Business proposal templates

Deliver a powerful business proposal with these business proposal templates. each of these free business proposal templates is fully customizable..

Business proposals image

Free business proposal templates

If you’re working on growing your business , use these business proposal templates to speed up the process. Each of these professionally designed business templates will help you sell your products or services and make a good impression. There are a wide variety of business proposal templates to choose from. You can use these templates to generate investor proposals, sales proposals, RFP proposals, project proposals, and more. Each of these business proposal templates is fully customizable, so you can change the text and colors. You can also add your business logo for a branded proposal. Customizing your business proposal is easy­—you don’t need to be a graphic designer to do it. Each of these free business proposal templates can be downloaded, so you can share them online or print them out and distribute them in person. Explore more templates that can help you grow your business, such as marketing asset templates , planners and trackers , and more.

How to Write a Business Proposal [Examples + Template]

Meredith Hart

Published: December 05, 2023

Free Business Proposal Template

business proposal word doc

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

Thank you for downloading the offer.

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.

how to write a business proposal: image shows a person holding a pen and another person typing on a laptop

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

business-proposal

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.

business proposal word doc

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:

How to Write a Business Proposal: Business Proposal Example Title Page

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:

How to Write a Business Proposal: Sample Executive Summary

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.

How to Write a Business Proposal: Example Event Overview

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.

How to write a business proposal: Include Pricing Options

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

HubSpot Business Proposal Template

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

Business Proposal Templates: Web Design

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: Content Marketing

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.

Business Proposal Example: Social Media

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.

How to write a business proposal: Example Terms and Conditions

Don't forget to share this post!

Related articles.

How to Start a Business: A Startup Guide for Entrepreneurs [Template]

How to Start a Business: A Startup Guide for Entrepreneurs [Template]

Door-to-Door Sales: The Complete Guide

Door-to-Door Sales: The Complete Guide

Amazon Affiliate Program: How to Become an Amazon Associate to Boost Income

Amazon Affiliate Program: How to Become an Amazon Associate to Boost Income

Product Differentiation and What it Means for Your Brand

Product Differentiation and What it Means for Your Brand

How to Write a Business Proposal [Examples + Template]

70 Small Business Ideas for Anyone Who Wants to Run Their Own Business

The 25 Best PayPal Alternatives of 2023

The 25 Best PayPal Alternatives of 2023

The First-Mover Advantage, Explained

The First-Mover Advantage, Explained

Intrapreneurship vs. Entrepreneurship: What's the Difference?

Intrapreneurship vs. Entrepreneurship: What's the Difference?

What Are Current Assets? Definition + Examples

What Are Current Assets? Definition + Examples

Propose your business as the ideal solution using this free template.

Powerful and easy-to-use sales software that drives productivity, enables customer connection, and supports growing sales orgs

We use essential cookies to make Venngage work. By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Manage Cookies

Cookies and similar technologies collect certain information about how you’re using our website. Some of them are essential, and without them you wouldn’t be able to use Venngage. But others are optional, and you get to choose whether we use them or not.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are always on, as they’re essential for making Venngage work, and making it safe. Without these cookies, services you’ve asked for can’t be provided.

Show cookie providers

  • Google Login

Functionality Cookies

These cookies help us provide enhanced functionality and personalisation, and remember your settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers.

Performance Cookies

These cookies help us analyze how many people are using Venngage, where they come from and how they're using it. If you opt out of these cookies, we can’t get feedback to make Venngage better for you and all our users.

  • Google Analytics

Targeting Cookies

These cookies are set by our advertising partners to track your activity and show you relevant Venngage ads on other sites as you browse the internet.

  • Google Tag Manager
  • Infographics
  • Daily Infographics
  • Graphic Design
  • Graphs and Charts
  • Data Visualization
  • Human Resources
  • Training and Development
  • Beginner Guides

Blog Business

How to Write Winning Business Proposal: Examples & Free Templates (2024)

By Aditya Sheth , Jan 25, 2024

How to Write Winning Business Proposals

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.

  • 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:

An effective business proposal is a document used by a B2B or business-facing company (this may not always be the case, but most B2B SaaS companies do so) where a seller aims to persuade a prospective buyer into buying their goods or services.

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:

general business proposal template

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

simple business proposal project proposal template

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

social media marketing business proposal template

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.

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:

Table of contents

Executive summary, the problem statement, the proposed solution, qualifications, the timeline, pricing, billing, and legal, terms and conditions, the acceptance.

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

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

Gray Business Consulting Proposal Template Cover Page_Venngage

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?”

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:

Creative Social Media Business Proposal Template 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 .

Proposal-ToC-Example

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:

Gray Business Consulting Proposal Template About Us

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.

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.

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. 

Texture Business Proposal Template

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… 

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 :

Sales Plan Proposal Table Template_Venngage

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.

business proposal qualifications section

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.

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.

Abstract Business Consulting Proposal Template Timeline_Venngage

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.

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:

Bold Business Proposal Template Pricing Page_Venngage

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.

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. 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.

Modern Business Proposal

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.

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 .

Orange-Simple-Project-Proposal-Template

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.

business project proposal template

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:

corporate 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 :

content marketing plan business proposal example

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:

Example of a Business Proposal

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.

Social Media Plan Proposal Template

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:

Red Human Resources Consulting Proposal Template Team

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.

Simple Business Proposal Example

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 : 

SEO Marketing Proposal

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:

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:

Project Business Proposal

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
  • How to Write a Project Proposal [10+ Templates]
  • 20+ Professional Business Letterhead Templates + Branding Tips
  • How to Write a White Paper [Tips & Templates]

Business Proposal Template for Word, PDF

Business Proposal Template for Word

Download Free Template

Available for Word & PDF

Your download is available!

Click to download your document template in the format you need.

Your download is ready!

Download Business Proposal Template for Word & PDF or email it to yourself later.

Download Business Proposal Template for Word & PDF.

  • Send to email

Plus, you've unlocked access to our full collection of 130 hand-built business templates!

Template Highlights

  • Add a summary of the problem, your proposed solution, pricing info, timeline, a short conclusion, terms & conditions, and optionally, an appendix
  • Not sure what to say? We got you. Just follow the simple instructions in each section
  • Make it look custom with your own logo & branding
  • Download it as a Word or PDF file
  • Print it, email it, declare your undying love for it

Template Preview

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

Related Business Templates

Root cause analysis template.

Use this free root cause analysis template to identify the source of business issues and create a pl...

Business Case Template

Make a case for an upcoming project or investment with the help of this free business case template.

Order Form Template

Simplify order management with this easily customizable free online order form template.

Fishbone Diagram

Identify a problem's root causes efficiently with a fishbone diagram. This visualization template ca...

Process Map

Streamline your workflow, enhance efficiency, and foster continuous improvement in your organization...

Download the free 5 whys template to identify the root cause of business challenges and develop prac...

Succession Plan

Enhance your organization’s leadership continuity, improve workforce readiness, and ensure smooth tr...

Business One-Pager Template

Use this professional one-pager template to help capture the attention of stakeholders and potential...

Decision Tree

Use this free decision tree template to understand the potential outcomes of your business decisions...

Profit and Loss Statement

Use this free profit and loss statement template to analyze performance over time and improve your c...

Get this template for free!

How to Write a Business Proposal in Microsoft Word

Crafting a business proposal that stands out from the competition can be challenging. Learn how to create a winning proposal in Microsoft Word.

​​​​​​As a new business owner, you're probably looking for ways to grow your business and attract new customers. One of the best ways to do this is to write a business proposal.

In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps on how to write a business proposal in Microsoft Word, even if you're a beginner. We will cover everything from creating a professional cover page to formatting your content to writing a persuasive conclusion.

What Is a Business Proposal?

A business proposal is a formal document sent to investors to request funding, stakeholders to get approval for a new project, or customers to persuade them to buy your products or services.

Through it, you propose your business idea to interested parties, outlining details like your company's description, products and services, pricing structure, credentials and achievements, and the terms of the agreement.

Business proposals can be solicited or unsolicited; the latter is more common among startups looking to secure funding from angel investors and venture capitalists.

Two people working on a document together.

Writing a business proposal in Microsoft Word is really easy, and if you're writing one for the first time, it helps to keep it simple and not complicate things too much.

Before we get started, we highly recommend that you first learn these simple design rules for Microsoft Word to make sure your proposal looks professional. Once you've checked that out, follow these steps to write a business proposal for your company:

1. Design Your Title Page

The title page (aka cover page) of your business proposal welcomes the reader and contains details that identify your company and your client. This includes the names, logos, addresses, and contact details of both parties. It's recommended to make this page visually appealing.

You can learn how to make a custom cover page in Microsoft Word if you need some help doing so.

2. Add a Table of Contents

create table of contents in ms word

After you're done with the title page, the next step is to add a table of contents to help the reader jump to specific sections of your business proposal most relevant to them. Investors often don't have much time on their hands and will probably want to skip a few sections and read the most important bits.

Without a table of contents, they may find your proposal too jarring to navigate, especially if it's a lengthy one. You can create a table of contents in Word by going to References > Table of Contents > Automatic Table 1 .

Since you haven't added any content yet, the table of contents will be empty. Don't worry, once you've written the proposal, all you have to do is click Update Table to populate the table of contents with the relevant headings.

3. Write Your Executive Summary

The executive summary serves as an introduction and broad overview of your company to the reader; it's where you write your mission, vision, and values.

It's also where you mention the size of your company, your business model, the unique selling proposition (USP) of your products, any notable milestones, future plans, and how you plan to use the investment.

It helps to be comprehensive about how the investment will be used; investors are more likely to accept your proposal if they know exactly what their money will be spent on and the potential said spending will unlock.

Remember to apply the "Heading 1" style to the Executive Summary and other headings from the Styles gallery. For subheadings, use "Heading 2" and "Heading 3" as appropriate. Not applying heading styles means the table of contents won't be able to identify them.

4. Define the Problem Statement and Proposed Solution

The next step is to define the problem the client is facing; this helps display competence and convey that your pitch is tailored to their needs and isn't a generic one. It's recommended to create a sense of urgency in this statement.

Once you've noted the problem, your proposed solution should describe how your products can help fix it. It's not enough to simply offer your solutions; you must also mention why they are better than your competitors.

5. Present Your Qualifications and Achievements

Having great ideas is a good start, but you must also know how to execute them. This is why the client—if interested in your solutions—will want to know whether you have the right skills and experience to undertake this project.

This is where you mention your team's qualifications, achievements, client testimonials, and case studies. Make sure to add statistics to this section about your former successful projects; words alone don't win funding.

6. Set the Budget, Timeline, and Deliverables

Excel for business budgeting

After outlining your proposed solution, get into the specifics of the deal. This includes the deliverables you are going to produce, the scope of the project, what it'll cost, and the timeline for when it'll be done.

It's important to be accurate, realistic, and professional in this section. It's likely that the client will ask for some changes, so be ready to revise the project details if needed.

7. Summarize and Conclude Your Proposal

This is the last section of your business proposal, so it must end with a strong call to action enticing the client to contact you. Mention your contact details and your website, where they can learn more about your services.

You can also create an appendix mentioning the references, definitions, methodology, and other important details you'd like the client to be aware of.

8. Proofread, Revise, and Finalize the Proposal

The last step is to proofread and revise your proposal to spot and fix any errors you might have made along the way. This includes errors in grammar, facts and figures, claims made about your achievements, and more.

Pay very close attention to the financials; adding untrue financial information is an instant red flag for investors. Once you've made sure that everything is accurate, relevant, and appropriately written and formatted, it's time to finalize your proposal and send it to interested parties.

Essential Tips for Writing a Business Proposal

A person writing a script on a laptop

Here are a few tips and things to remember when writing a business proposal that can increase your chances of success:

  • Tailor the proposal to the reader : Research the investor or company you're sending the document to and customize your proposal accordingly. This will increase your chances of securing funding.
  • Use visuals : Charts, graphs, tables, and other visuals can help to break up your text and make your proposal more engaging. You can access charts in Word by going to Insert > Chart .
  • Highlight your USP : A proposal shouldn't just communicate why an investor should invest in your company, but also why you're the best fit for their needs—more than your competitors. You can do this by highlighting your strengths and mentioning the USPs your rivals can't replicate.
  • Be concise : No investor has the time to read long walls of text. Be concise yet cohesive.

Make Your Business Goals Come True

Writing a business proposal can be a daunting task, but it is essential for any business that wants to grow and succeed. By following the steps and tips we covered in this guide, you can write a business proposal that is clear, concise, and persuasive.

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Legal Templates

Home Business Business Proposal

Business Proposal Template

Use our business proposal template to secure potential clients, outline value proposition, and convince a company to enter a business relationship with you.

business proposal template

Updated December 4, 2023 Written by Sara Hostelley | Reviewed by Brooke Davis

A business proposal is critical for forming new relationships to grow your business. A well-written proposal can make a difference in winning or losing prospective clients or customers.

When looking for new customers, a business proposal is a formal document that provides essential details of your goals and plans.

What Is a Business Proposal?

Types of business proposals, business proposal examples, how to write a business proposal, writing and design tips, business proposal sample, frequently asked questions.

A business proposal is a formal document you provide to a prospective client to obtain a business agreement .

Business-to-business or business-facing companies commonly use this document to persuade prospective buyers to purchase their services or goods.

This proposal aims to gain business , not sell the company itself. This document is unlike a business plan because an individual writes it to seek new customers instead of new investors.

When to Use a Business Proposal

You should use a business proposal to grow your business and solicit new customers. You are contacting potential clients to see if you could work together to further your mutual goals.

Whether the proposal was solicited or unsolicited, you want to create a compelling proposition laying out your business’s essential details.

Explore the three primary types:

Solicited Business Proposal

A solicited proposal is one that the potential customer or client seeks via a request for proposal (RFP) . Your company then provides the business proposal it asked for.

You may also provide a business proposal upon receiving a request for information (RFI) or a request for a quote (RFQ) to provide the customer with additional information about your offerings.

Clients may come to you to see if you’d be an appropriate vendor for their situation. A solid business proposal can help you answer their request and win business.

Unsolicited Business Proposal

You send unsolicited business proposals to customers when they have not explicitly asked for them. Your company is reaching out to attempt to gain new business with your submission.

As long as you target an unsolicited business proposal appropriately and clearly state the benefits of working with your business, you can experience success with an unsolicited offer.

Continuation or Renewal of Business Proposal

A continuation or renewal of business proposal lets you continue working with an existing client to update or extend an agreement’s terms.

If you’re looking for a business proposal example, explore some below:

Grant Proposal

A grant proposal helps a business gain funding to keep its operations going. Non-profit organizations usually implement this proposal, but it can also benefit some for-profit organizations.

  • Target audience: An evaluation committee.
  • How to write: Emphasize how your organization will use the funds to continue its mission.
  • What to highlight: How you’ll measure success with the funding you use.

Event Proposal

This document lets you highlight how you’ll put on an event for a business, such as a conference, convention, or important meeting.

  • Target audience: Company leaders.
  • How to write: Include how the event will help improve business for the client.
  • What to highlight: The unique features you offer that will make the event memorable for attendees.

Marketing Proposal

A traditional or social media marketing proposal can help you explain how you’ll advertise for a client, whether for a specific event or an ongoing relationship.

  • Target audience: Clients who want to expand their reach.
  • How to write: Explain your methods and how you can help clients meet their outreach goals.
  • What to highlight: Your tried-and-true approach to marketing or similar clients.

Sales Proposal

A sales proposal lets you sell your product or service to another business. Your sales process may be different for various clients, so be sure to tailor each proposal accordingly.

  • Target audience: Companies in need of products or services to improve their operations.
  • How to write: Explain how your products/services will fulfill an absent need.
  • What to highlight: The value your offerings provide over competitors’.

Construction Proposal

A construction project proposal helps you communicate the construction services you can offer to a client.

  • Target audience: Clients who want to build or expand a structure for their operations.
  • How to write: Communicate your process and timeline.
  • What to highlight: The value and commitment to quality you offer.

Step 1 – Begin With a Title Page

The title page should introduce your company’s basic information. Include the following elements on your title page:

  • Business address
  • The date you submitted the proposal
  • Your contact details

Step 2 – Provide a Project Overview

The project overview provides a quick summary of what your company does. It will address why the company is well-suited to engage in business and deliver the client’s desired goods or services.

Talk about the service/product details. Present any challenges the client may face while they conduct their operations and how you can help address them with your offerings.

Step 3 – Include an Executive Summary

The executive summary outlines why you are sending this proposal and why your solution is best for your prospective client.

Be specific in this section. Address the needs of the individual client. Outline the benefits of your company’s services and products and how they will solve the client’s problems.

You want to show that you bring something unique to the table. Show why this business should pick your proposal instead of the others they have received.

Step 4 – Share Your Qualifications

A client may not know your business before receiving your proposal. Attach social proof to convince them to work with you. Consider including industry awards, relevant case studies, and client testimonials to make a strong case for your company.

Step 5 – Add Project Details

A business proposal should include the necessary details of your proposed project. This description helps the client see how you will address their scope of work and meet their unique goals and objectives.

Step 6 – Specify a Timeline

Include the steps you plan to take if the client decides to work with your company. This way, they’ll know what to expect and understand your readiness.

Step 7 – Include the Budget and Financial Details

Pricing projects is essential to a successful business proposal. You must explore your pricing strategy and understand what you will charge for goods or services.

Propose a price that’s attractive to prospective clients but is appropriate for your bottom line.

This section is adaptable to your business’s needs. The sale of goods or services requires different pricing terms. A customizable business proposal template allows you to create a document that fits your needs.

Step 8 – Highlight the Terms and Conditions

Lay out any additional terms and conditions you want both parties to follow.

Step 9 – Acquire Signatures

Finish this document by signing it yourself and obtaining the receivers’ signatures. With the client’s approval, you can proceed with offering your products or services.

Here are some writing and design tips to maintain professionalism in your proposal:

Stay Consistent

Ensure your messaging remains consistent. Only offer what your company normally provides, and avoid making extravagant promises you can’t fulfill.

Make Your Proposal Clear and Succinct

Keep your proposal professional and reserved. This way, you can center the focus on what you have to offer without distracting visual elements interfering with your message.

An effective business proposal provides comprehensive information succinctly. It’s not overly wordy, and you don’t need to share every piece of information about your business.

Personalize Your Proposal

Research your proposal’s recipient so you can understand their unique challenges. Personalize your proposal to clarify why you’re the best business to work with, ensuring you distinguish your offerings from your competitors’ products or services.

Conduct Quality Control

Before you send your proposal, you can check that it:

  • Meets clients’ needs and expectations
  • Includes your value proposition
  • Is easy to read/skim
  • Complies with regulatory, ethical, and legal requirements

If you send unsolicited proposals, follow up professionally and be prepared for rejection.

Incorporate a Call-to-Action

Incorporate a call-to-action so the recipient knows what steps to take if they want to work with your business.

Add a Table of Contents

If your business proposal is long, consider adding a table of contents so readers can easily find different sections.

Download a free business proposal template in PDF or Word format below:

business proposal template

What information should I include in a business proposal?

A well-written business proposal should include the following elements:

  • A title and table of contents
  • An introduction and executive summary
  • Your qualifications and why you will meet the customer’s needs
  • Pricing, billing, and legal information
  • Proposed solutions and description of goods or services

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

The difference between a business plan and a business proposal is their purpose. A business plan outlines how a business will accomplish its goals, while a business proposal aims to acquire customers for its products or services.

What’s the purpose of a business proposal?

A business proposal aims to convince a potential client (usually a business) to buy the products/services you offer. As your proposal will typically compete with rival companies, you must use yours to show how you differentiate and demonstrate the value you can provide to the potential customer.

How long should I make my business proposal?

How many pages your business proposal should be depends on how much information you need to communicate to a potential client.

You should always try to be succinct, but you must include all the points the ideal buyer needs to know about your business. The length of the proposal often comes down to the project’s complexity.

Keep your information concise and avoid filler content. Using a simple business proposal template is an effective way to ensure you don’t under or over-sell yourself.

Related Documents

  • Invoice : Request payment for itemized goods and services
  • Letter of Intent : Use this document to declare your interest in a potential sale.
  • Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) : Outline an agreement between two or more parties in a formal document, communicating mutually accepted terms.
  • One-Page Business Plan : A simplified version of a traditional business plan that outlines the basics of your business.
  • Lease Agreement
  • Power of Attorney
  • Non-Disclosure Agreement
  • Eviction Notice
  • Legal Resources
  • Partner With Us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

business proposal template

The document above is a sample. Please note that the language you see here may change depending on your answers to the document questionnaire.

Thank you for downloading one of our free legal templates!

Would you leave us a review?

We hope you've found what you need and can avoid the time, costs, and stress associated with dealing with a lawyer.

A review would mean the world to us (it only takes about 15 seconds).

Thanks again, and good luck!

Free Microsoft Word Business Plan Templates

By Joe Weller | September 22, 2020

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn

Link copied

We’ve compiled a variety of expert-approved business plan templates and samples for Microsoft Word. There are options for organizations of any size and type — from coffee shops and hair salons to professional services, and everything in between.

Included on this page, you’ll find Word business plan templates for small businesses , startup businesses , product and service businesses , and more.

Simple Business Plan Word Templates

These customizable business plan templates come professionally designed and ready to use, and are available to download in Microsoft Word format.

Simple Business Plan Template

Simple Business Plan Template

Use this template as a basis for creating an organized and thorough business plan. Customize the built-in table of contents to suit your needs, and use the space included to detail the nature of your business, the solution to the problem you’re solving, a market analysis, key performance indicators (KPIs), financial forecasts, and more.

Download Simple Business Plan Template — Word

Simple 30-60-90 Business Plan Template

Simple 30-60-90 Day Business Plan Template

This template is ideal for developing a 90-day action plan to create and implement your business plan in manageable, 30-day chunks. Use the document to outline your main goals and deliverables, and then assign key business activities and deadlines to ensure your plan stays on track. 

Download Simple 30-60-90-Day Business Plan Template

Word  | Smartsheet

For more 30-60-90 business plan templates, visit our "Free 30-60-90-Day Business Plan Templates and Samples" article.

Simple Business Plan Outline Template

Simple Business Plan Outline Template

This template provides a standard outline for a traditional business plan, which you can use to guide your research and develop your plan. Easily modify the provided information to include information that is relevant to your business. 

Download Simple Business Plan Outline Template — Word

For additional downloadable resources in a variety of formats, visit, “ Simple Business Plan Templates .”

One-Page Business Plan Word Templates

These single page business plan templates in this section provide a useful way to organize ideas. Companies can use these templates to develop a pitch document for potential partners and investors.

One-Page Business Plan Template

business proposal word doc

Use this template to capture the main details of your business concept, including your product or service offering, who it benefits, how it helps your target buyer, the pricing structure, income streams, and key milestones. There’s also room at the bottom to include a SWOT analysis .

Download One-Page Business Plan Template

Word | Smartsheet

One-Page Lean Business Plan

One Page Lean Business Plan Template

This template utilizes a Lean approach to help you showcase the core concepts of your business idea in a scannable format. Provide a brief overview of your company and industry, the unique benefits your product or service possesses, distribution strategy, key objectives and success metrics, and a financial plan. Use the visual timeline at the bottom to display dates and milestones.

Download One-Page Lean Business Plan Template - Word  

One-Page 30-60-90 Day Business Plan Template

One Page 30-60-90 Day Business Plan Template

A 30-60-90-day template is useful for developing an actionable plan. Simply add your main goals and the activities required to achieve them in 30-day increments. Update the status of each goal regularly to ensure your plan stays on track.

Download One-Page 30-60-90 Day Business Plan Template

For additional single page plans, along with an example of a business plan , visit " One-Page Business Plan Templates with a Quick How-To Guide ."

Small Business Plan Word Templates

These customizable business plan templates are especially useful for small businesses to develop a roadmap for structuring, operating, and growing their organization.

Small Business Plan Template

Small Business Plan Template

This comprehensive business plan template is ideal for small businesses that want to thoroughly document key goals and the associated activities. Add essential information to each section to keep your plan clear and concise — and pay special attention to the financial section and provide details that will validate your plan.

Download Small Business Plan Template — Word

Fill-In-the-Blank Small Business Plan Template

Fill-in-the-Blank Small Business Plan Template

This fill-in-the-blank template is useful for small business owners that need some guidance adding details to the various elements of their business plan. Each section of this standard business plan comes with pre-filled content that you can expand on and customize to reflect the specific needs and details of your business. 

Download Fill-In-the-Blank Small Business Plan Template — Word

Additional Fill-in-the-Blank Business Plan templates can be found here . 

One-Page Small Business Plan Template

One Page Business Plan For Small Business Template

Small businesses can use this template to articulate business ideas in a succinct, easily digestible manner. There is space to include a business overview, key team members, a market analysis, marketing and sales plans, objectives and success metrics, and a financial plan.

Download One-Page Business Plan for Small Business — Word

Startup Business Plan Word Templates

These business plan templates are ideal for entrepreneurs to assess the viability of their idea and gain buy-in from prospective investors and stakeholders.

Startup Business Plan Template

business proposal word doc

Use this startup business plan template to create a strong and detailed roadmap of your concept and related goals. The template includes space for an executive summary, business description, summary of product or service offerings, pricing structure, marketing strategy, competitive analysis, startup expenses, funding sources, and more to ensure you have a thorough plan in place.

Download Startup Business Plan Template

Sample 30-60-90-Day Business Plan for Startup

Sample 30-60-90 Day Business Plan for Startup

This 30-60-90-day business plan template is versatile, and can be used to develop an actionable plan for virtually any business activity. This sample contains pre-filled information to help you explain the organization’s main goals and deliverables, as well as to assign key tasks, ownership, and deadlines. 

‌Download Sample 30-60-90 Day Business Plan for Startup Template

For additional resources to create your plan, visit “ Free Startup Business Plan Templates and Examples .”

Product and Service Business Plan Word Templates

These business plan templates are designed for a product or service-focused business to use to develop a workplan that articulates its vision and objectives.

Business Plan Template for Professional Services

Professional Services Business Plan Template

Entrepreneurs offering professional services can use this document to outline the main goals and objectives associated with their business, as well as how they plan to achieve them. This template comes with a built-in table of contents and includes all the components of a traditional business plan, including the company background, market and industry analysis, competitive analysis, service offering details, promotional plan, sales forecasts, financial statements, and more.

Download Business Plan Template for Professional Services — Word

One-Page Business Plan for Service Business

One Page Business Plan For A Service Business Template

This business plan template is ideal for a service-type business owner who needs a basic plan to jot down core business concepts. This single-page template has room to include the business mission and vision, service provided, target market, competitive advantage, marketing and sales plan, and key objectives. There is also a visual timeline of milestones included at the bottom of the template for tracking progress.

Download One-Page Business Plan Template for Service Business — Word

One-Page Business Plan for a Product Business

One Page Business Plan For A Product Business Template

Use this one-page business plan to outline the key details related to your product-focused idea. Articulate the purpose and vision of your business, the problem your product solves, potential customers, how you will get your product to buyers, pricing strategy, main objectives, and success metrics. The timeline of milestones at the bottom of the template automatically creates a visual display of noteworthy activities. 

Download One-Page Business Plan for Product Business — Word

Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan Word Templates

Use these pre-filled business plan templates as a basis to build a thorough plan that keeps your strategy aligned with sales, promotional, and financial objectives.

Simple Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan

Simple Fill In The Blank Business Plan Template

This fill-in-the-blank template features a traditional business plan layout, and includes pre-filled content in each section. Outline the key components of a well-rounded business plan, and add a company overview, market analysis, marketing and sales plan, operations plan, financial statements, supporting documentation, and more.

Download Simple Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan Template — Word

Lean Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan

Fill-in-the-Blank Lean  Business Plan Template

This Lean business plan has all the necessary parts to articulate your business vision and strategy. Add information about the problem you aim to solve, your product or service offering, unique value proposition, target customers, cost structure, revenue streams, and a timeline of milestones.

Download Fill-In-the-Blank Lean Business Plan Template — Word

For additional resources, visit " Free Fill-In-the-Blank Business Plan Templates ."

For more free, downloadable templates for all aspects of your business, take a look at “ Free Business Templates for Organizations of All Sizes .”

Empower Your Teams to Implement Your Business Plan with Smartsheet

Empower your people to go above and beyond with a flexible platform designed to match the needs of your team — and adapt as those needs change. 

The Smartsheet platform makes it easy to plan, capture, manage, and report on work from anywhere, helping your team be more effective and get more done. Report on key metrics and get real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed. 

When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time.  Try Smartsheet for free, today.

Discover why over 90% of Fortune 100 companies trust Smartsheet to get work done.

  • eSignatures
  • Product updates
  • Document templates

How to write a business proposal (The modern way)

Yauhen Zaremba

Yauhen Zaremba Director of Demand Generation at PandaDoc

  • Copy Link Link copied

Why should you learn how to write a business proposal?

It goes without saying that nothing speaks to a customer’s direct needs like a well-written proposal.

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

So, just how do you make sure that your proposal is engaging to every potential client?

We analyzed nearly 570,000 proposals sent in 2021 through the PandaDoc platform for insights on what works best and what doesn’t. This article is based on the results of this research.

Key takeaways

  • A business proposal outlines a product, service, or project a company offers potential clients or partners to convince them the business can meet their needs.
  • A well-crafted business proposal is essential as a business deal will often follow if successful. The components of a business proposal can vary based on industry, company size, and many other factors.
  • All business proposals should include three components: information about your company, demonstrated knowledge of the problem, and pricing and methodology.
  • Modern business proposals are sent electronically. Platforms like PandaDoc have tools to help you create a collaborative environment for negotiation, feedback, and electronic signature.
  • 65% of business proposals containing a signature block close within 24 hours. Don’t forget to follow up and ask your potential client if they have any questions.
  • A successful business proposal focuses on the client’s needs.

business proposal word doc

→DOWNLOAD NOW: FREE BUSINESS PROPOSAL TEMPLATE

What is a business proposal and why is it important?

In simple terms, a business proposal is a document that outlines a specific product, service, or project that a company offers to potential clients or partners, with the aim of persuading them that the business can meet their needs. A business deal follows if a proposal is successful. As they often present the benefits, features, and terms of a certain idea, business proposals are important in many industries for sales, marketing, project management, and other business endeavors.

Depending on the needs of the client and the industry that you occupy, the content included in a standard proposal will fluctuate.

For example, at PandaDoc, many of our business proposals are customized to fit the unique needs of enterprise-level organizations that are too big for our smaller plans.

If you were to compare our sales team to that of a construction company submitting a proposal to construct a building, the difference in requirements becomes clear. The proposal required for building construction is probably longer and may include far more business proposal topics than our sales representatives would include when closing a deal.

What should be included in a business proposal outline?

When thinking about how to create a business proposal, you should include everything you believe you need in order to sell your product or service.

This includes all of the basic headings and subheadings you’ll see in a traditional proposal, as well as any supplemental documentation to justify your costs and reinforce your proposed approach to solving the client’s problem.

In addition to basic information about your product, when planning how to write a business proposal you should also consider including the following:

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

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

What types of business proposals are there?

All business proposals are essentially the same, but your submittal method may vary depending on the type of business proposal you need to send.

Solicited proposals are an example of a business proposal that a company has asked you to provide for their consideration. The potential customer has reached out to your business and requested a proposal. This usually falls into one of two categories:

Formally solicited proposals are typically competitive and follow a standardized (formal) process. The prospective client sends out an RFP detailing the scope of work and requests that your business formally submit a bid to complete that work.

Informally solicited proposals are typically created based on conversations between a prospective client and a vendor that they want to work with. There might not be any formal documentation, and there may be no competitive process. This work can often lead to a sole-source, non-competitive contract.

Unsolicited proposals are documents that your company sends to a prospective client who hasn’t asked for one. They are not submitted in response to an RFP or an information request. Such proposals are typically created based on a market opportunity — often one that the client is either unaware of or hasn’t yet acted upon.

What is the basic format of a business proposal?

The traditional format of a business proposal is as follows:

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

Based on our research into over 566,000 proposals created on PandaDoc platform, most business proposals are around nine pages in length.

To get a closer look at how to get started and bring your business proposal ideas to life using these steps, check out each section lower down in this article.

How to make a business proposal in 9 steps

Knowing how to write a business proposal is a bit like building a house. While there are certain elements that are always necessary — like the foundation — a house varies based on location and the architect or homeowner’s preferences.

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

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

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

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

In the next section, we’ll take you through how to write a business proposal using our social media proposal template as an example.

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

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

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

Here are the main elements of a business proposal.

Before you start making a business proposal, a quick note on length

Based on our analysis of proposals on our platform, we found that the average proposal length is about nine pages.

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

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

Artyom Voronetskiy, Account Executive with PandaDoc, agrees:

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

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

1. Create a cover page

This section of a business proposal includes basic information like your company’s name and contact information, your company logo, your client’s name, and contact information, the date, and a title.

business proposal word doc

A strong title page makes the project proposal look neat, organized, and well put together.

It’s also the very first thing that your prospective client will see when they open your proposal, and everyone knows how important that first impression can be.

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

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

Unlike the rest of your document, a cover page is a place where you can place graphics and visual content to set the tone before the reader dives into the meat of your proposal.

But don’t go overboard with complicated graphics and logos on this page. Users love simple and familiar designs , especially at a first glance.

This is also a great way for you to stand out. Based on our data, only about 13% of business proposals we see use cover pages . Take advantage of this missed opportunity and use it to stand out from your competitors.

2. Introduce yourself with a cover letter

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

A cover letter is that introduction.

Include a one-liner about your company, short background information about how your business came to be, and a brief overview of what makes your company better than the rest.

Make it friendly and encourage your reader to reach out with any questions. Close it with a thank you and a signature.

business proposal word doc

Cover letters don’t have run on to the point of exhaustion. They can be simple, short, and sweet. In this example, the text is just over 100 words, but you could make it even easier to read by using bullet points.

Check this out:

Dear [Client.FirstName]

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

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

  • An expanded social media strategy across currently unused platforms and channels
  • A comprehensive distribution strategy designed to generate original and unique content
  • Improved post automation for increased audience engagement during peak times

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

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

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

My contact information is below.

Your cover letter can take on many forms, and you can use those formats to make your business proposal stand out from the crowd.

In our business proposal example, note that we’ve also used an image to keep things fun and interesting.

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

As you’re making your proposal, don’t be afraid to add graphics and images to keep readers engaged. A winning business proposal is more than just black text on a white page.

statistics on business proposal

3. Table of contents

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

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

Most word processors generate a table of contents automatically using the headings in your document . As you’re writing a business proposal, take the time to set the formatting for your headings and then simply generate a table of contents from those headings.

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

Remember: Proposal documents may not be read chronologically. Different decision-makers will care about different things and will check your business proposal to see how it addresses their unique pain points.

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

4. Set the scene with an executive summary

Your executive summary sets the scene for the rest of your business proposal by providing a high-level overview that summarizes the contents of future pages.

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

Using our example of a business proposal, our potential clients are primarily realtors in the greater Chicago area looking to reach new clients through social media marketing, so your executive summary might read like this:

This proposal outlines a coordinated plan crafted with the intent of building John’s Real Estate social media presence, primarily including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Vine, and Twitter.

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

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

  • Creating Engaging Social Content
  • Posting Company-Related Updates
  • Promotions & Social Campaigns
  • Integrating Social Media Activity into Other Marketing Plans
  • Monitoring

While our competitors work to serve multiple industries and target audiences, we specialize in the real estate industry. Our co-founder Tom Lancaster also has a background in both social media and real estate, giving him a unique perspective on the needs of the market.

Your own executive summary will shift depending on the duties you’re performing for the client, and what kind of industry they’re in.

Your tone might also change. If you’re targeting a young travel startup run by college graduates, you might use a more casual tone peppered with industry jargon and humor.

Jump Social Media Marketing offers full-service social media services for the real estate industry. Our team ensures area realtors are targeting their core market with an authentic message across the best channels possible.

Jump Social Media Marketing will work to identify, target and market to your ideal customer through Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Vine, and Twitter channels. Our team estimates we will grow your social media followers from your combined 214 followers to over 5,000 in the next six months and generate additional leads for your business.

We know that today’s realtors are also tasked with marketing homes and their own real estate firms. With a background in real estate and social media, Jump Social Media understands the unique needs of your industry.

While writing a business proposal, keep in mind that your executive summary isn’t designed to explain every detail or sell your entire RFP response by itself!

Don’t get lost describing deliverable logistics or strategic plans. Focus on the client’s needs and the outcomes they specifically wanted to address in their request for proposal.

Let your executive summary present a high-level overview and leave the other pages of the document to explain the details. This will prevent your summary from getting overcrowded or bogged down with specifics best handled elsewhere.

5. Proposal and solutions pages

The proposal section is a general overview of the custom-made solution your company has devised for your potential client.

This section gets into the specifics.

Anticipate their questions, and take them through the process so they know what they’re signing up for when they hire you.

Describe exactly what deliverables they can expect and when they can expect them.

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

business proposal word doc

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

In our example of a business proposal, we touched on six key goals during our executive summary. Let’s expand on those here.

1. Creating engaging social content

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

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

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

2. Posting company related updates

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

We will also pay attention to industry trends, and share them. This will help to gain exposure to your target market.

3. Promotions and social campaigns

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

These campaigns may be as short as a day or run up to six months. We’ll analyze the results from each campaign, and then we will provide a report of its success.

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

4. Integrating social media activity into other marketing plans

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

Campaigns via social media are more important than just sharing about giveaways, sales, contests, and/or promotions. We will agree on a schedule for a series of posts to keep up the exciting momentum for all prospective customers.

5. Monitoring

It is important to regularly maintain marketing activity for maximum growth.

We will continually monitor each channel and will respond to any questions, comments, and posts within a two-hour time period. Two hours will allow us to confirm that accurate information is relayed back to the person asking.

6. Analytics

We will provide you with each of the following:

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

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

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

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

Breaking up this section

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

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

  • Strategic Assessment
  • Implementation
  • Goals & Outlook

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

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

The importance of good data

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

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

Consider these two phrases:

“Our customers love us!”

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

Which sounds better? Which is more compelling? Numbers and figures catch the eye and help readers build trust. By demonstrating a proven record of success, with numbers and data, you’re adding tangible details that help to justify your costs.

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

This is the section where clarity and specifics are key — and nearly every member of our sales team agreed.

Create a pricing table that clearly identifies each product or service, and pair it with the most accurate pricing information you can provide.

Jump Social Media Marketing operates on a monthly billing cycle. Here’s a layout of the pricing and services for John’s Real Estate.

business proposal word doc

While building the proposal, all you’d need to do is set the price for the item and the quantity of distribution.

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

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

Transparency is critical in this section. Potential customers want to know how you’re charging them, what they’re being charged for, and over what period they should expect to pay.

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

7. About us

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

If you’re a small business or a new company, get personal and give your potential client a chance to get to know you and your team members. Include brief bios and photos of the people they’ll be working with.

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

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

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

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

As the old saying goes: People buy from people — so don’t be afraid to let your team’s personality shine through.

8. Testimonials and social proof

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

Often, this comes in the form of social proof, such as client testimonials and short case studies.

Why do you need this? Because social proof matters!

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can also provide testimonials from past clients who can speak to your approach and how it worked for them, like so:

business proposal word doc

Lively and humorous testimonials like these can add additional personality to your company while building trust and rapport with potential clients.

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

If your industry has serious clients, a humorous approach may not be appropriate. If you’re working with a 3D manufacturing company with B2B clients, the messaging and tone they take with their own clients — and what they expect from the businesses they work with — may follow different expectations.

Be sure to plan accordingly.

9. Agreement and CTA

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

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

business proposal word doc

Depending on your goals and your sales process, you need to be very careful in this section. In many jurisdictions, proposals are considered legally binding contracts if they meet the criteria for a contract.

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

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

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

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

If you’re confident in the scope of work and you’re ready to take on the additional work, let the client know by promoting them for a signature.

How does a business proposal look?

First things first: We’re well past the turn of the century. Nobody likes getting thick envelopes in the mail.

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

While it’s possible to email a proposal created with a word processor like Microsoft Word, platforms like PandaDoc are a better fit. Our tools help you create a collaborative environment for negotiation, feedback, and electronic signature .

Regardless of how you choose to send a business proposal, be sure to pay close attention to the look and feel of your document. Especially because your proposal may be your first impression with several key stakeholders, it’s essential that you follow expected formats and make a good impression.

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

Taking care to create a visually appealing business proposal will help you communicate your ideas more easily. It’s also something that your competitors are doing and something that many clients are beginning to expect.

In our research, we found that roughly 80% of proposals included an image and 20% included a video. We also saw higher close rates when these multimedia tools were used compared to when they weren’t.

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

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

It’s important to spend time beautifying your proposal,” points out Jared from PandaDoc Sales .

“A proposal that are can draw the eye directly to relevant content and keep the reader engaged is a powerful tool when trying to close a deal.”

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

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

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

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

Your proposal introduces your client to the quality of work they can expect from your business. If it’s full of typos, spelling, and grammatical errors, or just seems sloppy, you’re unlikely to close the deal.

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

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

A word about costs

When you’re creating proposals, it’s easy for costs to add up. Costs for customized professional business proposals can take hours of research, consultation, and preparation — all with no guarantee of success.

That’s why savvy companies do everything they can to lower the cost of proposal preparation. Typically this is done by generating a template for business proposals — an outline or skeleton that someone can fill out quickly to save time and expedites internal company processes.

It’s an effective way to keep overhead low. Based on our research, an average of 20 documents are generated from each template you create .

That’s a huge time saver for any business.

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

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

When you’re creating business proposals, it’s easy for costs to add up. Costs for customized professional business proposals can take hours of research, consultation, and preparation — all with no guarantee of success.

After you hit ‘Send’ on your business proposal

Once you’ve sent your proposal, your next step will depend on the process. Based on our information, about 65% of business proposals containing a signature block close within 24 hours.

business proposal

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

Don’t forget to follow up and ask your potential client if they have any questions. Based on the business proposals we looked at, you are 30% more likely to close a deal if you send a series of reminders to keep your proposal top of mind.

how to close deals by 30%

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

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

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

7 ideas to make your business proposal stand out

Just because you may have a perfect business proposal all ready to go, it doesn’t mean it will stand out from the crowd. Many startups fail due to competitors, so a unique proposal idea can make your readers sit up and take notice. Pizazz isn’t what matters here, rather any idea that adds value to your proposal and communicates quality. Here are a few ideas to put the spotlight on your business proposal:

  • Personalize your business proposal for each client: Ensure that your business proposal meets the exact challenges and interests of each recipient, as this will show you understand their specific needs.
  • Create a business proposal website: A professional business proposal website will always wow your potential clients. Not only will it showcase your company and highlight your industry expertise, but it will give your recipient simple access to relevant information and make your proposal interactive. This is a feature that will leave a lasting impression.
  • Add a VR or AR demo: If your business proposal includes a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) demo, it will make for an immersive proposal experience as it adds interactivity to your proposal. Again, this idea offers a memorable experience with lasting impact.
  • Add sound to your proposal: A really clever way to make your message stay in the memory of your reader is to add music or sound to a business proposal. This could be a song or jingle, sound effects, or royalty-free music.
  • Try a direct mail element: Make your business proposal stand out among a sea of digital communication by going back to traditional methods and adding a personalized direct mail element. A handwritten note or small gift will make your business proposal memorable, highlighting your attention to detail and dedication to personalized communication.
  • Ask an influencer to present or vouch for your proposal: If you are already working with an influencer, their input can boost your proposal credibility. Show that respected figures in the industry support you, and this will add authority and appeal to your business proposal, upping your chances of success.
  • Hide a few Easter Eggs: A hidden message, cute animation, or a secret section are all little surprises add a touch of fun and intrigue to your busniess proposal. Easter eggs really encourage exploration and will encourage your readers to spend more time on your proposal. It won’t be one they’ll forget in a hurry!

Free business proposal templates and winning examples can make writing simple

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

In the proposals that we looked at, those created using our business proposal templates regularly created high-performing results for customers with minimal editing time.

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

Once you’ve fitted an existing business proposal template to your personal needs, you can save it as a fresh template in your content library for even faster reuse.

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

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

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

It’s just that easy.

business proposal word doc

Social Media Marketing Proposal Template

Used 13721 times

Legally reviewed by Yauhen Zaremba

A successful business proposal focuses on the client’s needs

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

No matter how you choose to write a business proposal, never lose sight of that goal.

The RFP you receive will have most of the information you need to build a great proposal.

Take things step-by-step, and use the opportunity to show your client that your business is the right fit for the job.

But, why not sign up for a free 14-day trial with PandaDoc today?

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

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

Related articles

How to write a one-page proposal or when is it better to send a business one?

Proposals 14 min

A/B test your way on how to write a professional business quote in minutes

Proposals 12 min

How to write a freelancer proposal that will impress your clients

Document templates 15 min

How to Write a Business Proposal — 2022 Guide and Template

business proposal word doc

A business proposal can make or break your chances of securing a new client. Write a great one, and you’ll likely snag their business.

Write a poor one, and you might lose out—even if you’re offering the best service out there. So, how do you write a business proposal? What is the proper format? What do you need to include?

While it all depends on your industry, and whether or not you’re offering a product or service, writing a business proposal is pretty straightforward. We’ll answer all those questions and more throughout the course of this guide. 

What to expect with this business proposal guide

Whether you’re starting fresh or need to look at a specific section, here’s what we’ll be covering in this guide. 

  • What a business proposal is
  • The differences between a business proposal and a business plan
  • The format of a business proposal
  • How long to make your business proposal

How to write a business proposal

You can download a free business proposal template here to start writing up your own proposal as you work through this article. By the end, you’ll be prepared to develop a well-written business proposal that can explain your business clearly and win more clients. Let’s get started.

What is a business proposal ?

A business proposal is a document you’d send to a prospective client, outlining the service you’re offering, and explaining why you’re the best person for the job. 

It’s a pitch by a business or individual to complete a specific job or project, to supply a service, or, in some instances, to be the vendor of a certain product.

What are the different types of business proposals?

A business proposal can be either solicited or unsolicited. With a solicited proposal, the prospective client will put out a request for proposals; with an unsolicited business proposal, you are approaching a client in hopes of attracting their business, even though they did not explicitly request a proposal.  

While both are commonplace, a solicited proposal is an easier sell, as your prospective client has already decided that they want to make a purchase or use a service, and they’re evaluating possible vendors or businesses.

With a solicited proposal, your prospective client might have issued an RFP, or “request for proposal.” This is exactly what it sounds like—they want you to send over a business proposal so they can take a look at it.

New Call-to-action

Differences between a business proposal and a business plan

A business proposal is not the same as a business plan . This is the most common misconception, but while there are areas of overlap (like your executive summary ) the two are different.

That being said, you can certainly pull information from your business plan while writing your business proposal—in fact, that’s a great way to start.

But don’t confuse the two; they are distinct and separate. In short, a business plan represents the cohesive strategy of how your business operates and makes money. A business proposal is an official pitch to clients selling your products or services. 

A business proposal outlines a particular product or service offered by an established business to a prospective client.

You’re trying to sell your prospective client on your product or service, not on your business itself. You’re not after funding, as you are with a business plan, you’re trying to make a sale.

A business proposal is also not an estimate; although you’ll likely touch on costs and pricing in your business proposal, an estimate is much more informal and just a quick look at the costs, not the whole picture.

What goes into a business proposal?

Your business proposal should address the three Ps:

  • Problem statement: What your customer’s current problem is
  • Proposed solution: How your business solves that problem better than other solutions
  • Pricing: How much that solution costs compared to alternatives

If you’re stuck on how to start, maybe try brainstorming first; start with these three points, and you’ll have a rough, bare-bones version of your business proposal.

Once you’ve done that if you’re ready to go more in-depth, here is a step-by-step look at how to format your business proposal.

Your business proposal should start with a title page, which should include your name, the name of your company, the name of the person to whom you’re submitting your proposal, and the date submitted.

Table of contents

Depending on how long your business proposal is, a table of contents is a nice touch. Include it after your title page, and before you launch into any details. If you’re delivering it as a PDF, including anchor links down to each section, so it’s easy to get to specific areas. 

Executive summary

Introduce your proposal with a great executive summary, one that really sells your business and the products or services you provide—it’s about why you’re the right company for the job. You can draw from your business plan’s executive summary here, too.

Statement of problem, issue, or job at hand

Following your executive summary, go on to discuss the problem that the client is currently facing. Think of “problem” or “issue” loosely; after all, their main problem may just be finding the right person to complete their project. But be sure you understand why they want the product or service they’re seeking. If the proposal is for developing a brand new website, make sure you understand what they want to get out of the site—better sales, more content management flexibility. 

This is the place to show your new client that you understand their needs , and fully grasp the issue they are trying to solve. Take this opportunity to restate the issue they are facing in your own words so that they know you understand what they are looking for.

Approach and methodology

This section shows how you plan to tackle your potential client’s problem, and the steps you’ll take to carry out your plan.

This is where you’ll get into the nitty-gritty of how you actually plan to fulfill your client’s needs. While earlier sections might have been a bit surface-level, this section of the business proposal is where you’ll go into detail about what steps you’ll take to solve their problem.

Be careful of going into too much detail, though—keep the jargon to a minimum. Your client should be able to follow along and get a clear sense of your plan, but you don’t want to drown them in minutiae.

Qualifications

Go ahead, brag a little—this is the section of your business proposal where you get to convince your potential client why you are the most qualified person to take on the job.

You can mention any relevant education, industry-specific training, or certifications you have, your past successful projects of a similar nature, years of experience, and so on.

Schedule and benchmarks

Be clear with your potential client: How long will your proposed project take?

Making sure you and your prospective client are on the same page from the outset will help make sure that the relationship stays positive for both of you, and that you don’t set your client up with unrealistic expectations.

While you might be tempted to underestimate how long it will take you to complete the project, don’t. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver!

If you’re offering a product, this section might not be applicable to you, so feel free to omit it. The business proposal format is flexible, so tailor it to suit your business and industry.

Cost, payment, and any legal matters

Here is where you get down to brass tacks and state the cost, and payment schedule if necessary.

How you structure this section will largely depend on the particular project or service you are offering. A section entitled “Fee Summary” may be sufficient if one-time payment is required; otherwise, a “Fee Schedule” list or pricing table might be more appropriate. Always refer back to the client’s RFP whenever possible, to make sure you’re supplying them with all the information they need to help make their decision.

If there are any legal issues to attend to, such as permits or licensing, include this information here. Feel free to add a section entirely devoted to handling the legal side of the project if need be.

This is your final sell—don’t be afraid to detail for your prospective client all they have to gain by choosing you to complete the project.

Impress upon your clients why you are the best choice, and all the ways in which their business will benefit from choosing you and your business as their solution.

How long should a business proposal be?

When it comes to the format of a business proposal, this is the million-dollar question without an answer. Remember in school, when you’d ask your teacher how long an essay should be, and they’d reply, “as long as it takes to answer the question.”

The same applies to your business proposal. It ultimately depends on your industry, the scope of the project, and the client’s specifications in terms of detail and elements included.

Make your pitch stand out with SBA-approved business plans. All the info investors and lenders need to evaluate your business. Get LivePlan.

That being said, the tighter your initial proposal can be and the more directly you can make your point, the easier it will be to pitch it to clients. Start by following the business proposal format above as a guide, and you’ll be well on your way to creating a winning business proposal—and securing new clients.

Editor’s note: This article was originally written in 2018 and updated for 2021.

AvatarBriana Morgaine

Briana Morgaine

BrianaMorgaine

Briana is a content and digital marketing specialist, editor, and writer. She enjoys discussing business, marketing, and social media, and is a big fan of the Oxford comma. Bri is a resident of Portland, Oregon, and she can be found, infrequently, on Twitter.

Starting or Growing a Business? Check out these Offerings.

Bplans Tools

Business Tools

Exclusive Offers on Must-Haves for New and Growing Businesses

$100+ in savings

LivePlan Dashboard

Management Dashboards

All the Insights You Need to Help Your Business Succeed

Works with QBO & XERO

LivePlan Pitch

One-Page Business Pitch

Write A Winning Business Pitch In Just 60 Minutes

Start for $20/mo

Business Plan Writers

Business Plan Writers

Investor-Ready Business Plans Written In No Time

100% Free Quote

LivePlan pitch example

Discover the world’s #1 plan building software

business proposal word doc

All Formats

Table of Contents

Construction request for proposal template bundle, 47+ free proposal templates, template proposal word, proposal word template, download template proposal word gratis, microsoft word proposal template, business proposal template word free download, project proposal template word free download, format proposal word, sample design proposal template, simple cover page proposal template, basic small business proposal format, sample sponsorship proposal template, simple construction work proposal template, basic video contract proposal template, mobile app development proposal template, free one page writing proposal template, business proposal template word, free draft project proposal template, simple request service proposal template, free education grant proposal template, sample editable proposal word template, proposal template word free download, basic proposal outline in word example, easy to edit proposal word template, printable business proposal template, minimal proposal template in google docs example, general sales proposal template, free bid proposal template in doc format, free printable job proposal template, free it software project proposal word template, simple office cleaning proposal template, editable investment proposal word template, easy to print budget proposal word template, word format staff new position hiring proposal template, business consulting proposal template ms word format, free bank loan proposal word template, free medical assistance proposal template, professional proposal word 2010 template, studnet science background research proposal word 2010, formal business proposal letter microsoft word, what is a proposal, creating a proposal, tips on how to create proposals:, types of proposals:, why use proposal templates, general faqs:, 1. what must be included in a proposal, 2. what is the purpose of a proposal, 3. why does one need a proposal, 4. list the uses of a proposal., proposal templates, 47+ free proposal templates in ms word.

In the world of business, a proposal is a written office document that is handed to the seller, producer, consumer, or any prospective buyer who shows interest in buying a product templates or hiring a service from you. Hence, in layman’s terms, it is the seller’s way of convincing the buyer to indulge in their product or service. You can submit a proposals for many different purposes, such as video productions, construction sponsorships, business education, consulting services, new positions, mobile app development services , and much more.

business proposal word doc

  • Google Docs

business proposal template

  • Apple Pages

investment proposal template

Step 1: Define Your Audience

Step 2: elements and details, step 3: introduction, step 4: schedule and budget, step 5: edit and review.

  • You must take into consideration the type of proposal that is being designed. If it is a formal proposal, it will require the utmost care and precision; otherwise, you can keep it simple and informal. There are many consulting proposals available online that you can go through and choose the best out of the lot.
  • You cannot afford to miss out on any important points in the proposal. The approval of your proposal depends on the points and facts you mention in the proposal entirely. You must be very thorough when it comes to creating this. The editable accounting proposal that is available online can be of great help as they allow you to come up with proposals that can be used for professional use.
  • The presentation of the proposal is essential. It is the first and foremost thing the recipient will notice, and thus, the impression being formed on your presentation starts from there. While choosing a proposal that will suit you best, you must look at the overall layout of the proposal so that you can pick the one that matches your business line perfectly.
  • Formally solicited proposals -These are those proposals that can also be in use for business contract . It usually consists of a request for a proposal, which must be followed by a request for a quotation, price, or amount. Aside from that, it also includes an invitation for bid and request for information.
  • Informally solicited proposals – These kinds of templates are informal and better to use than not professionally. For example, take a casual conversation between a vendor and his/her prospective buyer. The buyer, now interested in a particular product, asks for a proposal from the vendor who agrees. If the proposal is agreed upon, they proceed to the next step of the transaction.
  • Unsolicited proposals – These kinds of proposals do not require communication between the consumer and the producer. They are, in a way, generic — for example, advertising brochures. There are also proposals put forth by companies and this service to convince users and consumers.

More in Proposal Templates

Proposal template, 10+ proposal template bundle, business proposal letter for services template, business proposal letter for cleaning services template, request for proposal sample template, printable proposal template, professional proposal template, proposal layout template, job proposal sample template, simple proposal template.

  • Proposal Templates – 170+ Free Word, PDF, Format Download!
  • 57+ Training Proposal Templates in PDF | Google Docs | MS Word | Pages
  • 7+ Logistics Proposal Templates in PDF
  • 13+ Recruitment Proposal Templates in Google Docs | MS Word | Pages | PDF | MS Excel
  • 12+ Logistics Business Proposal Templates in PDF
  • 67+ Project Proposal in PDF , Docs
  • 39+ Sponsorship Proposal Templates – Free Word, Excel, PDF Format Download!
  • 23+ Funding Proposal Templates – DOC, PDF, Excel, Apple Pages, Google Docs
  • 22+ Bid Proposal Templates – Word, PDF, Google Docs, Apple Pages
  • 16+ School Project Proposal Templates – Word, PDF
  • 11+ Product Business Proposal Templates – Sample, Example
  • 10+ Travel Insurance Document Templates in Google Docs | Google Sheets | Excel | Word | Numbers | Pages | PDF
  • 10+ Longevity Insurance Document Templates in Google Docs | Word | Pages | PDF
  • 10+ Auto Insurance Templates in Google Docs | Word | Pages | PDF
  • 10+ Homeowners Insurance Templates in Google Docs | Word | Pages | PDF

Free Business Proposal Template

Fully editable with custom branding and templated offering.

business proposal word doc

Bonsai has helped create 1,023,928 documents and counting.

Table of contents

business proposal word doc

Everything you Need to Know About your Business Proposal Template

In the freelance world, business proposals are greetings cards and business cards wrapped into one. They’re a firm hello for a potential client that showcases what you can do and why your client should go for your proposal over everyone else’s.

In this article, we’ll guide you through everything you need to know when putting together your next business proposal. We’ll cover everything from what to include in your proposal template and some best practices for writing a winning business proposal.

We’ll close out with a free template you can use for future proposals and some frequently asked questions on the topic.

Let’s get into the details of your business proposal and get you winning that client!

What is a Business Proposal Template?

A business proposal is a formal document that introduces and outlines who you are, what you do, and what that can do for your potential client.

A business proposal template is your go-to skeleton structure for all future business proposals. It includes all of your business essentials you can rinse and repeat and leaves you space to adapt the template as per each client and their needs.

But, what do you need to keep in your business proposal template? We’re pleased you asked. Read on.

Note: If you’re looking to up your business game and start delivering on the fundamentals quicker than ever before, sign up for Bonsai for free and get instant access to everything you need.

woman working on her desk while having tea

What to Include in the Business Proposal Template

Every business proposal is different. However, there’s a lot of information about your business and skillsets that can be reused. The good thing about a business proposal is that it’s not a publicly available document, it doesn’t affect your business’s SEO, and the only people who see it are those you send it to.

This means you can keep a relatively large amount of information the same and leave yourself space to make any tweaks. Just don’t forget to do them! There’s nothing worse than receiving a proposal and seeing another company’s name halfway through the document.

Here’s what you need to include:

Say hello with a bang using a cover page your client will remember you with. This cover page is truly your first impression. It helps build trust, build brand awareness, and get things started on the right foot.

Keep your cover page short, include a relevant visual if you can, and make sure you include everyone’s contact details. It’s also not a bad idea to include your company’s tagline to start showcasing your mission and getting your brand remembered.

Win readers’ attention with your cover page, and give them just enough info and excitement to keep reading.

Sample cover page of a business proposal template

Executive summary

Your executive summary is your TL;DR = too long; didn’t read. It briefly wraps up the contents of your business proposal. It should include a table of contents, letting clients know where they need to go for what information.

There’s a high chance your business proposal will change hands in the decision-making process, so make it easy for readers to bring themselves up to speed with what’s on the table and jump to the section relevant to them.

About us & company overview

Now we’ve got that covered, a short paragraph or two giving the reader a better overview of who you are and what you do is a great trust and relationship builder.

Don’t go into too much detail here; this proposal still needs to revolve around your client. However, let them know there are humans behind the branding, let them know the mission and vision of your business, and inspire them with any CSR initiatives you may be running.

Team members

Continuing on the human-to-human theme—it’s a good one, trust us. It’s time to introduce your team if you work with one. Headshots are a good idea at this point.

People can relate to faces over fonts, so match those headshots up with names, roles & responsibilities, and perhaps a line or two from the team member. At the same time, if you’ve got quite a large agency going, you don’t need to introduce everyone on your team. Introduce those team members that are relevant to the project at hand, and those that are most likely to have face-time with your client.

Portfolio of work

This chapter of your business proposal template needs to be in flux. We recommend that you switch out your portfolio of work to reflect the business you’re proposing to, what that business does, and what services they’re interested in.

Showcase work relevant to the project at hand, but avoid showcasing any work that may be a conflict of interest.

If you’re sending your business proposal digitally then it’s always a good idea to include links out to your portfolio, with a short summary of your work within the proposal itself. Give potential clients just enough information to understand and appreciate your portfolio, but don’t overwhelm them with information. If they want to read more, make sure the CTA to do so is clear.

Project scope

Next up, all of your business proposal templates need to include project scope. What’s included in your scope of work for the prospective client, and what isn’t . Known as ‘scope creep,’ if you skip on what’s not included within your agreed service package, then you run the risk of your client pushing you for more work you weren’t accounting for, and feeling obliged to deliver.

If you provide a niche service, then there’s a high chance that your project scope will remain roughly the same. So, streamline your proposal process by leaving in the essential information you can transfer from one potential client to the next.

Project schedule

Every business proposal needs to include a project schedule. In what timeframe can you deliver your proposed solution, and what are the project milestones along the way? Although a business proposal is your chance at winning a client, you need to keep this chapter as realistic as possible.

It’s all well and good raising eyebrows with an impressive project timeline for your business project. However, if you can’t deliver on those timelines, then you’ll lose clients down the road and damage your brand’s reputation.

How to show a project timeline in a business proposal

The visual example we’ve provided above makes your project schedule scannable, and avoids any confusion. The whitespace helps the reader concentrate, and it perfectly manages expectations on each project milestone.

Deliverables

This brings us to deliverables. What are you delivering with your business proposal? All of your business proposals need to cover the end deliverable, as well as any KPIs or micro-deliverables that will showcase you’re well on your way to a result.

Try to assign a way to track the success of your deliverables and quantify your efforts into data.

For example, if your prospective client wants to “build trust” with their target audience, then your business proposal ideas for building trust need to be accompanied by quantifiable ways to show you’re hitting that goal. In this case, this could look like fewer negative reviews, more sales flow completions, or a larger social media following.

Business proposals pricing and payment

All business proposal templates need a chapter on pricing and payment. Whether you’re sending unsolicited business proposals or a requested business proposal outline by your potential client, you need to include your pricing and payment methods.

An effective business proposal is a part of your business’s sales process, and it needs to be treated as so. You wouldn’t have a sales process without actually discussing cost with any other product or service, so don’t do yourself the disservice here.

Be upfront about what you charge, be firm in your payment terms, and stick to your word. Your client will respect you for it and have more faith in your services because of it.

We’re big fans of the below example for its productization of services. Here, you’re giving your clients options, broken down clearly, so that they can find something within budget, and worth your time. It’s important to get your costs in your proposal so you know that you’re at least pitching in the same ballpark as your clients and can avoid any awkward conversations further down the line.

How to structure your business pricing packages

The “next steps” chapter is not something unique to a business proposal template. It should be a must-have chapter in every proposal template you write: from a sales proposal template to marketing proposals, solicited proposals or not—they all need this CTA.

What do you want your potential clients to do next? What does your onboarding process look like for new clients? Give a clear overview of what’s next, so the client knows that the ball’s in their court.

set up your next steps at the end of your business proposal template

That’s everything you need to know to include in your proposal template to help sway potential clients. However, it doesn’t stop there, whether you’re putting together unsolicited proposals, or writing one for a particular project, there are best practices worth noting. Read on.

How to Write a Business Proposal Template

A few best practices emerge with every well-written business proposal sent on Bonsai. To understand these best practices, we looked at some of the following templates:

  • SaaS sales proposal template
  • Video production proposal template
  • Sponsorship proposal template
  • Web design proposal template
  • Writing proposals
  • SEO proposal template

Business proposals need a mix of quality writing, alongside succinct story-telling, statistics, and visuals. New clients look for a sturdy business plan, a trustworthy company, and someone that can go beyond ‘talking the talk.’

Here’s what we found as a common success factor for business proposals:

Find out exactly what the client wants

A solid business proposal understood the potential client’s problem and addressed it head-on with a unique value proposition. People don’t hire nice-to-haves; they hire need-to-haves, so frame your proposal template as a must-have solution to a business problem the client perhaps didn’t even know existed.

Highlight what sets you apart

If you want your business proposal to be picked over the rest, then you’ll need to stand out, time and time again . Look at your proposal template as a good branding campaign. Drive home your company name, your name, and your USPs.

You can do this with your copy, visuals, and an innovative structure to your proposal template. Remember, once is not enough . Drive your brand home and leave your business at the top of your clients’ minds when they walk away from their desks.

Keep an ‘executive summary’ frame of mind

Remember the executive summary we mentioned at the beginning of this article. It’s an important part of every proposal template, but it’s more than that . It should be a frame of mind for your entire proposal.

Remember, you’re only pitching your business at this point; you’re not laying down the full plan of action.

It’s a fine line, we know, between under and over-delivering. But, if you can keep this mindset throughout the piece, you’ll give the client just enough to have faith in your services and won’t lose too much time putting together your proposal.

a man wearing his headphone and designing on his computer

Use visual aids

No matter how great you are with words, visual aids will always be able to lift them further. Seriously consider where you can use visual aids within your proposal to express your point, highlight an example, break up your copy, or leave a strong brand presence.

You can also transform what would usually be blocks of copy into visual blocks. Things like pricing, testimonials, or ‘meet the team’ sections will all benefit from a graphic element to help your proposal ping, while remaining on brand.

Pitch with personality

Successful proposals are personal. That means they’re personal to you, and they’re personal to the client. Remember to keep it this way throughout your proposal workflow. It’s best to use the company’s name wherever possible, alongside the person you’re addressing it to.

Take things a step further by showcasing you’ve done your research on the company, mention noteworthy things they’ve worked on in the past that are relevant to the project at hand, showcase you’ve done your homework on their competition, and win more business by staying true to your client’s problem.

Right! That’s all you need to know on winning potential clients over with quality proposals. Take these best practices into account when writing your next proposal and you’re onto a winning recipe for a healthy, profit-bound business. Next up, let’s take a look at how to create a proposal with Bonsai.

Creating Business Proposal Templates is Simple with Bonsai

Whether you’re looking for a sales proposal template, a business proposal template, or something else, Bonsai has got it all. In a few clicks, you’ll get access to over 400 free proposal templates , and there’s no limit to the amount you can use.

Sign up to Bonsai today to download your free project proposal template and more, save yourself time, look professional, and keep winning those clients you deserve.

Plus, Bonsai is so much more than proposal software. When you sign up to Bonsai, you’ll also get access to invoice templates, contract templates, agreement templates , time-tracking tools, everything you need to take your business up a gear.

Business Proposal template FAQs

Whether you’re writing a solicited proposal, project proposal, sales proposals, or something else, here are the top questions we see on proposal templates.

How do you write business proposals?

A business proposal must be short, sweet, and give just enough information to leave your potential client wanting more. New business can be hard to win; however, once you nail writing a project proposal, you’ll find that new business comes easier every time.

What’s the format of a proposal?

A simple proposal template can be as little as a one-page proposal. However, one page rarely provides enough space to add any real depth to your proposal. Keep your proposal around 5-10 pages, and ensure there’s plenty of white space within those pages, so you don’t overwhelm your reader with text.

How do you create a proposal template?

Business proposal templates are simple to create if you’re using Bonsai. In fact, they’re already created for you. All you need to do is select the type of template you need, fill in the blanks, and send it to your client—all without ever leaving the Bonsai platform.

Free Business Proposal Template

What is the format of a proposal?

How many pages is a business proposal, what are the 4 types of business plans.

Letter of intent template

Free Subcontractor Contract Template

Free Small Business Partnership Agreement Template

Free Service Level Agreement Template (Doc)

Task management

Free Itemized Bill Invoice Templates

Free Work Invoice Template

Free VAT Invoice Template

Free Subcontractor Invoice Template

Spec Sheet Template

Free Simple Proposal Template

Work Quote Template

Free Sample Quotation Template

Bookkeeping

Expenses Spreadsheet for Self-Employed

Client billing

Project Timesheet Template

Free Weekly Timesheet

Free Timesheet Template (PDF)

Free WordPress Website Proposal (PDF)

QuickBooks Proposal Template

Free YouTube Marketing Proposal Template

Free Website Redesign Proposal Template

Free Website Proposal Template

Free Video Production Proposal Template

Free Website Development Proposal Template

Best Virtual Assistant Proposal (Free & Customizable)

Free Translation Proposal Template

Free UX Design Proposal Template

Free Software Development Proposal Template

59+ Free Proposal Templates for MS Word

Event proposals.

business proposal word doc

Job Proposal Formats

Professional Company Job Proposal Template for MS Word

Accounting Proposals

business proposal word doc

Bid Proposals

Construction Bid Proposal Format for MS Word

Marketing Proposals

business proposal word doc

Business Proposals

business proposal word doc

Consulting Proposals

consulting-proposal-template-cover-page-for-ms-word

Construction Proposals

business proposal word doc

Common misconceptions surrounding business proposals:

  • A business proposal is mere wastage of time, you don’t necessarily need one.
  • The clients/investors would invest no energy in reading your business proposal.
  • Business proposals should be lengthy, all-embracing, and extensive.
  • Businesses today are no more interested in creating business proposals.
  • You don’t have to be prompt in creating a business proposal.
  • Our business proposal will blow the customers away once they read it, therefore we don’t need to personally go see the customers.

Types of business proposals:

  • Formally Solicited business proposals: A formal request has been made in this case. The writer is aware of all the official guidelines, requirements, and detailed information in this case.
  • Informally Solicited business proposals: In cases where there isn’t an official business request for the creation of the business proposal, rather an informal request has been made from one of the potential clients or buyers in order to give them an insight into the credentials and services of the business they are interested in.
  • Unsolicited business proposals: The “un-asked-for” or unsolicited proposals are created when the recipient has not requested the proposal by itself, rather the writer might need to convince the business of the need for the origination of a proposal based on the type of the project. These do not include a detailed involvement of the business or the client rather is more of a generic document that can be rendered suitable for more than one type of situation. These can also be customized based on the needs of the party involved.
  • Internal business proposals: Just as the name depicts, an internal business proposal is meant to stay “within” the organization and is generally designed for the people and officials within the same organization. This is prepared for providing them an idea of the information that will be included inside a proper business proposal meant for a specific project or service, helping them approve or reject one. The ease with this kind is that these need not embrace all and every detail, and can be comprised of a more “generic” approach too.
  • External business proposals: Written with a far more informal approach as compared to the internal ones, these proposals are prepared with an intention to be sent “outside” and organization and are designated to be received by any particular entity, organization, or a decision-maker external to your own company.

Process of creating a business proposal:

  • Get ready, fold your arms, and make sure you have the right information required for outlining the proposal.
  • Carve out the potential scope of your business proposal; ask yourself all the “hows, whats, whys, whens, and ifs.”
  • Calculate the expected cost
  • Read and proofread

This is what your business proposal outline should look like:

  • A title page
  • A cover letter
  • An Executive summary
  • Table of Contents
  • Services and Methodology
  • Deliverables
  • Estimated Budget/Pricing
  • About the business
  • Past clients and contacts
  • Terms and Conditions

Things to avoid in your business proposal:

  • Going overboard with your qualities and concealing your flaws
  • Not enough research
  • Underestimating the competitors
  • Including more information than needed.
  • Doctor Prescription Pad Formats
  • Printable ID Cards
  • Creative Resume Formats for Freshers
  • Modern Resume Templates
  • Best Cover Page Formats
  • Printable Report Cards
  • Business Proposal Templates
  • 22 Raffle Ticket Templates
  • Free Certificate Templates

Search the database of 10,000+ templates, designs & formats for Microsoft Office.

  • 11+ Free Mortgage Flyer Templates to Elevate Your Marketing
  • Enhance Your Events with 20+ Unique and Free Ticket Voucher Templates
  • Relaxation Redefined: Explore Free 8+ Spa Voucher Templates
  • 24+ Free Employment Verification Letter Templates
  • Free 5+ Best Christmas Wishlist Templates for Joyful Giving
  • 5+ Best FREE Wedding Timeline Templates for a Magical Celebration
  • 6+ Free Checklist Templates to Simplify Your Inspection Process
  • Honoring Educators: 6+ Free Teacher Certificate Templates
  • 10+ Free Christmas Checklist Templates: Holiday Happiness at Your Fingertips
  • Empower Your Mission: Unveil 11+ Free Fundraiser Flyer Templates
  • 15+ Free, Dynamic Poster Templates : Your Path to Customization
  • 8+ Free Cleaning Checklist Templates to Enhance Your Environment
  • Certificates
  • Cover Pages
  • Educational
  • Event Templates
  • Invoices & Receipts
  • Letterheads
  • Office Related
  • Personal Use
  • 137+ Professional Reports – MS Word & Excel
  • 70+ Printable & Editable ID Card Designs
  • 59+ Proposal Formats
  • 31+ Best Flyer Designs & Formats
  • 100+ Cover Page Templates
  • 22+ Free Letterhead Designs and Formats
  • 24+ Free Resume Designs & for Freshers and Professionals
  • 136+ Printable Certificate Templates
  • 55+ Quotations & Invoices
  • Create FREE PDF Calendar Online

Filter by Keywords

10 Free Project Proposal Templates in Word, Excel, & ClickUp

Sarah Burner

ClickUp Contributor

February 13, 2024

Proposing a new project is messy.

What’s the purpose of the project?

What’s the budget?

Is there a goal to this?

When did you say you wanted to complete the project?

The project proposal phase is instrumental in capturing the essential details. Without a solid framework, team leads don’t know who is responsible for what, or individual contributors are clueless about what’s expected.

It’s the truth: poorly planned projects fail. 

ResearchGate data shows almost 40% of projects fail because of insufficient planning. And if there’s a communication breakdown—the rise in project failure jumps to nearly 60%.

Teams know this risk, which is why you see more leads using project proposal templates before hitting the launch button. If you manage a team, a project proposal template should work as a detailed checklist for all of your stakeholders.

Project proposal templates do more than just provide the nitty-gritty details. A solid plan encourages stakeholder buy-in. It also helps you secure budget approvals while highlighting the impact of success.   

To help you get your ducks in a row, we’ve collected 10 of the best project proposal templates you can use—absolutely free. But before we dig in, let’s take a look at what a project proposal is in the first place.

What is a Project Proposal?

1. clickup project proposal whiteboard template, 2. clickup creative agency proposal template, 3. clickup request for proposal template, 4. clickup web development request for proposal template, 5. clickup commercial proposal template, 6. clickup project narrative template, 7. microsoft word service proposal template, 8. template.net word proposal template, 9. template.net university final project proposal template, 10. template.net website project proposal template, 1. solicited project proposal, 2. unsolicited project proposal, 3. informal project proposal , 4. renewal project proposal, 5. continuation project proposal, 6. supplemental project proposal, who benefits from using a project proposal.

ClickUp Goals Feature Blog CTA

A project proposal is a documented process outlining and defining all necessary project requirements stakeholders need to accomplish in a specific timeframe. A well-planned proposal provides stakeholders with essential information like budgets , timelines , goals , and the overall purpose.

The goal is to get everyone all in and more importantly, in agreement with a set project framework.

Getting buy-in from your stakeholders and team leads is critical to the success of your project, so why not outline the most important details to get this to work? Think of a project proposal as your one chance to show everyone involved:

  • Why this is—truly—a stellar idea
  • How stakeholders can use their magic to help you win
  • Why your stakeholders are lucky enough to work on this great project

OK—maybe lucky is the wrong word. But a solid project proposal grabs the attention of your stakeholders and gets them stoked to be involved. It should also highlight the potential success stakeholders would see working with you—because who doesn’t like another project achievement in their pocket come review time?

10 Free Project Proposal Templates to Impress Stakeholders

If we haven’t convinced you yet, we’ll say it again—project proposals are essential to the outcome of your project’s success and the collaborative efforts of your team. Unfortunately, not all project proposal templates are the same.

A great template not only checks all your boxes, but it makes it easier to plan, collaborate, and structure your proposed framework. Check out these 10 most useful project proposal templates to win over your stakeholders:

ClickUp Project Proposal Whiteboard Template

Ideal proposal types: Solicited, Unsolicited, Informal, Renewal, Continuation, and Supplemental

Documenting your project proposal doesn’t always mean you only need to work with written text. In fact, visual proposals can help portray your ideas and framework more clearly.

That’s why the ClickUp Project Proposal Whiteboard Template is one of the best options to visually showcase your plan. This template uses ClickUp’s Whiteboard feature to vividly promote your proposal in a completely editable format.

Customization is king when it comes to project management, which is why ClickUp’s template is perfect for project leads wanting to tailor proposals to their specific stakeholders’ needs. The prebuilt graphs on the Whiteboard simplify the process of connecting various parts of the framework, so everyone knows who is responsible for what.

ClickUp offers collaborative features to quickly assign stakeholders to comments, link tasks in the Whiteboard view, and prevent bottlenecks with the Critical Path line so project managers know exactly what’s holding up a project.

Bonus: Proposal Management Tools

ClickUp Creative Agency Proposal Planning Template

Ideal proposal types: Solicited, Unsolicited, Informal, Renewal, and Continuation

If you manage clients for a creative agency , you’re always selling your firm to your current and potential customers. Creative agencies have to highlight what sets them apart from the rest and ultimately show clients how they can do this and within what timeframe.

Did you know a Sprout Social marketing agency survey found more than 4 in 5 agencies actually customize their proposals for each individual client?

If you want to truly highlight and customize your proposal to a specific client, using the ClickUp Creative Agency Proposal Template is a great place to start. This template streamlines the pitch to your clients with customizable tags, custom fields, and a visible progress bar.

Easily create a detailed to-do list where you can assign tasks, create important subtasks, assign comments to stakeholders, and provide priority statuses to show everyone the most essential steps.

ClickUp RFP Project Proposal Template

Ideal proposal types: Solicited, Renewal, Continuation, and Supplemental

The ClickUp RFP Template is ideal for those working in a non—or at least—less competitive field when needing to highlight your expertise on a project proposal. This solicited type of proposal needs a template that can go above and beyond with its details so every aspect of the project is covered.

RFPs need to be meticulous and informative so that everyone involved knows their responsibilities. The ClickUp RFP template gives you the ability to work from a large checklist that was customized by expert ClickUp project managers!

Not all RFPs are the same, but there are a ton of similarities and common requests that this ClickUp template includes. Kick it off to begin your project proposal process or use it to add more specific details to your framework.

Check out these request for quote templates !

ClickUp Web Development RFP Template

Dev teams are notorious for needing project information quickly and the solution or project expectations even faster. 

Working in a high project delivery environment makes web developers succinct with their project timelines because they’re typically working from project sprints. 

Use this template to help search for bidders for your web development project. In fact, the ClickUp Request for Proposal Template was specifically designed for web development projects and for creating a clear project proposal.

The template includes a Getting Started guide with ClickUp Docs presets to ensure you add your mission statement, project overview , vision, timeline, and so much more.

ClickUp Commercial Proposal Template

Ideal proposal types: Solicited, Unsolicited, Continuation, and Supplemental

Sure—there are a ton of project proposal templates and business proposal docs out there. But for businesses that specifically need a commercial proposal to give to investors, land owners, or construction firms, you must have everything thoroughly documented.

The ClickUp Commercial Proposal Template is perfect for those wanting to present their business offerings to current or potential partners and all the potential project scope issues. Additionally, having a tailored project proposal for your business gives off a much better impression.

This is especially true for commercial businesses that use simple Google Doc project proposal templates that might not include anything beyond a company logo and mission statement. It’s time to upgrade to ClickUp.

ClickUp Project Narrative Template

Ideal proposal types: Solicited, Unsolicited, Informal, and Renewal

Project narratives can be lengthy documents that include all of your thoughts, ideas, and proposals—together in one place. They help by organizing the overall project timeline and asking the essential who , what , where , when , why , and how questions. 

The ClickUp Project Narrative Template works as a primary component of your project while overviewing the summary, goals, objectives, project timeline, stakeholders, and more.

Having the ability to customize your project narrative is critical to creating a solid business proposal. This project proposal template keeps you from getting too technical in your language to describe the project without short-selling the information or project scope.

Microsoft Services Proposal Template Example

Ideal proposal types: Unsolicited, Informal, Renewal, Continuation, and Supplemental

If you’re looking for a free and very simple Microsoft Word project proposal template to plug and play for your next proposed project, this is it. The Microsoft Service Proposal Template helps you break out your business proposal pitch into separate sections.

Additionally, this template allows you to showcase the business objectives, project deliverables, and overall approach to your project’s pricing and schedule. Its preformatted tables allow you to provide exact and relevant details to your project—all in one Word document.

You can use this template as a short-gap solution for contract negotiations or renewing an old project. 

Template.net Project Proposal Template

Ideal proposal types: Unsolicited, Informal, and Continuation

Microsoft Word isn’t known to be the premium platform for well-designed project templates, but the Template.net Project Proposal Template takes it up a notch. This free project proposal template allows you to present your project to stakeholders without having them look at a bland Word Doc.

However, its customization, beyond text editing, is pretty limited. The template provides a set breakdown of an executive summary , problem, solution, and objects. At the same time, the template doesn’t leave a lot of room for creativity.

You can add different sections and program them on most devices, which makes it a very simple solution to planning for your proposed project.

Template.net University Final Project Proposal Template Example

Ideal proposal types: Solicited, Unsolicited, and Supplemental

For scholars, teachers, and students, this academic project proposal is helpful to propose upcoming research projects with a simplistic, but professional breakdown. The detailed Template.net University Final Project Proposal Template includes a section to provide institutions with more information about you or your team.

It also has sections to help you provide a timeline for the project details, pricing for the research, and the terms and conditions of the project. If you’re wanting a tailored template for your academic project proposal, this is it.

Template.net Web Project Proposal example

Ideal proposal types: Informal, Renewal, Continuation, and Supplemental

Wanting to propose your website project to a business or provide details about your process via a requested proposal? The Template.net Website Project Proposal Template might be a good fit for you.

In this project proposal template, you get a simplistic breakdown to highlight:

  • Who you are and what you do
  • The timeline of the project and important dates
  • Your proposed pricing structure to build the website
  • The terms and conditions of the proposed website project

Web devs can certainly agree on one thing—projects can easily go off course in a hurry. That’s why it’s helpful to include all of your project details and potential project scope issues directly in your project proposal.

The 6 Types of Project Proposals

Project managers and leads typically work with six different types of project proposals, which document their own unique project goals . Before adopting a new project proposal outline, it’s a good idea to get familiar with the six types of proposals first:

Much like it sounds, this type of project proposal occurs when someone solicits or requests a proposal from you. The goal is to get your expert advice or guidance on a specific project framework. This often comes through an RFP or Request for Proposal and does not compete with other proposals (i.e. contending businesses or agencies).

On the other hand, unsolicited proposals are typically sent without receiving a specific request or RFP. This format’s goal is to highlight why your framework is superior, which is why unsolicited proposals are frequently used in bids from contractors. 

Informal proposals are requested from clients or businesses that aren’t necessarily looking for an RFP, but a more conversational approach to pitch a project. The goal of this format is more flexible because it requires less specificity.

Renewal project proposals are sent to current clients in an attempt to continue, extend, or level up services with your proposed framework. Typically, the goal of this proposal is to highlight previous results or production to influence more buy-in.

Instead of convincing clients or businesses of your plan, a continuation project proposal communicates or reminds stakeholders about the start or current progress of the project. The goal is to keep stakeholders informed and up-to-date—rather than persuading them to accept the proposal.

A supplemental project proposal works like a continuation proposal. However, this type of proposal doesn’t just provide an update, it asks for additional resources—whether it’s labor or monetary funding. The goal is to convince stakeholders there is more needed to complete the original plan.

Businesses: Project proposals are important for businesses to understand the scope of a project and make sure that it is completed on time. This document helps them track progress and ensure that all stakeholders are aware of any changes or updates necessary for the project.

  • New Businesses
  • Food Businesses
  • Laundry Businesses
  • Flower Shops
  • Coffee Shops

Project Managers: Project proposals are essential for project managers to set expectations and make sure the project is completed on time. This document outlines the timeline, budget, scope, objectives, deliverables & any other necessary information related to a project.

  • Agile Projects
  • Pilot Projects
  • Creative Project
  • Organizational Structure
  • Project Automation

Win Over Businesses With Project Proposal Templates From ClickUp

Project proposals don’t have to be boring—or for that matter—in a dull Word doc. Luckily, ClickUp has hundreds of premade templates to help you kickstart your next project plan , proposal, or incoming requests.

Whether you need to include stakeholders, assign teammates work, or just provide a more visually stunning project proposal, ClickUp is the answer for you.

The best part?

All of our templates are completely free . Create your own Workspace, implement a premade template , and get started today!

Questions? Comments? Visit our Help Center for support.

Receive the latest WriteClick Newsletter updates.

Thanks for subscribing to our blog!

Please enter a valid email

  • Free training & 24-hour support
  • Serious about security & privacy
  • 99.99% uptime the last 12 months

business proposal word doc

Create a form in Word that users can complete or print

In Word, you can create a form that others can fill out and save or print.  To do this, you will start with baseline content in a document, potentially via a form template.  Then you can add content controls for elements such as check boxes, text boxes, date pickers, and drop-down lists. Optionally, these content controls can be linked to database information.  Following are the recommended action steps in sequence.  

Show the Developer tab

In Word, be sure you have the Developer tab displayed in the ribbon.  (See how here:  Show the developer tab .)

Open a template or a blank document on which to base the form

You can start with a template or just start from scratch with a blank document.

Start with a form template

Go to File > New .

In the  Search for online templates  field, type  Forms or the kind of form you want. Then press Enter .

In the displayed results, right-click any item, then select  Create. 

Start with a blank document 

Select Blank document .

Add content to the form

Go to the  Developer  tab Controls section where you can choose controls to add to your document or form. Hover over any icon therein to see what control type it represents. The various control types are described below. You can set properties on a control once it has been inserted.

To delete a content control, right-click it, then select Remove content control  in the pop-up menu. 

Note:  You can print a form that was created via content controls. However, the boxes around the content controls will not print.

Insert a text control

The rich text content control enables users to format text (e.g., bold, italic) and type multiple paragraphs. To limit these capabilities, use the plain text content control . 

Click or tap where you want to insert the control.

Rich text control button

To learn about setting specific properties on these controls, see Set or change properties for content controls .

Insert a picture control

A picture control is most often used for templates, but you can also add a picture control to a form.

Picture control button

Insert a building block control

Use a building block control  when you want users to choose a specific block of text. These are helpful when you need to add different boilerplate text depending on the document's specific purpose. You can create rich text content controls for each version of the boilerplate text, and then use a building block control as the container for the rich text content controls.

building block gallery control

Select Developer and content controls for the building block.

Developer tab showing content controls

Insert a combo box or a drop-down list

In a combo box, users can select from a list of choices that you provide or they can type in their own information. In a drop-down list, users can only select from the list of choices.

combo box button

Select the content control, and then select Properties .

To create a list of choices, select Add under Drop-Down List Properties .

Type a choice in Display Name , such as Yes , No , or Maybe .

Repeat this step until all of the choices are in the drop-down list.

Fill in any other properties that you want.

Note:  If you select the Contents cannot be edited check box, users won’t be able to click a choice.

Insert a date picker

Click or tap where you want to insert the date picker control.

Date picker button

Insert a check box

Click or tap where you want to insert the check box control.

Check box button

Use the legacy form controls

Legacy form controls are for compatibility with older versions of Word and consist of legacy form and Active X controls.

Click or tap where you want to insert a legacy control.

Legacy control button

Select the Legacy Form control or Active X Control that you want to include.

Set or change properties for content controls

Each content control has properties that you can set or change. For example, the Date Picker control offers options for the format you want to use to display the date.

Select the content control that you want to change.

Go to Developer > Properties .

Controls Properties  button

Change the properties that you want.

Add protection to a form

If you want to limit how much others can edit or format a form, use the Restrict Editing command:

Open the form that you want to lock or protect.

Select Developer > Restrict Editing .

Restrict editing button

After selecting restrictions, select Yes, Start Enforcing Protection .

Restrict editing panel

Advanced Tip:

If you want to protect only parts of the document, separate the document into sections and only protect the sections you want.

To do this, choose Select Sections in the Restrict Editing panel. For more info on sections, see Insert a section break .

Sections selector on Resrict sections panel

If the developer tab isn't displayed in the ribbon, see Show the Developer tab .

Open a template or use a blank document

To create a form in Word that others can fill out, start with a template or document and add content controls. Content controls include things like check boxes, text boxes, and drop-down lists. If you’re familiar with databases, these content controls can even be linked to data.

Go to File > New from Template .

New from template option

In Search, type form .

Double-click the template you want to use.

Select File > Save As , and pick a location to save the form.

In Save As , type a file name and then select Save .

Start with a blank document

Go to File > New Document .

New document option

Go to File > Save As .

Go to Developer , and then choose the controls that you want to add to the document or form. To remove a content control, select the control and press Delete. You can set Options on controls once inserted. From Options, you can add entry and exit macros to run when users interact with the controls, as well as list items for combo boxes, .

Adding content controls to your form

In the document, click or tap where you want to add a content control.

On Developer , select Text Box , Check Box , or Combo Box .

Developer tab with content controls

To set specific properties for the control, select Options , and set .

Repeat steps 1 through 3 for each control that you want to add.

Set options

Options let you set common settings, as well as control specific settings. Select a control and then select Options to set up or make changes.

Set common properties.

Select Macro to Run on lets you choose a recorded or custom macro to run on Entry or Exit from the field.

Bookmark Set a unique name or bookmark for each control.

Calculate on exit This forces Word to run or refresh any calculations, such as total price when the user exits the field.

Add Help Text Give hints or instructions for each field.

OK Saves settings and exits the panel.

Cancel Forgets changes and exits the panel.

Set specific properties for a Text box

Type Select form Regular text, Number, Date, Current Date, Current Time, or Calculation.

Default text sets optional instructional text that's displayed in the text box before the user types in the field. Set Text box enabled to allow the user to enter text into the field.

Maximum length sets the length of text that a user can enter. The default is Unlimited .

Text format can set whether text automatically formats to Uppercase , Lowercase , First capital, or Title case .

Text box enabled Lets the user enter text into a field. If there is default text, user text replaces it.

Set specific properties for a Check box .

Default Value Choose between Not checked or checked as default.

Checkbox size Set a size Exactly or Auto to change size as needed.

Check box enabled Lets the user check or clear the text box.

Set specific properties for a Combo box

Drop-down item Type in strings for the list box items. Press + or Enter to add an item to the list.

Items in drop-down list Shows your current list. Select an item and use the up or down arrows to change the order, Press - to remove a selected item.

Drop-down enabled Lets the user open the combo box and make selections.

Protect the form

Go to Developer > Protect Form .

Protect form button on the Developer tab

Note:  To unprotect the form and continue editing, select Protect Form again.

Save and close the form.

Test the form (optional)

If you want, you can test the form before you distribute it.

Protect the form.

Reopen the form, fill it out as the user would, and then save a copy.

Creating fillable forms isn’t available in Word for the web.

You can create the form with the desktop version of Word with the instructions in Create a fillable form .

When you save the document and reopen it in Word for the web, you’ll see the changes you made.

Facebook

Need more help?

Want more options.

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

business proposal word doc

Microsoft 365 subscription benefits

business proposal word doc

Microsoft 365 training

business proposal word doc

Microsoft security

business proposal word doc

Accessibility center

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.

business proposal word doc

Ask the Microsoft Community

business proposal word doc

Microsoft Tech Community

business proposal word doc

Windows Insiders

Microsoft 365 Insiders

Was this information helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.

ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form .

How to use Copilot Pro to write, edit, and analyze your Word documents

lance-31.png

Microsoft's Copilot Pro AI offers a few benefits for $20 per month. But the most helpful one is the AI-powered integration with the different Microsoft 365 apps. For those of you who use Microsoft Word, for instance, Copilot Pro can help you write and revise your text, provide summaries of your documents, and answer questions about any document.

First, you'll need a subscription to either Microsoft 365 Personal or Family . Priced at $70 per year, the Personal edition is geared for one individual signed into as many as five devices. At $100 per year, the Family edition is aimed at up to six people on as many as five devices. The core apps in the suite include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote.

Also: Microsoft Copilot vs. Copilot Pro: Is the subscription fee worth it?

Second, you'll need the subscription to Copilot Pro if you don't already have one. To sign up, head to the Copilot Pro website . Click the Get Copilot Pro button. Confirm the subscription and the payment. The next time you use Copilot on the website, in Windows, or with the mobile apps, the Pro version will be in effect.

How to use Copilot Pro in Word

1. open word.

Launch Microsoft Word and open a blank document. Let's say you need help writing a particular type of document and want Copilot to create a draft. 

Also: Microsoft Copilot Pro vs. OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus: Which is worth your $20 a month?

A small "Draft with Copilot" window appears on the screen. If you don't see it, click the tiny "Draft with Copilot icon in the left margin."

 width=

2. Submit your request

At the text field in the window, type a description of the text you need and click the "Generate" button.

 width=

Submit your request.

3. Review the response and your options

Copilot generates and displays its response. After reading the response, you're presented with a few different options.

 width=

Review the response and your options.

4. Keep, regenerate, or remove the draft

If you like the draft, click "Keep it." The draft is then inserted into your document where you can work with it. If you don't like the draft, click the "Regenerate" button, and a new draft is created. 

Also: What is Copilot (formerly Bing Chat)? Here's everything you need to know

If you'd prefer to throw out the entire draft and start from scratch, click the trash can icon.

 width=

Keep, regenerate, or remove the draft.

5. Alter the draft

Alternatively, you can try to modify the draft by typing a specific request in the text field, such as "Make it more formal," "Make it shorter," or "Make it more casual."

 width=

Alter the draft.

6. Review the different versions

If you opt to regenerate the draft, you can switch between the different versions by clicking the left or right arrow next to the number. You can then choose to keep the draft you prefer.

 width=

7. Revise existing text

Copilot will also help you fine-tune existing text. Select the text you want to revise. Click the Copilot icon in the left margin and select "Rewrite with Copilot."

 width=

Revise existing text.

8. Review the different versions

Copilot creates a few different versions of the text. Click the arrow keys to view each version.

 width=

Review the different versions.

9. Replace or Insert

If you find one you like, click "Replace" to replace the text you selected. 

Also: ChatGPT vs. Microsoft Copilot vs. Gemini: Which is the best AI chatbot?

Click "Insert below" to insert the new draft below the existing words so you can compare the two.

 width=

Replace or Insert.

10. Adjust the tone

Click "Regenerate" to ask Copilot to try again. Click the "Adjust Tone" button and select a different tone to generate another draft.

 width=

Adjust the tone.

11. Turn text into a table

Sometimes you have text that would look and work better as a table. Copilot can help. Select the text you wish to turn into a table. Click the Copilot icon and select "Visualize as a Table."

 width=

Turn text into a table.

12. Respond to the table

In response, click "Keep it" to retain the table. Click "Regenerate" to try again. Click the trash can icon to delete it. Otherwise, type a request in the text field, such as "remove the second row" or "make the last column wider."

 width=

Respond to the table.

13. Summarize a document

Copilot Pro can provide a summary of a document with its key points. To try this, open the document you want to summarize and then click the Copilot icon on the Ribbon. 

Also: The best AI chatbots

The right sidebar displays several prompts you can use to start your question. Click the one for "Summarize this doc."

 width=

Summarize a document.

14. Review the summary

View the generated summary in the sidebar. If you like it as is, click the "Copy" button to copy the summary and paste it elsewhere.

 width=

Review the summary.

15. Revise the summary

Otherwise, choose one of the suggested questions or ask your own question to revise the summary. For example, you could tell Copilot to make the summary longer, shorter, more formal, or less formal. 

Also: The best AI image generators

You could also ask it to expand on one of the points in the summary or provide more details on a certain point. A specific response is then generated based on your request.

 width=

Revise the summary.

16. Ask questions about a document

Next, you can ask specific questions about any of the content in a document. Again, click the Copilot icon to display the sidebar. In the prompt area, type and submit your question. Copilot displays the response in the sidebar. You can then ask follow-up questions as needed.

 width=

Ask questions about a document.

More how-tos

 width=

I've tried Vision Pro and other top XR headsets and here's the one most people should buy

 width=

The best AI image generators to try right now

 width=

The best TVs of 2024: Expert tested

IMAGES

  1. Free Proposal Templates For Word

    business proposal word doc

  2. 30+ Business Proposal Templates & Proposal Letter Samples

    business proposal word doc

  3. Template Proposal Word Keren

    business proposal word doc

  4. a white and blue cover for a project with the word proposal on it

    business proposal word doc

  5. Microsoft Word Business Proposal Template For Your Needs

    business proposal word doc

  6. 25+ Sample Business Proposal Templates in Word

    business proposal word doc

COMMENTS

  1. Free Business Proposal Template in Word

    Download and complete our free business proposal template in Word to create sleek, professional proposals for new clients. Showcase your skills, stay on brand, and stand out from the crowd with our customizable business proposal sample. Get contracts with new clients.

  2. Business proposal templates

    Create from scratch Show all Free business proposal templates If you're working on growing your business, use these business proposal templates to speed up the process. Each of these professionally designed business templates will help you sell your products or services and make a good impression.

  3. 25 MS Word Business Proposal Templates to Make Deals in 2023

    1. Red Business Proposal Template for Word Click through the image gallery above to see more of the Red Project Proposal template for Word. The first proposal template for Word on this list is unique. This template for proposal features a bold red design on a landscape layout. It's a project proposal template for Word with 24 pages.

  4. 20 Best Free Proposal Templates for Google Docs and Microsoft Word

    For a business proposal that shines, use a Google Docs proposal template or a Microsoft Word business proposal template. In this guide, I'll share premium and free project proposal templates for Google Docs and Microsoft Word. There are excellent premium Microsoft Word proposal templates on Envato Elements.

  5. How to Make Great Business Proposals With Microsoft Word

    Jan 27, 2021 • 11 min read English Templates Proposal Marketing Sales Microsoft Word A premium business proposal template is the best way to create a stellar proposal. The best business proposal template docs have everything you need, and a polished design, too. Envato Elements has a ton of project proposal templates for Word.

  6. 167+ Free Business Proposal Templates

    While you can download any proposal in our template library as a PDF, signing up for a PandaDoc account will allow you to import our template into the document editor for quick and easy editing. Browse our business proposal samples and use them to take your sales outreach to the next level. Instantly draft and send a business proposal template ...

  7. How to Write a Business Proposal [Examples + Template]

    Meredith Hart 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.

  8. How to Write a Business Proposal (+ Examples & FREE Templates)

    An effective business proposal is a document used by a B2B or business-facing company (this may not always be the case) where a seller aims to persuade a prospective buyer into buying their goods or services. A business proposal outlines what your business does and what you can do for your client.

  9. Free Business Proposal Template Template for Word

    Business Proposal Template for Word, PDF Use this professional business proposal template to pitch your company to clients, investors, partners, and more. Download Free Template Available for Word & PDF First Name* Last Name* Email* Phone number* Company name* Website URL* How Many Employees Work at Your Company?* We're committed to your privacy.

  10. How to Write a Business Proposal in Microsoft Word

    Once you've checked that out, follow these steps to write a business proposal for your company: 1. Design Your Title Page. The title page (aka cover page) of your business proposal welcomes the reader and contains details that identify your company and your client. This includes the names, logos, addresses, and contact details of both parties.

  11. Business Proposal Template in Word

    Business Proposal Template in Word Outshine Competition with Template.net's Free Business Proposal Templates in Word.

  12. Free Business Proposal Template

    A business proposal is critical for forming new relationships to grow your business. A well-written proposal can make a difference in winning or losing prospective clients or customers. When looking for new customers, a business proposal is a formal document that provides essential details of your goals and plans. Table of Contents

  13. Free Business Plan Templates for Word

    Download Simple 30-60-90-Day Business Plan Template Word | Smartsheet For more 30-60-90 business plan templates, visit our "Free 30-60-90-Day Business Plan Templates and Samples" article. Simple Business Plan Outline Template

  14. Create a business plan

    Create a business plan with templates in Word: Start with a template Download these templates from the Office Templates site to create your plan: Fill in your Business plan. Analyze your market with the Business market analysis template. Detail your financials in a Financial plan.

  15. 35 Best Premium & Free Business Proposal Templates for Word & InDesign

    This business proposal template for Word is a great choice for creative businesses. Edit it in InDesign as well as Word. The template comes with: .indd, .idml, .docx, .doc, and .pages files. 32 pages. A4 and US Letter sizes with 3mm bleedings. CMYK at 300 DPI. print-ready.

  16. How to Write a Business Proposal with Examples

    1. Create a cover page 2. Introduce yourself with a cover letter 6. Pricing 7. About us 8. Testimonials and social proof 9. Agreement and CTA Create a business proposal Author Yauhen Zaremba Director of Demand Generation at PandaDoc Why should you learn how to write a business proposal?

  17. How to Write a Business Proposal

    A business proposal is a document you'd send to a prospective client, outlining the service you're offering, and explaining why you're the best person for the job. It's a pitch by a business or individual to complete a specific job or project, to supply a service, or, in some instances, to be the vendor of a certain product.

  18. 25+ Sample Business Proposal Templates in Word

    Business Proposal Format Details File Format Google Docs MS Word Pages Size: A4, US Download Now Looking to create a business proposal in Word for a potential buyer or client? Look no further by downloading this business proposal format template that is given above! Submitting a business proposal to a client can be nerve-wracking.

  19. 47+ Free Proposal Templates in MS Word

    47+ Free Proposal Templates in MS Word In the world of business, a proposal is a written office document that is handed to the seller, producer, consumer, or any prospective buyer who shows interest in buying a product templates or hiring a service from you.

  20. Free Business Proposal Template

    A business proposal is a formal document that introduces and outlines who you are, what you do, and what that can do for your potential client. A business proposal template is your go-to skeleton structure for all future business proposals. It includes all of your business essentials you can rinse and repeat and leaves you space to adapt the ...

  21. 59+ MS Word Proposal Templates for Individuals & Businesses

    Process of creating a business proposal: Get ready, fold your arms, and make sure you have the right information required for outlining the proposal. Carve out the potential scope of your business proposal; ask yourself all the "hows, whats, whys, whens, and ifs.". Calculate the expected cost. Read and proofread.

  22. Business Proposal: How-to Guide, Templates & Examples

    A business proposal is a document that aims to secure a business agreement. Whether printed or digital, a business proposal is written by a business and offered to a prospective customer. In many cases, the prospective customer is also a business that's looking for the best B2B solution. The purpose of a business proposal varies.

  23. 10 Free Project Proposal Templates in Word, Excel, & ClickUp

    Microsoft Word Service Proposal Template 8. Template.net Word Proposal Template 9. Template.net University Final Project Proposal Template 10. Template.net Website Project Proposal Template The 6 Types of Project Proposals 1. Solicited project proposal 2. Unsolicited project proposal 3. Informal project proposal 4.

  24. Create a form in Word that users can complete or print

    Open a template or use a blank document. To create a form in Word that others can fill out, start with a template or document and add content controls. Content controls include things like check boxes, text boxes, and drop-down lists. If you're familiar with databases, these content controls can even be linked to data.

  25. How to use Copilot Pro to write, edit, and analyze your Word documents

    Here's how to call on Microsoft's Copilot Pro to assist you with your Microsoft Word documents. Written by Lance Whitney, Contributor Feb. 15, 2024 at 1:20 p.m. PT Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET