Bull's Eye Business Writing Tips:
Getting to Your Writing Target

Tip # 144: Writing business plans:

Write it right:  Some tips for more effective
letters and memos

Tip # 144: Writing business plans: This week I will give you the elements and organization of writing a business plan. I found good information in an online article by Roger Kramer, owner of Alpha Services (alphaservices.com).

1. Executive Summary: Give a concise summary of your company's products, services, and future outlook.
   
2. Table Of Contents: This helps the reader find specific information.
   
3. The Company: Tell what the company does and include detailed information about how it got started, what its goals are, who the major players are, what profits it has and hopes to have, etc.
   
4. Products and Services: Write a detailed account of what your business will be providing to its customers.
   
5. Production: Describe the materials needed to produce your product.
   
6. Marketing: Write a detailed marketing agenda including what and how your product or service will be advertised.
   
7. Competition: Tell who your competition is and how your company will overcome this challenge.
   
8. Obstacles: Describe any other challenges you anticipate and how you will overcome these obstacles.
   
9. Finances: Give anticipated set-up and daily operating costs.
   
10. Milestones: This is the future time line of your business.

These are the basic elements of building your business plan. Begin by making a rough outline for each section and then build to a finished product.

I received a request for information about the addressing and signing of a letter. Your exercise will be to answer this person's requests:

1. How do you do the heading when someone signs a letter as a family, example: Mary, Rose, and Joe Valdero? Mary is the elder daughter and Rose and Joe are the parents of Mary.

2. How do you write the salutation? For example: Dear Mr. Valdero, Mrs. Valdero and Ms. Valdero or Dear Mr. & Mrs. Joe Valdero and Ms. Mary Valdero.

---

To send the above exercise answers to Gloria for her comments and review,  copy the questions,  paste  them into an email, answer them,  and send to Marsha@basic-learning.com.   All of Our Weekly Tips: Index of Tips 401 to 500 Index of Tips 301 to 400 Index of Tips 201 to 300 Index of Tips 101 to 200 Index of Tips 1 to 100 See this week's tip You can always see the FREE Weekly Business Writing Tip. But you must be on my mailing list to receive the answers!  Please share these FREE tips with your friends. For those who are first-timers, sign up by sending me an email.

These business writing tips brought to you by:
Bull's Eye Business Writing 
10 Easy Guides for Getting to Your Writing Target
By Gloria Pincu, M.A. , President of Basic Learning Systems, Inc.
return to first page
Please feel free to share these tips with a friend

---

To find out more about us: Some of our Seminars & Workshops Information about Basic Learning Systems, Inc. & Gloria Pincu Some other interesting places to visit. Return to main page Order our books, CD-ROM and online courses today through our secure online store.

Here are some books on business writing that I recommend. Bull's Eye Business Writing is also available from Amazon.com. Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, author, Lynne Truss The Everything Resume Book by Steven Graber On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction , by William Knowlton Zinsser  The Gregg Reference Manual, by William A. Sabin  The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, White, E. B. White  How to Take the Fog Out of Business Writing, by Robert Gunning, Richard A. Kallan (Contributor)  More books on business writing and other business subjects  (available from Amazon.com).

---

Contact Gloria Pincu at Basic Learning Systems, Inc.

---