding Proposal?

A startup funding proposal is a document that helps startup founders share an overview of their business and make the case for why they should receive funding. A startup funding proposal can be boiled down to help founders layout 3 things:

• What — what does your startup do
• How — how does your startup or product help customers accomplish what they are seeking
• Why — why does your startup need funding and why should an investor fund your business

Related Resource: How to Write a Business Plan For Your Startup

Types of Startup Funding Proposals

Like any business document, there are many ways to approach a startup funding proposal. Ultimately it will come down to pulling the pieces and tactics that work best for your business. Investors are seeing hundreds, if not thousands, of deals a month so it is important to have your assets buttoned up to move quickly and build conviction during a raise. Check out a couple of popular types of funding proposals below:

Traditional Startup Funding Proposal

The most traditional or “standard” standard funding proposal is generally a written and visual document that is created using word processing software and/or design tools.

A traditional proposal is great because it allows you to share context with every aspect of your business. For example, if you include a chart of growth you’ll be able to explicitly write out why that was and what your plan is for future growth.

This document is generally designed to fit your brand and will hit on the key components of your business is structured and predictable way. We hit on what to include in your proposal below.

Startup Funding Proposal Pitch or Presentation

The most common approach we see to a fundraise or proposal is the pitch deck. Pitch decks take the same components as any proposal and fit them into a visual pitch deck that can be easily navigated and understood by a potential investor.

Pitch decks are not required by investors by are generally expected and are a great tool that can help you efficiently close your round. To learn more about building your pitch deck, check out a few of our key resources below:

• Tips for Creating an Investor Pitch Deck
• 18 Pitch Deck Examples for Any Startup
• Our Teaser Pitch Deck Template

1-on-1 Proposals (Elevator Pitch)

A 1 on 1 proposal or an elevator pitch is the quickest version of any proposal. Every founder should have an elevator pitch in their back pocket and is a complementary tool to any of the other funding proposals mentioned here.

As the team at VestBee puts it, “Elevator pitch” or “elevator speech” is a laconic but compelling introduction that can be communicated in the amount of time it takes someone to ride an elevator, usually around 30 seconds. It can serve you for fundraising purposes, personal introduction, or landing a prospective client.”

Email Proposal

Another common way to share a startup funding proposal via email. While the content might be similar to what is seen in a “traditional” funding proposal this allows you to hit investors where they spend their time – their inbox.

The format will follow a traditional proposal with less emphasis on visual aspects and more emphasis on the written content. Check out an example from our Update Template Library below:

Related Resource: How to Write the Perfect Investment Memo

Investor Relationship Hub

Lastly, there is an investor relationship hub or data room that can be used to share your proposal with potential investors. A hub is a great place to curate multiple documents or assets that will be needed during your fundraise. For example, you could share your funding proposal and your financials if they are requested by a potential investor.

Related Resource: What Should be in an Investor Data Room?

What to Include in Your Startup Funding Proposal

How you share your funding proposal might differ but ultimately the components are generally closely related from one proposal to the next. However, be sure that you are building this for your business. There is no prescriptive template that will work for every business.

Project Summary

First things first, you’ll want to start with a summary of your project or your business. This can be a high-level overview of what your proposal encompasses and will give an investor the context they need for the rest of the proposal. A couple of ideas that are worth hitting on:

• What your company does and how it’s different from existing solutions to pressing problems.
• Existing market gaps and how your product covers them.
• The importance of your product in your industry and how it improves the industry.
• Existing resources and manpower, investment requirements, and potential limitations.

Current Performance and Financial Report

Of course, investors want to see how your business has been performing. The data and metrics around your business are generally how an investor builds conviction and further interest in your business. We suggest using your best judgment when it comes to the level of metrics or financials that you’d like to share. A couple examples of what you might share:

• Current assets and liabilities
• MVP presentation for companies still in the ideation stage
• Appendix with financial reports

Related Resource: ​​ Building A Startup Financial Model That Works

Existing Investors and Partners

Inevitably investors will want to know who else you have raised capital from and partnered with in the past. Include a brief description of the different investors you have on your cap table and be ready to field additional questions if they have any.

Pro tip: The first place an investor will go to when performing due diligence is your current investors. Make sure you have a strong relationship and good communication with your current investors.

Market Study and Sales Goals

Investors will also care about your customer acquisition efforts and want to make sure you can repeatably find and close new customers. A couple of things that might be important to include in this section:

• Product pricing and information
• Revenue targets and goals
• Customer acquisition model and efforts
• Sales and marketing related KPIs
• Stories or testimonials from happy customers

Current Valuation, Investment Requirements, and Expected Returns

This is an opportunity to lay out your cap table and explain your current valuation, investment requirements, and what future valuations could look like. As always, we suggest using your best judgment when it comes to what level of detail you’d like to share about your cap table.

Potential Pitfalls and Solutions

There is an inherent risk when investing in any startup. It is important to make sure potential investors are aware of this. Layout the common pitfalls your startup might face and stop you from achieving your goals. Next, lay out the solutions to these problems and how you plan to tackle them if/when they arise.

8 Startup Funding Proposal Samples and Templates

Below are 8 proposal templates to help you kick off your next fundraise. Note that some of these are technically investor updates and not designed for first-time fundraising. Keep in mind that a startup funding proposal could also be utilized for additional funding after the first round of funding.

1. An Investment Summary Template by Underscore VC

Underscore VC is a seed-stage venture fund based out of Boston. As the team at Underscore writes :

“As part of this, we strongly recommend you write out a pitch narrative before you start to build a pitch deck. “Writing the prose forces you to fill in the gaps that can remain if you just put bullets on a slide,” says Lily Lyman, Underscore VC Partner. “It becomes less about how you present, and more about what you present.”

This exercise can help you synthesize your thoughts, smooth transitions, and craft a logical, compelling story. It also helps you include all necessary information and think through your answers to tough questions.

Check out the template here .

2. The Visible “Standard” Investor Update Template

Our Standard investor update template is great for communicating with existing investors. If you are regularly sending Updates to their investors they should know when you are beginning to raise capital again and can almost be treated as an investment proposal.

Check out the template for our standard investor update template here .

3. Sharing a Fundraising Pitch via Video

Videos are a great way to give the right context to the right investors in a concise and quick way. Video is a great supporting tool for any other information or documents you might be sending over. For example, you can include a few charts or metrics and some company information and use the video to further explain the data and growth plans. Check out the template here .

4. Financial Funding Proposal

The team at Revv put together a plug-and-play financial funding proposal. As they wrote, “A funding proposal must provide details of your company’s financials to obtain the right amount of funding. Check out our funding proposal template personalized for your business.” Check out the template here .

5. Investor Proposal Template for SaaS Companies

The team at Revv put together a template to help founders grab the attention of investors. As they wrote, “With so many Investing Agencies, this Investor proposal will surely leave an impact on your company in the long run.” Check out the template here .

6. Startup Funding Proposal Sample

Template.net has created a downloadable funding proposal template that can be edited using any tool. As they wrote, “Get your business idea off the ground by winning investors for your business through this Startup Investment Proposal. Fascinate investors with how you are going to get your business into the spotlight and explain in vivid detail your goals or target for the business.” Check out the template here .

7. Simple Proposal Template

Best Templates has created a generic proposal template that can be molded to fit most use cases. As they wrote, “Use this Simple Proposal Template for any of your proposal needs. This 14-page proposal template is easily editable and fully customizable using any chosen application or program that supports MS Word or Pages file formats.”

8. Sample Investment Proposal for Morgan Stanley

Another example is from the team at Morgan Stanley. The template is commonly used by their team and can be applied to most proposal use cases.

Connect With More Investors and Tell Your Story With Visible

Being able to tie everything together and build a strategy for your fundraise will be an integral part of your fundraising success. Check out how Visible can help you every step of the way below:

Visible Connect — Finding the right investors for your business can be tricky. Using Visible Connect, filter investors by different categories (like stage, check size, geography, focus, and more) to find the right investors for your business. Give it a try here .

Pitch Deck Sharing — Once you’ve built out your target list of investors, you can start sharing your pitch deck with them directly from Visible. You can customize your sharing settings (like email gated, password gated, etc.) and even add your own domain. Give it a try here .

Fundraising CRM — Our Fundraising CRM brings all of your data together. Set up tailored stages , custom fields , take notes, and track activity for different investors to help you build momentum in your raise. We’ll show how each individual investor is engaging with your Updates, Decks, and Dashboards. Give it a try here .

Investor Proposal

An investment is an asset such as money and properties that are expended or purchased with the goal of earning more. Putting them in a practical sense, investing in anything uncertain is a gamble. Thus, the evaluation of projects is naturally done carefully and smartly.

Being the person who is going to propose the plan, it is quite challenging to get that approval from your potential investors. If you indeed believe that your plans are pretty ready, it would be a great decision to contrive on how you will present them. Technically, you need to obtain a stupefying investor proposal .

Investor Proposal Examples & Templates

Before composing your proposal, initially make sure that you already have sufficient and appropriate information as your content. Supposing that you’re done with it, this article will show you a collection of outstanding templates and samples for investor proposal to help you get that approval.

1. Basic Investor Proposal

• Google Docs
• Apple Pages

Size: A4 & US Letter Size

If you especially find constructing an investor proposal new or uneasy, it would be better if you start everything from the basics. Therefore, this basic investor proposal template is a fantastic choice. Moreover, this template includes all the necessary parts of a proposal, and everything is fully editable to assure you that all of your important data can be encoded. How cool is that?

2. Business Investor Proposal

Investing in a business project or plan should be assessed carefully to identify that an investor is spending his/her money right. On the other hand, being the representative of an organization or yourself, you need to be victorious in persuading the investors. Can’t decide how to construct one? Grab this investor proposal template’s offer now.

3. Property Group Investor Proposal

Size: 590 KB

Investments are crucial for the investors, so it’s pretty normal if they take each of these drastically. Making your own investor proposal from scratch could be very precarious, notably without deep knowledge in making one. However, you could utilize and rely on great samples that could visually show you what things should be considered. Take this property group investor proposal as one.

4. Cooper Industries Investor Proposal

Size: 791 KB

For you to successfully convince clients to support your project, you need to impress them first. You need to professionally supply them with enough reasons and shreds of evidence why they should invest in such a plan, but the question is, how? To give you a great overview, consider seeing this professional proposal sample from Cooper Industries Incorporation.

5. Economic Development Investor Proposal

Economic development is transforming a certain area for it to become industrially prepared. As a result, it is expected that numbers of laborers would increase shadowed by the productivity level of the place. This job is really serious, just like the responsibility it carries. Hence, you must prove to your clients that you are capable of such development. See this proposal  on how to persuade them.

6. Golf Estate Investor Proposal

Size: 13 MB

A great proposal is not just something that would tell the present investors that choosing you is a good idea but a document that would let your investors think that not choosing you would be a great loss. Confidence and professionalism, this golf estate investor proposal from The Lynx presents those aspects very well. Make this example as your guide to create an elegantly competitive one.

7. Land Development Investor Proposal

Big projects also possess big decisions the same as in the housing market. Real estate business indeed requires a large amount of monetary investment; thus, getting that consent from the capitalists could be very challenging. Confidently propose your projects with the help of this sample. Simply cite this land development investor proposal to keep oriented in what to do.

8. Property Investor Proposal

Size: 4.4 MB

If you are someone who merely wants to sell properties, this property investor proposal could be a good example for you to rely on. Why? It is because of its simplicity and very comprehensible way of exhibition. Almost all properties nowadays are really good investments since most of them have values that increase together with the tick of the clock.

9. Equity Investor Proposal

The asset that is allocated in buying shares from a company is what we call equity investment. This type of investment is done mainly because of the probability that the value of the bought shares will grow a lot higher than the original invested cost. Moreover, this investment needs to be done in detail to fully enlighten your investors. View this  free proposal sample to see how one should look like.

10. SNACT Investor Proposal

In a typical business proposal , it is vital for an offerer to keep his/her presentation informative, persuasive, and entertaining. Yes, you heard that right. It would be a plus point for you if you keep everything interesting. How to do that? This sample from SNACT, which aims to create more taste and less waste, would definitely illustrate it to you before making an investment proposal.

11. Personal Real Estate Development Investor Proposal

Size: 54 KB

If you are the type of person who loves to keep everything simple and straightforward, this sample is perfect for you. Due to the fact that the attention span of a person is very short, it is important to significantly utilize their consideration. This simple investor proposal sample for equity investment shows you how to write one directly to the point without compromising the proposal’s integrity.

Every investment is crucial for the investors; thus, it is very understandable if they take all of them earnestly. Being the one whose goal is to convince them that your project or plan is worth their support, you need to be impressively wise in exhibiting your data. These samples and templates are just some of the best picks of investor proposal. If you want more, our website will always be open.

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How to Write an Assisted Living Business Plan + Free Sample Plan PDF

Elon Glucklich

7 min. read

Updated April 3, 2024

Free Download: Sample Nursing Home Business Plan Template

With the U.S. senior population expected to reach 80 million by 2040 , the demand for assisted living services is skyrocketing. 

Seniors are living longer, and many are looking for amenities like health care, fitness, and recreation services as they age. This surge in demand, plus consistently high occupancy rates in well-run facilities, means starting an assisted living facility or improving your existing facility can be an incredibly lucrative business venture.

However, achieving success requires more than just filling rooms. From ensuring the health and wellbeing of your residents, to navigating license and permitting requirements, to understanding your market to securing funding for your facility, you’ll need to think strategically to ensure your care facility reaches its full financial potential. 

A business plan organizes your market, customer, and competitive research, so you can prioritize the most profitable services and develop marketing strategies to attract the right residents. Think of it as your roadmap for defining a successful business model. It’s the type of proof of concept that lenders or investors will need to see before they’ll feel comfortable funding your venture .

• What should you include in an assisted living business plan?

Here are a few sections we recommend including in an assisted living facility business plan:

Executive summary

Market analysis, competitive analysis, marketing plan, financial plan.

No two assisted living business plans will be exactly alike. A residential assisted living business owner’s market research and growth strategy will vary depending on the market or markets they’re operating in. And while some assisted living developers own large portfolios of facilities in multiple locations, others may be focused on a single location.

If you’re starting a new assisted living business, it’s likely that you’re seeking a bank loan or outside investment. Business plans written for funding typically follow a detailed and proven structure to impress lenders and potential investors.

Below we’ll highlight some of the most important business plan sections for an assisted living business. 

Your executive summary is your facility’s elevator pitch. 

It’s the first, and sometimes only, section of your business plan that a lender or investor will read. So your executive summary needs to be engaging.

In no more than two pages, draw the reader in with an overview of your business opportunity and mission. Why are you passionate about serving seniors? What problems are you solving for residents and their families?

Describe what sets you apart. Maybe you’re opening a new facility in a location with pristine views and landscaping. Or maybe you’re offering innovative care programs.

Briefly mention your team’s qualifications and commitment to resident care. Touch on the factors that will be key to your success, such as hiring highly trained staff or introducing programs tailored to residents’ needs.

With significant startup costs to run an assisted living facility, it’s crucial that you understand both the broader senior living industry and the dynamics in your market. The market analysis section is where you show potential funders of your project that you’ve done your research.

Get to know your potential residents. Start by analyzing the size and projected growth of the senior population in your area. The U.S. Census Bureau is an excellent source of demographic information, and should include the age breakdown of your community.

It’s also important to determine the characteristics of your potential residents. Are you targeting:

• Active seniors seeking independent living with some support
• Seniors dealing with, or recovering from, surgeries or other medical issues
• Seniors with memory care and other intensive needs

You may be targeting a combination of these services in your assisted living project. But no matter who your ideal customers are, you need to demonstrate through your study of industry and demographics trends that there is a demand for the services you’re offering. 

Identifying your competition is crucial if you’re planning an assisted living facility. A lender or investor will expect your business plan to analyze your facility’s competitors, and demonstrate that there’s room in the market for a new entrant.

Start by researching and listing your competitors. These could be:

• Other licensed assisted living facilities
• Independent living communities
• Adult foster homes
• In-home caregiving services

Note their size, services offered, and any specializations they offer. What are their strengths and weaknesses? Are they large chains or smaller, family-owned facilities? 

Consider factors like:

• Level of care

Be honest about your facility’s strengths and weaknesses compared to the competition. Do you offer a unique activity program? Are your rooms more spacious?  Focus on what sets you apart.

Answering these questions will help you determine how to stand out and win over potential residents and their families.

Remember: Solid research is key. Back up your assumptions about your target market and competition with data and analysis. This shows potential investors and partners that you have a strong grasp of the assisted living landscape.

By the end of your competitive analysis, you should be able to state why a family would choose you over your competitors. 

This is where you turn your market and competitive research into an actionable plan to attract residents to your facility.

By now, you should have plenty of information about the senior living market in your area. Now it’s time to document how you’ll reach families seeking senior care services for their loved ones.

Start by thinking broadly about tactics to reach your target customers:

• Networking with healthcare providers and elder care professionals to spread awareness of your facility
• Advertising online, through television commercials, in printed publications and on social media
• Appearing at community events

Each of these strategies accomplish the goal of boosting your visibility. Make sure your messaging through these marketing channels emphasizes the factors that set your business apart from competitors. They might include: 

• A focus on personalized care
• Top-of-the-line amenities
• A vibrant social calendar

Additionally, spend some time in your marketing plan to discuss your pricing and sales process. Document your pricing and how it compares to your competition. And detail how you will turn prospects into residents. Will families tour in-person? Can they schedule virtual consultations? The plan should detail the entire journey prospects will experience, from initial awareness of your facility to moving in.

Finally, remember to track the results of your marketing efforts. This helps you refine your strategy and get the most out of your marketing budget.

This section is where your careful planning turns into actual numbers . While it might seem intimidating, don’t worry – you don’t need a finance degree to get this right. Here’s what a typical assisted living financial plan includes:

Sales forecast : Project occupancy rates and income from resident services. Be realistic, especially in the first year, and consider different pricing tiers if applicable.

Expense budget : List all planned spending, including:

• Staffing (one of your largest costs)
• Food, maintenance, and supplies
• Insurance, marketing, and licensing fees
• Legal and professional services

Profit & Loss (P&L) : This combines income and expenses to show if you’re profitable.

Cash flow statement : Crucial for managing bills. Shows when money comes in and out, so you avoid cash shortages.

Balance sheet : This snapshots your facility’s financial health, listing assets (like your building), liabilities (like loans), and overall equity.

Important notes

Startup costs : If seeking funding, detail costs like renovations, equipment, and initial staffing.

Assumptions: Be transparent about any predictions you’re making (occupancy rates, growth, etc.). This adds credibility.

Use of funds: Explain to potential investors exactly how their money will fuel your success.

Industry-specific costs: Research sample financials for assisted living facilities to ensure you cover all your bases.

Remember, your financial plan is a living document. Revisit it regularly to track your progress and adjust your strategy as needed.

• Download your free assisted living one page sample business plan

Download our assisted living sample business plan right now for free. You can download other medical and health business plans , or check out Bplans’ collection of over 550 free sample business plans to find more inspiration. If you’re considering other types of senior care businesses, read our article on how to write a home health care business plan .

With tons of opportunity, but significant upfront costs, it’s crucial to do your homework before investing funds in your assisted living plan. Writing a business plan is one of the best ways to put yourself on a path to a financially viable business.

And the business plan is an absolute must if you’re looking for outside funding to help you turn your dream into a reality.

See why 1.2 million entrepreneurs have written their business plans with LivePlan

Elon is a marketing specialist at Palo Alto Software, working with consultants, accountants, business instructors and others who use LivePlan at scale. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism and an MBA from the University of Oregon.

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