Writer of Business Plans, Grants and Proposals
And Professional Speechwriter
Warren H. (Sandy) Anderson
Throughout my military career and especially during my eight years in the Pentagon, I wrote literally several hundred military plans and proposals. I don't think there is any question that military planning is some of the most sophisticated and advanced in our society.
In my corporate and consulting career I have enhanced my military experience with civilian training and extensive civilian experience. With that combined track record, I have written dozens of business plans and government grant proposals through which my clients can:
Start a new business or operation
Obtain venture capital money for a new business
Set out on a new subsidiary or operation
Obtain grant money from local, state and federal source
To give and idea of what to expect, let me take you step-by-step through the business planning and grant writing process:
Step #1 - Selecting the Best Formats: In my 35 years of military and civilian planning, I have found that knowing and using the best format for a particular business plan, grant request or proposal can go a long way toward crating a successful product -- a business plan or grant request that will be both easy to understand, easy to execute and effective.
Step #2 - Fact Finding: Once the client and I agree on a format, the next step is to gather information. The fact-finding step for business plans or grant request can be done hundreds of ways, but most include the following:
A. Sources for information on the business plan or government grant request:
- On-site and plant visits
- Face-to-face and phone interviews (taped)
- Web searches
- Library and database searches
- Industry association queries
- Newspaper and media searches
B. Information required in most business plans or government grant request::
- The capabilities you provide
- The products and service your offer
- What differentiates you in the marketplace
- The advantages you bring to the customer
- How your competition are presenting themselves
- The disadvantages you have that need to be downplayed
- Your perception of just the right image you want to project
- Suggestions that will lead to the development of a hard-hitting plan
Step #3 - Initial Outline and Concept Paper: With the research notes and data in hand, the next step is to prepare a first outline and concept paper for the client. This step is important because it is foolish to spend time and the clients money on a concept that does not fit his or her needs. As a result, I have found it is critical to present initial findings and early recommendations to the client in clear understandable form in order to obtain additional guidance. With the client's guidance and OK, the planner is ready to write the business plan or government grant.
Step #4 -- Write the Plan: With the client's approval of the overall concept and abbreviated outline of the business plan or grant, the writer can then produce the final business plan or government grant request. I believe that every business plan or grant request should have:
- An attractive cover
- Quality paper
- A powerful executive summary
- An extensive use of appendices and annexes
- Extensive use of tabs and special markers
- High quality charts and graphics using a host of data and graphic packages to include:
- PowerPoint
- MS Word
- WordPerfect
- MS Image Composer
- MS Front Page
- Adobe Photoshop Elements
Step #5 -- Support the Plan: Once the final plan is presented to the client, the planner must be prepared to support the client's execution of the plan in any way possible to include writing PowerPoint presentations to present the plan to a wide range of audiences.
For more information on my business plan or government grant writing
capabilities E-mail me at:
