Your business plan is a professional document, and if you’re looking to secure funding it’s important to use an appropriate writing style when you create it. The writing style is also known as voice or tone, and it can be affected by the words you use and your sentence structure.
Here are five pointers to help you set the right tone for your business plan:
Choose Your Writing Style
Everyone has a different writing style, with some people sounding more authoritative or crisp, and others being more casual and conversational. When it comes to writing a business plan, you’ll generally want to sound formal and professional, but your exact style may depend on who your potential investor is and what your business idea is.
Whichever style you choose, make sure you use it consistently throughout your business plan and that it will appeal to your intended audience.
Make It Easy to Understand
If your business plan is difficult to read and understand, this is going to be off-putting for your potential investors. And with plenty of other start-ups competing for funding, you don’t want to give yourself any disadvantages. So write clearly and concisely – don’t be too wordy or rambling.
If you struggle to get started, it may help to write down everything as each thought comes to you, and then worry about editing it into something more coherent later.
Avoid Technical Jargon
Technical words or jargon that’s unique to your field of work may make your business plan sound impressive, but your reader won’t feel very impressed if they don’t understand it. Think about who your reader is and try to put yourself in their shoes. If you need to mention technical aspects of your idea, be sure to explain them thoroughly, and don’t assume that acronyms widely used within your industry are known to everyone.
Perfect Your Spelling and Grammar
Spelling, punctuation, and grammar are some of the things that people don’t tend to notice when they are correct. But mistakes stick out like a sore thumb – get something wrong, and people are bound to see it. Don’t be fooled into thinking that having a great business idea is the only thing that matters.
A well-executed business plan can make or break you when it comes to securing funding. What does your business plan say about your attention to detail? Does it suggest you strive for perfection, or that you’re happy serving up something a bit sloppy?
Get A Second Opinion
It will help to have someone else look over your business plan once you’re done, as they can pick up any spelling errors or inconsistencies you may have missed. They can also let you know if some things are confusing or not explained well enough – especially if the person doesn’t work in your particular industry.
If this all sounds a little overwhelming and you’re not sure where to start, cbm can help. We’ve had over 20 years of experience in writing business plans and helping businesses to secure the funding they need. Contact us to find out how we can do the same for you.