Deck 13: Proposals, Business Plans, and Formal Business Reports

Question 1

Why are formal and informal proposals written? (Objs. 1, 2)

Answer 1

Formal and informal proposals are written to solve problems, generate business, provide services, sell equipment, and among other things, increase sales.
In addition, informal proposals are generally written to identify the business problem, project goals or providing suggestions to schedule the propose project.
Formal proposals on the other hand, are written to avail grants from central government for large scale projects.

Question 2

Which category of proposal, solicited or unsolicited, is more likely to succeed, and why?

Answer 2

Solicited proposals are the proposals which are presented to the customer upon request. However, unsolicited proposal are sent to the customers even when they have not asked for it.
Unsolicited proposals are more likely to be successful because they don't have competition. If these proposals are convincing the risk of not being bought by customers is reduced and hence contributes to the success. Unlike solicited proposals, these take less time and effort to be made.

Question 3

Why do government agencies make requests for proposals (RFPs)? (Objs. 1, 2)

Answer 3

Request for proposal are generally made by the government organizations and businesses to procure a commodity, service or valuable asset from the potential suppliers.
Government agencies make requests for proposals (RFP's) to offer jobs to all the qualified and competitive contractors to handle specific and essential projects. Moreover, RFP ensures that bids are comparable and funds are granted fairly by using consistent and standard criteria.

Question 4

If you were about to launch a new business, would you write your business plan from scratch or use a software program to do it? What are the pros and cons of each method?

Question 5

Why might you use a "hook" in a proposal, and what is an example?

Question 6

What is the purpose of a business plan, and what should it communicate to investors?

Question 7

What should be highlighted in the staffing section of a proposal?

Question 8

Compare these two very different mission statements: (a) An organization with five people said that its mission was "to eliminate hunger in the world." (b) Actor and social entrepreneur Brad Pitt, appalled by the sorry progress of rebuilding in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, started a nonprofit organization with a mission "to build 150 affordable, green, storm-resistant homes for families living in the Lower 9th Ward." 11 What are the strengths and weaknesses of each mission statement?

Question 9

In what two ways do formal and informal proposals differ?

Question 10

Ethical Issue: How can a team of writers ensure that each member shoulders an equal or fair amount of the work on an extensive writing project, such as a formal proposal or business report?

Question 11

Name eight components of typical business plans.

Question 12

What should a business plan mission statement include, and how long should it be?

Question 13

Why are formal reports written in business? Give an original example of a business-related formal report.

Question 14

What is a letter or memorandum of transmittal, and what should it include?

Question 15

How long should a typical executive summary be?

Question 16

Describe how to write an executive summary for a formal business report.

Question 17

What should be included in the introduction to a formal business report?

Question 18

What should the writer strive to do in the body of a formal business report?

Question 19

Why must writers list their sources and identify them in the text?

Question 20

In your view, what are six of the most important tips for the writer of a formal report? Explain each of your choices.