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PresentationPresentation is always important because it helps to communicate content. Good charts are dynamite when they make numbers easier to read quickly, and they can be essential when numbers are complex. Good text formatting should make the text easy to read. Use a legible font and a good mix of section headings and subheadings to make the organization visible. Bullet points are generally easier to read than long paragraphs. Color is good for charts, when it makes numbers easier to understand, but gets in the way when used for text. Fancy paper, expensive bindings, and excessive presentation are not really needed. Make the paper whatever quality it takes to make the plan easy to read, avoiding some of the more fibrous papers that end up interfering with the printed content. Make the binding a good coil, or some other binding that will hold up to use, but keep it practical so you impress with content, not expense. Related DocumentsIn the process of finding investment financing for a new business or a small business, people normally use a two-to-ten-page Summary Document (sometimes called a Summary Memo). The Summary Document should have the key points, such as competitive edge, market needs, defensibility, and of course track records and résumés of main team members. Sell your plan, but keep it short and rich. Focus on real content, not hype, and organize it so that potential investors can understand the main points quickly, then decide whether or not they want to know more. When looking for loans for your business, you will probably want to prepare a slightly different two-to-six-page document, called a Loan Application Summary. It should include the Executive Summary and company ownership detail as well as financials, especially the Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow table SummaryAs you finish your plan, review it from the point of view of the business purpose. Does it cover what you need it to cover? Is it going to achieve the purpose you planned for it? Are there topics that the plan's audience will ask about that you haven't covered? Think of the three most important questions you would expect to get from your intended reader. Have you answered them?
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