A business plan layout is typically pretty mundane. There's the
cover, the table of contents, some 20-25 pages of content and the back
cover.
The innards are typically long paragraphs punctuated with bold font
sprinkled hither and yon.
And it's all a big bore.
There's a reason for this. The "how to write business plans" books
are classics. That means they are old. They were all written
pre-internet. And that's an important consideration in capturing and
holding an audience.
The writing style of the internet has changed the way people think.
And the way they read.
For instance, glance through this web site, or most any other successful
web site, and you will see some real differences in style and layout, such
as:
Short Paragraphs. Computer monitors don't
have the tight resolution of a printed page, so our eyes get tired.
To help us focus, good writers use shorter paragraphs.
Bulleted Lists. But sometimes there is
still a great deal to be communicated, so bulleted lists have become
quite popular (or indented lists, like this one).
Block Indents. This is a block indented
section. It gives visual variety, so your eyes don't get so tired
and I can hold your attention a bit longer.
Left Align. In the old days, nearly all
paragraphs were indented five spaces. No more.
Judicious Use of Color. A bit of color is
nice. Splashes of color all over is yucky.
Style that Reflects the Topic. Your
business plan layout, like your web site, is going to pick up on the
style of your business. A presentation for stylish clothes for
teenage girls will look a lot different than one for biotech research.
Other than that, your business plan layout is pretty much
up to you. Make sure that all the pertinent parts are there, but put
them in any order that makes sense for your business.
And when you've got a glump of stuff that really needs to
be included, but it is in tiny print and long paragraphs, put it as an
attachment, either in hard copy form or on a disk, or both. That
way, the information is still there for those who want it, but you wont'
lose your reader before you get started.
