writing a business proposal (student guide)(3)

5/20/2018 Writing a Business Proposal (Student Guide)(3)

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SINGAPORE POLYTECHNIC

Writing a Business Proposal

Guide & Exercises

This is a step-by-step guide on how to write a business proposal. Short writing exercises areincluded for practice in class.


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Contents

The 3P Framework ............................................................................................................................................. 2

Format of CA10 Proposal Report (for submission) ........................................................................................ .... 3

Cover Page 2 ............................................................... ................................................................. ....................... 5

Table of Contents ........................................................ ................................................................. ....................... 7

Position ............................................................ ................................................................. .................................. 9

Problems .......................................................... ................................................................. ................................ 13

Citation ............................................................................................................................................................. 20

Reference List ............................................................. ................................................................. ..................... 21

Figure vs. Table ................................................................................................................................................ 24

Sections of the Proposal.................................................................................................................................... 27

Recommendation ........................................................ ................................................................. ..................... 29

Benefits of Product/ Service ....................................................................... ...................................................... 31

Features of Product/ Service ................................................................................................................... .......... 31

Evaluation Plan ........................................................... ................................................................. ..................... 40

Conclusion ....................................................... ................................................................. ................................ 41

Response .......................................................... ................................................................. ................................ 42

Appendix .......................................................................................................................................................... 44


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STRUCTURE OF A PROPOSAL

This guide presents you with a broad framework to the structure of a proposal.

The 3P Framewo rk

Before you start writing your proposal you need to think of your game plan.

A broad framework that would be useful in planning your proposal would be the 3Ps. Most

people use the 3Ps to put their ideas into a framework/outline. Use the 3Ps to guide you in

creating the outline for your Business Proposal (CA10).

Please note that using the 3Ps is not the only way to help you outl ine all proposals.

The 3Ps are:

Position

Problem

Proposal


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Format of CA10 Propos al Report (for submis sion )

COVER PAGE 1(as a student of SP)

SP logo

Full name as shown in class register

Student ID Class

Name of lecturer

Date of proposal submission

COVER PAGE 2(as someone in

management position

of a pretend

company)

Your company logo

Title of proposal

Proposed to:

o Name of approver from target company

o Position in target company

o Name of target company

Proposed by:

o Name of proposer

o Position in company

o Name of own company

Date of proposal submission

TABLE OF

CONTENTS(for proposals longer

than 10 pages)

Numbered headings and subheadings

Page numbers

POSITION Your company background/ description

Company mission

Awards won

Objective(s) of proposal

PROBLEM(in-text-citation in

Harvard Style)

Analysis of current situation

o Problems faced by consumers

(Justification with primary and/ or secondary research

e.g. graphics/ table/ graph/ quotation/ statistics)

o Problems of existing products/ services that are similar

to the product/ service you will propose

(Justification with primary and/ or secondary research

e.g. graphics/ table/ graph/ quotation/ statistics)


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PROPOSAL(in-text-citation in

Harvard Style)

Proposed product/ service

o Name of product/ service

o Image of product/ service

Benefits of collaboration, especially for approvers company

Features of product/ service

Competitive advantage over rival products/ services e.g.

o demographic/ lifestyle/ social trends

o R&D trends

o environmental issues

o economic outlook

o government policies

(Justification with primary and/ or secondary research e.g.

graphics/ table/ graph/ quotation/ statistics)

Resource needs (costing, manpower, software etc.)

Implementation plan

CONCLUSION Main benefits for approvers company

RESPONSE Approver to accept or decline proposal

Signature of approver and date

REFERENCES List of references in Harvard Style

APPENDIX/

APPENDICES Include:

o long/ complex figures and tables

o useful BUT non-essential information related to

proposed product/ service


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Analys is of a Sample Proposal

Cover Page 2

1) Without looking at the proposal format, label the parts of the cover page 2.

1. ___________________________

2. ___________________________

3. ___________________________

4. ___________________________

5. ___________________________

6. ___________________________

7. ___________________________

8. ___________________________

9. ___________________________

CONTENT


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Cover Page 2

1) What makes the cover page professional-looking?

2) Where should page 1 of a proposal be?

FORMAT


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Table of Contents

1) Look at the Table of Contentsbelow. Are the headings and subheadings phrased in a

helpful and meaningful way? How?

CONTENT


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Table of Contents

1) Look at the sample again. How are the headings and subheadings formatted?

2) How are the headings and subheadings numbered?

FORMAT


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Posi t ion

Answer the questions that follow the Position extract of the sample proposal below.

CONTENT


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1) How relevant and useful are the subheadings for the heading Position?

2) What are different ways to refer to your company?

3) Why should the use of I be avoided?

4) Why are the awards included in Position?

5) What is the objective of the proposal? Why is the objective placed at the end of

Position?


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Posit ion

1) How are the awards presented? Why?

2) How long are the sentences and paragraphs? Why?

FORMAT


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Tips on Content

1) Your company name should start the first paragraph

because it is the most important information

2) One main idea (with related information) per paragraph

Tips on Formatting

1. Depending on company policy on formatting of proposals:

Single spacing - use double-spacing to indicate new paragraphs (as shown in the

sample provided)

Double spacing - indent every new paragraph (not shown)

2. Serif fonts (with a tail at the ends of each letter) e.g. Times New Roman are easier

to read and should be used for body text.

3. Sans-serif fonts (without a tail) e.g. MS Reference Sans Serif, which tend to

be more fanciful and harder to read, can be used for short headings and subheadings.

T i m e s N e w R o m a nvs.

S Reference Sans Serif


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Prob lems

To interest the approver to collaborate with Eureka IT Solutions, there must be a real need for

the proposed service (i.e. an IT programme for the elderly). The best way to show the need is

by proving that there are:

problems faced by the target users of the service, and/ or

problems that existing services do not address (effectively)

First Problem : Low computer user ra te amo ng the e lder ly

Look at how information from the website and table (given in the next two pages) can be

cited as evidence to explain the problem Low Computer User Rate among the Elderly.

The extract from the sample proposal following the two sources shows how they have been

incorporated as evidence.


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Website that is cited as evidence in sample proposal


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Graph (from website) that is cited as evidence in sample proposal

IndividualComputerandInternetUsag

ebyAgegroupin2009


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Extract from sample proposalLow computer user rate among the elderly


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There are 3 ways to present the information from the two sources:

i. Quoting an entire paragraph e.g.

ii. Quoting short phrases/ sentences e.g.

iii. Paraphrasing e.g.

According to IDA (2011):

In the Intelligent Nation 2015 (iN2015) masterplan, we have a living

blueprint, jointly developed with the people and private sectors, to navigate

Singapores exhilarating transition into An Intelligent Nation, A Global City,

Powered by Infocomm. iN2015will fuel creativity and enable innovation

among businesses and individuals by providing an infocomm platfor, that

supports enterprise and talent. It will connect business, individuals and

communities, giving them the ability to harness resources and capabilities

across geographies. Home computer access has reached 84% in 2010; in

fact, 52% of this figure own two or more computers.

However, with only 14% of those aged 60 and above have used a computer in thepast twelve months (in 2009), the elderly in Singapore are lagging far behind the

younger generation in computer usage. (IDA 2010)

Information Technology plays an integral role in our lives. According to IDA

(2011), Home computer access has reached 84% in 2010; in fact, 52% of this

figure own two or more computers. While this evolving masterplan appearsrather successful, only 14% of those aged 60 and above have used a computer in

the past twelve months. (IDA 2010)

Information Technology plays an integral role in our lives. In 2010, 84% of

Singaporeans have access to computers at home, out of which 52% have access to

at least two computers (IDA 2011). With the governments vision of iN2015 (AnIntelligent Nation 2015) to further develop the IT infrastructure in Singapore,

these figures will only increase.

However, while the numbers are encouraging, further analysis shows that there is a

gap in the use of IT among the various age groups. According to the statistics

released by IDA (2010), the usage of computers in 2009 was about 95% for those

34 years and below and about 44% for Singaporeans aged between 50 -59 years

(Figure 1). In sharp contrast, only 14% of the Singaporeans aged 60 and above

have used a computer.


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1) What are the differences among the 3 ways of presenting information in terms of

content and format?

i. Quoting short phrases/ sentences

Content

Format

ii. Quoting an entire paragraph

Content

Format

iii. Paraphrasing

Content

Format


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2) Why would the chosen website and table be considered as reliable evidence?

3) Why must the following explanation be included with the graph?

However, while the numbers are encouraging, further analysis shows that there

is a gap in the use of IT among the various age groups. According to the statistics

released by IDA (2010), the usage of computers in 2009 was about 95% for those34 years and below and about 44% for Singaporeans aged between 50 -59 years

(Figure 1). In sharp contrast, only 14% of the Singaporeans aged 60 and above

have used a computer.


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Citat ion

When evidence is used, the source must be cited. The Harvard Style is used for citation in

Singapore Polytechnic. The citation involves:

In-text citation

Reference list

A detailed citation guide is available athttp://eliser.lib.sp.edu.sg/page/citation.

I n-text Citation

is the short version of the source that is placed within the body of the proposal

always includes

o the name of source (organization or person)

o year of publication

applies to figures, tables, statistics and quotations

I n-text Citation

can be shown

o in brackets (IDA 2011) ,OR

o written as part of the sentenceAccording to the statistics released by IDA (2010)

CONTENT

FORMAT
http://eliser.lib.sp.edu.sg/page/citationhttp://eliser.lib.sp.edu.sg/page/citationhttp://eliser.lib.sp.edu.sg/page/citationhttp://eliser.lib.sp.edu.sg/page/citation


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Reference L ist

shows the full details of each source used as evidence in the proposal

1) All the sources in the Reference List used in the sample proposal are online ones. Use

them to identify the details required.

Details to include:

Organisation/ Author/ Editor(s)

Year (if available)the year the information was published on the website

o Look for:

Date last updated

Last modified

Copyright 20xx

usually at the bottom of the webpage or check the homepage

Title (in italics) [Online]spelled out to show that source is online (note square brackets)

Place of publication (if available)not shown in the sample

Publisher (if available)not shown in the sample

URL

Accessed datethe date when you visited the webpage

For example,

Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore,2011. Overview[online]. Available from:

http://www.ida.gov.sg/About%20us/20060406102431.

aspx[Accessed 1 August 2011].

Note thepunctuationused.

CONTENT
http://www.ida.gov.sg/About%20us/20060406102431.aspxhttp://www.ida.gov.sg/About%20us/20060406102431.aspxhttp://www.ida.gov.sg/About%20us/20060406102431.aspxhttp://www.ida.gov.sg/About%20us/20060406102431.aspxhttp://www.ida.gov.sg/About%20us/20060406102431.aspx


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Reference L ist

is always placed

o after the conclusion of the proposal

o before the appendix/ appendices

1) How are the sources arranged in the reference list?

2) Match the two in-text citations with their full version listed in the reference list.

FORMAT


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The in-text citations must match with their full version in the reference list.


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Figu re vs. Table

Graphs, charts, diagrams, drawings, photographs are categorised under Figure

Only tables are categorised under Table

Figu re vs. Table

Can a table or figure be split into 2 pages? Flip through all the pages of the sample

proposal for the answer.

Numbering of Figures and Tables

All figures and tables must be numbered (AND labelled with a meaningful caption)

Ignore the figure number or table number used in the sourceo The first figure that appears in the proposal is numbered as Figure 1 and

figures that follow are in running order

o The first table that appears in the proposal is numbered as Table 1 and tables

that follow are in running order

o The graph taken from IDA does not have any numbering but is numbered as

Figure 1 in the proposal

Label l ing o f Figures and Tables

All figures and tables must be labelled with a meaningful caption (AND given anumber)

If the caption of the figure or table is not suitable, rewrite it to fit the proposal.

o The caption of the figure taken from IDA has not been changed as it is

appropriate

Posi t ion of the num ber ing and capt ion of Figures and Tables

The numbering and caption must beplaced consistently EITHER above OR below,

not switched about randomly in the proposal.

Referr ing to Figures and Tables

All figures and tables must be referred to and explainedin the text of the proposal.

Posit ion o f Figur es and Tables

All figures and tables must be placed near the paragraph that they have been

mentioned.

Citation o f Figures and Tables

CONTENT

CONTENT

CONTENT

CONTENT

FORMAT

FORMAT

FORMAT

FORMAT


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The name of the organization and year of publication in brackets must beplaced

beside the captionfor all tables and figures taken from published sources.

Second Problem: Digital divide

1) For the problem Digital Divide, explain why this is a problem using the followingnotes:

After writing out your answer, compare it with the sample on the next page.

Third Problem : Under-subscribed IT programmes for the elderly

1) How is the last problem Under-subscribed ITprogrammes for the elderly different from

the two previous problems (Low Computer User Rate and Digital Divide)?

Link to the problem Low computer user rate among

elderly

Explain

o how elderly are left behind by social media and

technology

o isolation of the elderly

o

generation gap

CONTENT

CONTENT


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Extract of sample proposalDigital divide and Under-subscribed IT Programmes


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Sect ions of the Proposal

1) Rearrange the following jumbled up sections after the Position and Problems

sections. Justify your answer.

FORMAT

3 Proposal

x.x Evaluation Plan

x.x Features of The Eureka! Programme

x.x.x Costs and expenses

x.x.x Programme cycle

x.x.x Class size

x.x.x Instructors and Language of Instruction

x.x.x Locations

x.x.x Lesson framework

x.x.x Certificate of attendance

x.x.x Subsidies

x.x Benefits of The Eureka! Programme

x.x Timelinex.x Recommendation

X Response

X Conclusion

Appendix

References


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Answer


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Recommendat ion

The recommendation section should provide more information on the Objective of

Proposal that was stated in the Positionsection. See sample below.

CONTENT


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1) Every paragraph of the proposal should contain one idea and be supported with related

information. Identify a) the main idea and b) supporting information for each paragraph.


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Benef i ts of Prod uct/ Service &

Features o f Produ ct/ Service

The following pages from the sample proposal continue with the sub-sections Benefits of

The Eureka! Programme and Features of The Eureka! Programme.

CONTENT


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Xxxxx: Xxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx

Xxxxx: Xxxx xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx


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1) Read Locations on page 8 of the sample proposal. Give a suitable a) table/ figure

number, b) meaningful caption for each of the two images.

Lesson Framework

1) Why is the figure for the lesson framework placed in the Appendix instead of being

shown on page 9 of the sample proposal?

Subsid ies

1) Read the Subsidies section on page 9 of the sample proposal then try to understand

Figure 3 on page 10. How do the text and figure complement each other?

Costs and Expenses

1) The text information Costs and Expenses on page10 of the sample proposalis only one

paragraph, while Table 2 on page 11 contains a lot more information. Why is this section

different from the section on Subsidies?

CONTENT

CONTENT

FORMAT


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Timel ine

The implementation timeline in the sample proposal is a simple table as the stages and time

involved are relatively short. If many stages and a long period are involved, create a Gantt

chart as shown in the sample (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Sample Gantt chart to show implementation timeline/ milestones

1) Read page 12 of the sample proposal. Why does a proposal need an implementation

timeline/ milestones?

CONTENT


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Evaluat ion Plan

1) Read page 13 of the sample proposal. What is the evaluation plan for?

CONTENT


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Conclus ion

1) Read page 14 of the sample proposal. What is the conclusion for?

CONTENT


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Response

1) Read page 15 of the sample proposal. What is the response for?

Response

Follow the format for the Response section of the sample proposal. The approver should

only need to:

circle Approved/ Not Approved

sign (without having to write out his own name)

date when the proposal was read

CONTENT

FORMAT


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Reference L ist

Go to page 21 of this guide.

Append ix

Information is put in the appendix:

if it is useful but not as important as the other information placed the main proposal

to avoid cluttering up the main proposal section and hindering understanding

The sample proposal has only one appendix item (page 17). If there is more than one item in

the appendix section:

this section should be labelled as Appendices (plural)

non-related items should be labelled separately as:

o Appendix A [with a meaningful subheading of related item(s)]o Appendix B [with a meaningful subheading of related item(s)], etc

o

o

CONTENT

writing a business proposal (student guide)(3)

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