Creating a perfect business proposal

Having a solid business proposal is as important in strategizing with booking a client as the first and closing steps.  A well executed project proposal is the gate way to showcasing your management skills to your prospect. 

This is a pivital point because it is what can make or break the sale.  The proposal is what can turn a prospect into not only a client, but a client for the long run.  If a potential client has a stack of proposals from 3-5 seperate companies to look at, they are going to stick with the most organized, straight to the point proposals almost every time.   Your proposed business plan for individual projects can easily be interpreted (and many times is) as a resume for your firm. 

What needs to be on a well executed proposal?  What order should these items be in? 

1. Executive summary – summary of the entire proposal
2. Statement of need – why project is necessary for the prospect, or client
3. Project description – How the project at hand will be implemented and evaluated
4. Organization information, Timelines, and execution strategies
5. Project schedule
6. Budget Needed that includes an itemized, well detailed list of expenses
7. Conclusion
   
   These are the things that will make up a great company proposal.  It is also very important to be sure to stay consistent with brand recognition from the first contact, to the proposal, invoicing, to the execution of the project.   

All about Business Development

Business development involves varying degrees of sales and strategy. In some companies, biz dev people may focus on getting new corporate sales accounts, while in others they may lead new product development. At larger companies such as Oracle, Cisco, or Microsoft, one of biz dev's many responsibilities may be to decide which smaller companies the company should acquire next to ensure that it retains its market strength in the future.

Working in business development is an excellent way to become adept at business strategy while gaining hands-on experience in negotiating deals and managing partner relationships. Business development jobs are also highly cross-functional, requiring close collaboration with various internal and partner-company teams such as sales, engineering, and marketing to ensure that a deal is consummated. With its focus on strategy, biz dev steers the direction of a company—the deals forged today determine what the rest of the company will be working on tomorrow.

Business development is a combination of strategic analysis, marketing, and sales. Business development (or "biz dev") professionals can be involved in everything from the development of their employers' products and services, to the creation of marketing strategies, to the generation of sales leads, to negotiating and closing deals.

The job of the business development professional is typically to identify new business opportunities—whether that means new markets, new partnerships with other businesses, new ways to reach existing markets, or new product or service offerings to better meet the needs of existing markets—and then to go out and exploit those opportunities to bring in more revenue.

10 Great Ways to Keep Your Business in Good Standing

Although it is not easy, there are very many ways to promote with a limited budget. I have found that it is important to keep up with the trends, and learning how to decipher how to utilize these avenues to your businesses interest.
1. Get Creative

2. Stay consistent with your product or service

3. Brand recognition, LOGO LOGO LOGO

4. Be "in the know" always, do your research; double check the facts

5. Once you have researched, create a business plan

6. Exhaust your free avenues after researching

7. Be confident about what you need, be cautious about what you want

8. Stay involved in activities that you find your potential clients are interested in

9. Get in the mindset of your ideal client

10. Go where the client is. Don't always hope that they will come to you

Always remember the difference between what is needed for your business, and what you would 'like' for your business. These are two completely different worlds. When you focus on what you want, be prepared to know that your business plan may never come to fruition.