Definitive Business Plan, Second Edition, The

First thoughts on layout

The overall impression

Your business plan should be laid out so that it is inviting, pleasing to the eye and easy to read. Time-honoured rules apply. Aim for a clean layout that is not overburdened with text, without too many distracting typefaces, and with illustrations to aid understanding.

It is better not to try to cram too much print on to the page. Leave plenty of white space so that the report looks less daunting. Where possible, present material in tables or charts. This aids understanding and breaks up blocks of text. Plenty of sub-headings also break up the text, help set expectations about what is coming next and assist with navigation of the document.

Do not feel that you have to fill each page. If you could ...