The crucial part of a business plan is the "Executive Summary." If your summary fails to capture the reader's attention, they are unlikely to read further into the plan or contact you for more information. In a recent interview with ten seasoned venture capitalists, they all agreed that if they encounter a business plan's summary lacking in intriguing elements, they typically discard the plan immediately. Therefore, you need to place the most attractive aspects of the "opportunity" at the forefront to capture the investor's interest. This means you must learn to hook the reader, meaning you should emphasize the potential of this business opportunity in the first sentence or paragraph.

At any time you seek funding, whether from a bank, a loan company, or equity capital providers, a business plan is non-negotiable. For you, it's about your company's appeal and significance; for the bank or fund manager, it's just one among many plans they receive. Therefore, you must gain their recognition and spark their interest. To do so, your business plan should:

■Clear and concise.

■ Concise and to the point.

Logical.

Real and reliable.

Let the data do the talking.

The readers of your business plan are very busy, and they often have other issues to deal with. Moreover, they will consciously or unconsciously judge you based on how you express yourself. Therefore, your business plan needs:

Keep the language simple.

Avoid trying to squeeze too many ideas into one sentence.

Ensure the logical coherence of the sentences.

Do not overuse adjectives.

■ Tabulate at every appropriate location.

Concise and to the point

If bankers or managers get bored reading your content, you're unlikely to gain their support. Therefore, keep it concise, even more concise; only leave the essential elements that need to be conveyed to the reader, and discard any in-depth descriptions.

Logical

If you present facts and ideas in a logical sequence, they are more likely to be accepted and have a greater impact. No matter how beautifully worded, avoid a series of irrelevant paragraphs in your proposal. Additionally, ensure that what you say under one heading is consistent with what you've said elsewhere.

Genuine and reliable

Do not exaggerate your situation in the proposal.

Let the data do the talking

Readers of your business plan, whether bankers or investors, are mostly skilled in calculations and prefer to think in numbers. Unless your text is backed by as much detailed data as possible, you won't be able to persuade anyone. Therefore, try to quantify your text as much as possible.