When you start up any business there will be learning curves along the way. One of the biggest is when you are in an industry where you have to tailor bids according to each project. How you go at this and what you put in your proposal can actually give you an edge on your competition. On the other side what you put in it and what/how you present it can actually hurt you, making you seem unprofessional. Also what you don't put in it can hurt you down the line not only in the amount of time it will take to finish the project but also financially.
Every project and every client is unique, this is very true. A proposal's content will be different for each client but its appearance and how it is organized will be the same every time. It should be easy to read, easy to understand and present your bid in a professional easy to follow manner. You do want whoever is looking at this to think that you got your act together. That you no how to do business, right? Now your proposal might not get you the job right off the bat but it will get people looking closer at you and your work. Giving you a great chance at getting their project.
A proposal should be set up in a document program such as WordPad, Lotus or Works so that it can be attached in an email. Make sure that you can save it in multiple formats as the client may not have the same programs as you.
Now when setting up your proposal you should section it off into three parts. This will allow you to organize your information better and also help give it a more professional look. The three sections are:
The Header: Which should Contain your company name, your logo as well as the projects name and date. Example:
Your Company Name **Your Actual Logo**
Project Name Here. Date: September 16th 2005.
The Body: The next part of the proposal is the body. This part is a little more complex as it contains more information to do with the project, pricing and timeline. It should look something like this:
Payment Terms: 50% deposit(non-refundable) - 50% Payment upon completion.
Payment Choices: Credit Card, Paypal, Money Order
Invoice is Due: So many days from the time of invoice(this can be on the same day, a week from then or even 30 days, it is up to you if you will start work before getting a deposit).
The Footer: The footer is very simple. It should only contain your company name, your url, contact information and saying thank you for consideration:
Company Name here : www.CompanyNameHere.com : Contact Name here - Info@Company.com : Thank you for Consideration.
I hope this helps you get even more projects. Good luck!