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From idea to execution: 10 sections to include in your hotel business plan

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Lana Cook

By Lana Cook

Do you love connecting with people from all over the world who share your passion for travel? Don’t want to work a typical 9-5 job and instead want to build a business where every day is different, and you own your schedule?

Starting a hotel business is a dream many entrepreneurs have, but it can be a daunting venture to start. A hotel business plan is a critical first step for business owners to turn their dreams into reality. A strategic plan allows one to study the hotel industry, identify their hotel’s unique point of view, and outline how exactly they will reach their goals.

Read on to learn more about the ten sections to include in your hotel business plan, tips for creating an effective plan, and key things you need to start your new hotel business.

Ready to get started creating your plan? Download our hotel business plan template.

What is a hotel business plan?

A hotel business plan is a detailed document that identifies your business’s goals, objectives, and strategies for success. It includes market research and a roadmap for building and operating your business.

how to write a hospitality business proposal

Why do you need a hotel business plan?

Studies show that entrepreneurs who finished their business plan were twice as likely to succeed in growing their business than those with no plan. A hotel business plan:

  • Helps you identify whether you have a viable business idea
  • Provides a detailed roadmap on what you need to accomplish and why
  • Gives potential investors insight into your business idea and confidence that you can be successful
  • Keeps you on track as you start to execute the different tactics outlined in your plan
  • Identifies critical milestones for you and your team to reach

Your plan does not have to be static and should change over time as your business grows and evolves. Your first draft is a starting point to help guide your strategy and instill confidence in potential investors.

10 sections to include in your hotel business plan

Whether you’re starting a small boutique hotel, a cozy B&B, or a 5-star resort, you will need to address the following sections in your hotel business plan.

1. Executive summary

An executive summary is the most essential part of your business plan. It should concisely explain the purpose of your business and why it will be a success.

Include your mission statement explaining why your hotel exists and its overall goal. For example, Capella Hotels & Resorts ’ mission is to combine tradition, discovery, individuality, and twist of the unexpected to create the perfect stay for each guest.

You should also include your vision statement that clearly describes your hotel’s purpose for being in a single sentence. For Capella Hotels, its vision is to embody excellence in the craft of hospitality.

We recommend writing your executive summary as the final stage, as it should summarize the goals and objectives laid out in your plan.

2. Company analysis

Your company analysis is where you can dive into your hotel’s competitive advantage. Ask yourself what makes your hotel unique . Why would guests want to stay with you instead of your competitors?

In this section, identify your brand’s identity and the goals and objectives you want to accomplish. Outline how many rooms and room categories your property will have. For example, will you offer a hybrid hospitality model with dorms, single rooms, and suites? Explain what ancillary revenue sources you’ll offer, like in-room food and beverage options, welcome drinks, or airport shuttles.

Use storytelling to communicate your excitement and passion and make it clear what your hotel will bring to the hospitality industry that hasn’t been done before.

3. Industry analysis

As a business owner, you must be prepared for forces outside your control. You will need to conduct a market analysis that looks at the hospitality industry to identify micro and macro trends that may impact your business. Look at:

  • Economic trends
  • Environmental trends
  • Political trends
  • Global health trends
  • Technology trends

For each trend, identify how it will impact your business and ways to mitigate risk or take advantage of opportunities.

For example, digital check-in technology has increased across the hotel industry with the rise of tech-savvy guests, new innovative software providers, and labor challenges. Therefore, consider what guest experience solution you’ll include at your hotel.

In addition to trends, look at the history of the hospitality industry, its current size, and how it’s expected to grow in the short and long term. This research will impact the rest of your plan, especially your marketing and financials.

4. Customer analysis

What type of hotel guests do you want to attract? It’s impossible to please every kind of guest, which is why it’s important to identify your target market . Once you know who you want to stay at your property, you can develop amenities, services, and marketing materials to attract these guests and deliver exceptional experiences .

Ask yourself:

  • What type of guests do I want? Business or leisure travelers? Retirees or Gen-Z?
  • What demographics? Age, gender, marital status, etc.
  • What are my target market’s interests? Water sports, hiking, relaxation, museums, etc.
  • What does my target market value? Sustainability, contactless technology, personalized service, localized experiences, etc.

This section will help you formulate the guest experience to ensure that expectations meet reality .

5. Competitive analysis

The competition you face will vary depending on where your hotel is located. In this section, you should conduct in-depth competitor research to understand how your hotel will compare. Identify your five major competitors — ideally, three direct competitors you will be competing with upon opening and two aspirational competitors you can emulate as you grow your business.

Conduct a SWOT analysis based on your competitors to look at:

  • Strengths . Where does your property excel in comparison to competitors? Why would travelers pick you? Price, amenities, location, technology, etc.
  • Weaknesses . Where does your property fall short in comparison to competitors? Price, amenities, location, technology, etc.
  • Opportunities . What industry trends can you take advantage of? What local events or partnerships can you capitalize on?
  • Threats . What are the biggest threats facing your property? War, travel restrictions, recession, etc.

A thorough analysis can help solidify your competitive advantage and develop a contingency plan for how you will deal with your weaknesses and threats.

6. Marketing plan

Without demand, there is no business. A hotel marketing plan outlines the channels you’ll use to reach your target audience to drive bookings. Your marketing strategy should include three key channels:

1) Paid media . Paid advertising to promote your property and drive bookings. This includes online travel agencies (OTAs) , search engine marketing (SEM), retargeting, and metasearch advertising.

2) Owned media. The content  you create, like your hotel website , social media channels, blog posts, and SEO.

3) Earned media. User-generated content created by third parties like media coverage or online reviews.

Hotel marketing plan templates

7. Operations plan

How do you plan to run your day-to-day operations? This section of your plan will outline all of the key tasks and responsibilities of your team and what exactly your hotel will offer. Consider:

  • The number of staff and supervisors required
  • Job descriptions and responsibilities
  • Your service standards (check out our downloadable SOPs for some inspiration)
  • How you’ll manage your inventory
  • What hotel technology solutions will you need? PMS, channel manager, booking engine, payment terminal, revenue management tools, guest engagement software, etc.
  • What services and amenities do you want to offer? Room service, bar, restaurant, pool, spa, wellness center, etc. 

Detail your short and long-term operational plans and the stakeholders involved for each area.

8. Management team

Whether or not you’ve hired your team yet, this is one of the most important sections potential investors will look at. Make sure to outline the key personnel you will require and their roles. 

In general, these are the following roles you’ll want to outline:

  • Hotel management (general manager, front office manager, housekeeping manager, maintenance manager, revenue manager)
  • Hotel sales team
  • Housekeeping staff
  • Front office staff
  • Maintenance

Depending on the size of your hotel, your team will vary. Identify the team members you need to open and your hiring plans over the next five years.

9. Strategic plan

Hoteliers must be strategic in optimizing occupancy rates across seasons to maintain revenue. As part of your strategic plan, identify how you will manage:

  • Pricing – what room types will you offer, and how will the pricing vary?
  • How will you maintain consistent occupancy throughout the high and low seasons? Will you adapt your pricing and marketing strategies?
  • How will you conduct revenue management ? What type of rules/alerts will you use to adjust rates? Will you use technology to help with revenue management?
  • What will your online reputation management strategy be? How will you collect and respond to online reviews?
  • What will your distribution mix look like? How will you drive reservations across a variety of channels?

10. Financial plan

Your financial projections are the most challenging but arguably the most crucial part of your hotel business plan. In this section, you should include the following:

  • Start-up costs. How much money will you need from lenders to operate your hotel? Consider business licenses, furniture, down payments, etc.
  • Operating costs . How much money will you need to keep your business running? Consider staffing costs, guest acquisition costs, mortgage payments, utilities, SaaS payments, etc.
  • Income statement . What will your revenue, expenses, and profit be over the first 3-5 years of business?
  • Cash flow projections . How will cash flow in and out of your business? Show what capital investment you’ll need to start.
  • Balance sheet . Identify your assets, liabilities, and equity.

If you’re looking for a potential investor, your financial plan will be the section they care about most. Here, you must prove how your business will provide a return on investment. Don’t forget to include an Appendix that shows more detailed reporting and financial figures.

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8 tips for creating an effective plan

1. Start with the section that excites you the most! Covering all the topics outlined above can feel overwhelming, so don’t feel pressured to go in order.

2. Reach out to a business owner you admire. No matter what type of business you’re starting, getting advice from another business owner is always helpful. Reach out to a successful local business owner to see if they’d be willing to share some insights they learned along the way.

3. Be concise. While there’s a lot to cover, you must be concise in each section of your plan. Include any additional research or documentation in the appendix to keep your business plan clean.

4. Try to avoid industry jargon. Depending on what type of investor is reading your plan, they may find jargon irrelevant and distracting.

5. Ensure you have a clear competitive advantage. You should be able to state in one sentence what makes your property unique. This unique selling point (USP) will be prominent in all of your marketing materials.

6. Set SMART goals. Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals is important to stay organized and on track to reach milestones.

7. Don’t forget about your plan. You will have spent hours developing your plan, so make sure you use it! Reference your plan as you build and grow your business , and remember that it’s ok if things change.

8. Illustrate your passion. Communicate why you want to be a part of the hospitality industry. Passion is contagious and gives investors more confidence that you will work hard to achieve your dreams.

how to write a hospitality business proposal

What do you need to start a hotel business?

Ok, so you’ve read through this article and are now wondering — what’s next? Ensure you have the following items on your radar to start your business.

  • A vision. Know exactly what kind of business you want to build (a quaint bed and breakfast is very different from a large-scale resort).
  • A business plan. Stay on track with a well-developed business plan.
  • A location. Decide if you want to build a new property or renovate an existing hotel.
  • Capital. Do you need to raise an upfront capital investment? Remember that new businesses usually aren’t profitable for the first few years and will need cash flow to pay for expenses.
  • Business licenses & permits. Depending on the type of property and its services, you’ll need an occupancy permit, alcohol license, food service license, sales tax license, etc.
  • Technology. Choose technology to help streamline operations and earn more revenue.
  • Furniture & equipment. You must furnish your property with the proper furniture, electronics, appliances, etc.
  • Staff. Take time hiring staff you can trust and who understand your hotel’s brand and vision.

Final thoughts

Your business plan provides the foundation for your new business and outlines the next steps in the journey. Ensure you fully understand the market and competitive landscape to enter the industry prepared for the future. Start slow and invest in the right people and technology to support the growth of your business.

Looking to start a hotel? Download the technology guide. Download now

About Lana Cook

Lana Cook is a Content Writer at Cloudbeds where she is able to combine her love of writing and passion for travel. She has spent the last few years writing about all things technology and the ways in which it can be used to help businesses thrive. When she’s not busy writing, you can find her checking out the latest movie or searching for a new TV show to binge.

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Hotel Business Plan

Hotel business plan by xotels. Step by step guide on how to write a hotel business plan.

OK, so you have decided to realize your dream and open your own hotel . You have thought out an amazing concept delivering unparalleled guest service. The next step would be to write a hotel business plan. It’s like a road map to the opening. However, as a seasoned Hotel Management Company , we have seen that this is where most entrepreneurs get stuck.

Why? Many do not have the time and don’t know what to write or how to do the financials. But until you finish your business plan, you will not be able to get the financing either. So you end up with ideas sitting in your head not realizing your dream.

Really it is not that difficult to make a good hotel business plan. It is merely a structured summary of your idea. Most people try to include everything about their hotel concept in the plan. This leads to an indigestible super novel-like bookwork, aka a mess.

The key is, knowing what to include, and what not to include in your hotel business plan. Create a clear road map for success. Excite investors rather than bore them to death like most business plans full of redundant information do. And you need to lead readers down the exact path you want.

One of the main challenges for example is that after reading the first page most businesses often don’t fully understand what the hotel is all about. For investors and lenders, it is crucial they can quickly comprehend your plan, without reading the whole document.

hotel business plan 2

Hotels 101: The Basics of Business Planning

We have put together a hotel business plan template to help you on your way. Check out our approach based on 10 critical points, being:

  • Executive Summary
  • Company Analysis
  • Industry Analysis
  • Customer Analysis
  • Competitive Analysis
  • Strategic Plan
  • Operations Plan
  • Management Team
  • Financial Plan
  • Key Milestones

Steps of your Hotel Business Plan

Let’s dive into the step-by-step checklist of what your hotel business plan should look like.

These are the steps to developing your own hotel business plan. See which steps to follow to write your own hotel business plan.

Infographic by Xotels

1. Executive Summary

This first part should consist of two main parts, being:

  • Mission Statement (Introduction): a 1 line company description only the essence of your hotel (not 2 lines or a paragraph). It explains why you are in business or which huge need you are solving, that currently is not being met. For example in the case of Qbic Hotels “Moving modular hotels into under-utilized real-estate to reduce build-out cost and time.” 
  • Objectives : What do you hope to accomplish (i.e. “Reach an annual occupancy of 90%”).

 2. Company Analysis

More detailed information on the USPs (unique selling points) of your hotel concept.

hotel business plan 3

3. Industry Analysis

Information on the current industry trends and the current state of the market and how this will impact your hotel. This is needed as investors want to be sure you really understand the hotel industry. This acts as the foundation on which decisions such as trends and developments to follow will be based.  

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how to write a hospitality business proposal

4. Customer Analysis

In-depth information on your target market, including geographic, demographic, socioeconomic, psychographic, and behavioural segmentation details. It can also help you to keep up to date with the latest hotel marketing trends to understand which are the types of guests who will be staying at your hotel. Explain which features will be meeting the needs and wants of these main segments when thinking of:

Basically, how will consumers answer this question ‘Why my hotel?’

Aim to break it up to the point value can be easily communicated (do not make it too overcomplicated). Think of the following examples:

  • Psychographics: interests, lifestyles, personality, values, opinions, and attitudes
  • Behavioural segmentation: purchasing behaviour, level of engagement, customer loyalty
  • Demographics: gender, age, marital status and education
  • Geographics: location (country, state, region, city)
  • Socio-economics

Any of the above examples of hotel segmentation can, if described well, be of great value to your business plan. An example of this could be a hotel located in a beach town, where you should be able to describe how demographics and psychographics differ from summer to winter time. Especially, since this example is typically known for lower demand in winter which you could be compensating for with the right hotel marketing strategies on hand.

how to write a hospitality business proposal

5. Competitive Analysis

A study of your local competition or global concept competitors, with each of their strengths, weaknesses, occupancy rates and market share ( SWOT analysis ). And don’t forget the most important part; what differentiates you from them. What makes you stand out?

Ask yourself: “can I add value to a specific area”, especially when it comes to hotel-dense areas like city centres or major destinations.

6. Strategic Plan

This exists of 3 parts:

  • Marketing : How exactly will you attract customers/guests? How will you position yourself? What will your message be to the different segments of your business mix? How will your direct marketing work? What will be the plan for your hotel website, SEO, SEM and SMM? Will you do offline promotion? In short, your hotel marketing strategy should cover everything there is to know about how to market your hotel.
  • Distribution : Which 3rd party channels will you use and how will you manage availability? What technology will you need?
  • Revenue management : What pricing and yield techniques will you use? What will your payment and cancellation policies be? Which room types will you be selling, and how will they be individually marketed? How many revenue scenarios will I create? Where can I compensate income/demand streams when necessary?

Make sure you have the capabilities to plan out a strong marketing, distribution and revenue management strategy. 

Things get complicated rather fast, and choosing to outsource hotel and revenue management is likely to give you a strategic advantage, during the planning phase, and the execution of your business plans.

7. Operations Plan

How will you run your hotel? Think of the following elements:

  • How many staff and supervisors will you need? 
  • What are their job descriptions/responsibilities? 
  • What background and experience should they have? 
  • When should they start? 
  • What are your service standards?
  • Will you develop manuals?
  • Which supplier will you use?
  • How will you manage inventory?

8. Management Team

Include the bios of your team. Focus on what uniquely qualifies you to make your hotel such a success. Having a great team is the key to success , and stakeholders will be impressed with a thorough explanation of the added value everyone brings to the table.

9. Financial Plan

Provide the start-up costs of the hotel (capital investment), the ongoing business costs, operational expenses and revenue projections for the next five years. These figures should be always based on your Hotel Feasibility Study . The KPIs to look at include expected occupancy, ADR (Average Daily Rate) and RevPAR (Revenue per Available Room).

If you are raising money , outline how much funding will be needed and when. Explain how you will generate a return on investment for investors, or when lenders will be paid back.

10. Key Milestones

These are the most important achievements which once they have been completed, will make your hotel more likely to succeed. Think off:

  • Location selection
  • Permits & Licenses
  • Build-out / Construction of the Hotel
  • Staffing and Training
  • GOP Break-even
  • NOI Break-even

Each time one of the key milestones is achieved, the risk of lenders or investors decreases . And once your last key milestone is reached, the chance of success is more or less guaranteed.

11. Appendix

Provide any other relevant information here. Don’t clutter the main sections of your hotel business plan with too many details. Rather support them with attachments in this part.

how to write a hospitality business proposal

Putting Your Plan into Action

Many people have great business ideas. But that really doesn’t matter. The difference between dreamers and entrepreneurs is the action mindset. Are you ready to ship your idea to the market? 

The first step is to put your ideas on paper. I hope this free sample will help you write a persuasive hotel business plan. Because no investor or lender will be interested if you cannot present a clear plan.

Follow your dreams and go for it!

Need help to Develop and Manage your Hotel Concept?

Our hotel consultants at XOTELS have helped hundreds of hotels to develop and optimize their businesses. 

With cost-effective implementations and best practices developed over years of experience, successful business as a boutique hotel , resort, B&B, aparthotel, hostel, or any other lodging concept for that matter, is guaranteed.

Hope this template has helped you get inspired to start your own hotel business .

Best of luck in your endeavours!

Patrick Landman

PS. Get in touch with us if you need help developing and managing your hotel concept.

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How to Make a Business Plan for your Hotel

Whether you own a bed and breakfast, a family-run inn, a cosmopolitan hotel or an all-inclusive resort, a business plan is absolutely essential to your success.

You might have the best hotel concept in the world, but none of that will matter if you don’t have a well-organized plan that lays out how it will come to fruition.

Unfortunately, many hoteliers don’t use business plans to their full potential. Instead, they throw together a collection of ad-hoc documents to show stakeholders, investors and other interested parties. Even worse, they don’t put together a business plan at all. This is a big mistake, but it often stems from people finding the concept of business plans intimidating.

Fortunately, hotel business plans aren’t as daunting as they seem. At their most basic, they’re summaries of the most important details of your hotel concept . They allow readers to learn everything they need to know about your hotel idea in a detailed yet succinct manner.

Need guidance in doing so? Follow the points outlined here and you’ll have no trouble developing an effective business plan for your hotel.

Table of contents for this article:

Hotel Business Plan Essentials

Other elements to include, focus on the essential, 1. executive summary.

Your business plan in a nutshell.

The placement of executive summaries is misleading. They normally come first in business plans, but really, they should be written last. This is because they cover all the key points that are mentioned in your business plan.

Along with summarizing the basics, remember to include your broader mission statement and specific project objectives.

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again, it’s much easier to write a great executive summary once you’ve finished the rest of your business plan!

Relaxing hotel view

2. Company Analysis

Think of this as an elevator pitch.

Provide an accurate yet exciting impression of your hotel project as it stands. Talk about background information like business stage, legal structure, investors and/or stakeholders and other major milestones. Most importantly, make sure you also highlight your hotel’s unique features and qualifications, sometimes referred to as USPs (Unique Selling Propositions).

USPs are key in the highly competitive hotel market and can really make your concept stand out from the crowd. Does your hotel have pool, jacuzzi or spa amenities? Is it completely wheelchair accessible? Does it offer amazing views of the city or surrounding countryside? These are all key features to highlight in your company analysis.

Some company analyses also use the SWOT analysis framework to assess their hotel concept’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

  • Optimizing occupancy, revenue or ADR
  • Upgrading your software stack
  • Solving distribution or/and tech issues
  • Improving their hotel online presence

3. Industry Analysis

What context will you be operating in, exactly?

In a business plan, industry analysis refers to researching relevant market trends. Understanding short and long-term trends that affect the hotel industry is key in putting together an effective hotel business plan, and eventually running a successful hotel.

Think about trends and events in relation to broader themes like technology, health, environment, politics, culture and economy. Reflect on how they might affect your business, or better yet, how your business could use them to its advantage. In the context of COVID-19 , for example, it’s a great idea to be transparent about the sanitary measures and distancing policies your business has (or would be able to) put into effect.

Depending where your hotel is located, industry analysis may be daunting. A more manageable way to think about it is in relation to your relative market. That is, focus your research specifically on hotels that have a similar concept to yours .

Industry trends affect family-run bed and breakfasts very differently than they do all-inclusive resorts, so make sure to undertake analysis that’s relevant to your business.

Bottle of Champagne in hotel room

4. Competitive Analysis

Now, it’s time to size up the competition.

One of the best ways to put together a successful hotel business strategy is to have an excellent idea of what the competition is doing. Emulate what they’re doing correctly and improve upon what they’re doing wrong. If you see that many customers are complaining about the weak WiFi or lack of breakfast at hotels in the area, see if your business can provide those amenities.

You can focus your research solely on local competitors, but you can also include global competitors with similar concepts to your own . How you choose to do this will depend on your hotel’s concept and where it’s located.

Similar to industry analysis, competitive analysis is intimidating to many. In order to simplify it, only undertake in-depth analysis of your most direct competitors. Some market experts also use the SWOT analysis framework when analyzing the competition as well.

When it comes to more indirect competitors, try grouping them together and thinking about big picture comparisons.

hotel guest with luggage

5. Ideal Customer Profile

Next, you’ve got to figure out who exactly will be coming to your hotel.

It’s incredibly important to have a specific picture of your hotel’s ideal customer. Just like any other product or service, you’ll need to determine who you’ll be marketing to . Different kinds of hotel guests have different priorities and needs, so it’s important to determine who you’ll be catering to .

Put simply, a businessman staying in central London for a work conference will have very different hotel needs compared to a family of four on a week-long summer vacation.

Ideal hotel guest profiles take geographic, demographic, socio-economic, psychographic, cultural and behavioral considerations into account. You’ll also want to consider whether your hotel concept will be broadly appealing to several hotel guest profiles or if you’ll be catering to a specific niche.

Need help putting together ideal customer profiles? Get inspired by checking out your direct competitors’ guest reviews online.

6. Marketing Plan

Last but not least, how will you attract guests?

A strong concept is only half the battle. Without an effective marketing strategy , your hotel will remain empty. At its most basic, your marketing plan should describe how you’ll attract guests to your hotel and therefore make it a profitable business.

In doing so, marketing plans usually touch on the following categories:

  • Marketing How will you get the word out to guests? In the modern age, this most often refers to online marketing strategies related to your hotel’s website, search engine results and social media presence. You can also cover direct marketing, offline marketing, networking, third-party promotion and partnerships here.
  • Sales & Distribution How will you secure bookings? Think about what channels you’ll use to communicate availability and manage reservations, for example if your hotel is being listed in Airbnb, you'll need an Airbnb channel manager to handle your reservations and avoid double bookings. Most hotels use a combination of direct and indirect sales and distribution strategies.
  • Yield & Revenue Management How will you make sure that your hotel is profitable? Consider pricing and yield strategies early on to maximize your business’s revenue growth.

Sunglasses by the hotel pool

We’ve talked about hotel business plan essentials, but we’re not done yet. The points we covered above are the basics, but there are several additional elements that you might want to consider including.

Remember, your hotel business plan should most importantly present the specific context of your project . The elements you include should reflect that.

We’ve included some ideas of additional elements you might like to include below, but the possibilities are endless.

  • Operations Discuss how your hotel will run on a day-to-day basis. This connects to management but focuses on the big picture. Make sure to include details like staff numbers, hotel processes, service standards, external suppliers and inventory management.
  • Management Have you established who will be in charge of your hotel’s management? Or who will be working at your hotel? If you have, talk about their profiles and what qualifies them to do their jobs here.
  • Finances Put simply, discuss the money you have, the money you’ll require and how much you estimate that your project will cost in total. This is also a good opportunity to mention ROI projections.
  • Reference Materials Be sure to include any supporting materials that support the information presented in your business plan. e.g. charts, graphics, resources, imagery and other media.

There you have it! Follow the steps above and you’ll have an effective business plan for your hotel in no time.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the process, remember to focus on the essentials first . Basic information like your project background, industry trends, competitor research and ideal clientele is your bread and butter. Once you’ve got those elements covered, start thinking about what additional elements you want to include based on your needs.

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How to write a hotel sales proposal to win more guests

After being one of the most prominent industries hit by the pandemic, the businesses that bounce back will be more competitive than ever. Running a hotel is challenging in itself, and winning clients is one of the more challenging parts of the job, especially now with the ongoing coronavirus situations, clients prefer businesses that they can trust . Writing a winning hotel sales proposal is crucial in the hospitality business. There's a lot to discuss, but let's start with definitions.

Read on to know what our guest blogger Nicole Garrison's views are on winning more hotel guests.

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What is a hotel sales proposal?

When someone refers to a hotel sales proposal, they refer to a document that hotel managers create in response to a prospective client who wants to either stay at or host an event at the hotel.

A hotel sales proposal (HSP) should include all the details the prospective client needs to know to book your hotel, from processes and costs. The key point is to convince the client that your space is the most suitable for what they are planning.

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What to include in your hotel sales proposal

1. tell your client what to expect.

Your proposal is your time to make your venue shine! Make sure to carefully outline the services you will provide, the timeline of your offer, and how it will be delivered. Ensure your writing is coherent to ensure that your client understands all the information you have included and can effectively share and respond to your communication.

Using positive language is also very important to set a collaborative, easygoing but professional tone. Check out Online Writers Rating - a supreme site to gather inspiration on writing styles, order research, or craft a paper.

2. Outline the why

Your proposal is the perfect opportunity for you to demonstrate why they should pick you. It's essential to show not only what you are offering, but the philosophy behind your services and your brand. Think to yourself: what sets your venue apart from your competitors? Then outline all the aspects you come up with. For example, if the client is looking to host an event, y ou could include options for catering menus, A/v pricing, and other sales collateral.

3. Use testimonials

A great way to make your proposal stand out is to use testimonials from satisfied clients! Your customers are your friends, and you can use their testimonial power to showcase the passion and expertise of your staff, your professionalism and service, and their great experience in using your venue!

4. Make your proposal personal

When writing your proposal, have your prospective client in mind at all times. Put yourself in their shoes and try to imagine what would you like to see and hear about your venue. Put the client's needs at the forefront of your response and try to answer any questions or concerns they might have.

5. Justify the costs

Outlining and explaining the cost to your client is extremely important. Carefully lay out the materials, space, and people involved along with a timeline. The more organized you are, the more likely it is for you to win the client. Don't leave any blind spots in your proposal.

6. Include visuals

In the digital age, images are a key part of transmitted information. In your proposal, you should include pictures to show exactly what your service will look like. From what your property looks like, to your logo - your proposal should be carefully designed to not tire your client. Make it easy to navigate, and when you can, include links to videos that further justify or complement the information you are providing.

7. Add some exclusives

Your proposal should be more than just an endless list of services and costs. It should reflect your brand and your mindset. Gain some ideas on wording your vision and find the right professional that can help you! There are several ways to make your proposal more enticing - adding an extra service as a gift will definitely wow your client!

8. Highlight your safety protocols

After the pandemic, many things have changed. Adhering to safety protocols is the new normal, and your prospective client must know how seriously you take these measures and how you will apply them. From the behavior of your staff to food preparation to cleaning services and social distancing, outlining the way you are planning to keep your client and your staff safe from the virus is as important as providing the service itself.

At the end of the day, the prospective client wants to see your venue's offers, and what makes it better than the rest. Show them what a great experience you can provide, and before you hit send, consider:

  • Is everything that you could think of included?
  • Are the photos and visuals you provided appealing?
  • Have you prepared your proposal with your client's needs in mind?
  • Have you included a testimonial?

Once you've hit send, don't forget to follow up and propose a meeting for further discussion to answer your client's questions and get the ball rolling!  

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Topics: Hospitality operations , Hospitality marketing , Hotels , Hospitality managers

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10 Tips for Writing a Hotel Sales Proposal That Wins Group Business

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Guest post from Nicola Graham, Senior Marketing and Communications Manager at Cendyn .

Before we dive in, be sure to visit our ultimate guide to grow events and group business for an all-encompassing rundown of events, sales and catering tips, data points and best practices.

We all know everyone loves to win business. But there’s more to winning the deal outside of sweet talking and good relationships, the proposal plays a key role as well. With that in mind, what’s needed to write a hotel sales proposal that wins group business and make it part of your hotel’s winning formula?

Hotels are in one of the most competitive marketplaces in the world, so maintaining a cutting edge, proactive and seamless response is a given but there’s more to it than that.

Here are our top 10 tips to help you write hotel sales proposal that wins group business:

1. Make your proposal stand out – remember, this proposal represents your hotel and your brand. It should reflect the brand you represent and the values you stand for. This in itself will make it unique and will help it stand out from the crowd.

2. Be prepared to respond quickly – we’ve seen at Cendyn that first responders win 70% of the business. In a fast-paced market like the hospitality industry, people don’t have the time or the patience to wait around for their proposal and 70% of the time, they will go with the first proposal to come through the door.

3. Use the power of comparison – Make it apparent how much better your event would be if the recipient chose your hotel. The power of comparison using every day metaphors is a great way to make this resonate with them and even shock them into making a decision.

4. Use case studies and quotes – your customers are your friends. Use their testimonial power to share their passion for your hotel’s staff and services and their successes using your property. A proposal is a great place to do this and can link in when justifying unique selling points (USPs).

5. Personalize the proposal – demonstrate how the event or activity at your hotel will satisfy their preferences and make it personal to their needs. Utilize any information on their role and interests to ensure it is relevant to them.

6. Answer the question – ‘why?’ – use your proposal as an opportunity to demonstrate why the customer should choose you. Don’t always focus on the ‘what’ you are selling, be mindful that everyone always wants to know why they should choose you over someone else.

7. Streamline your proposal process – we all know how time-consuming proposals can be, and if they’re coming in thick and fast, you need to be able to respond quickly. Use a proposal software platform that will enable you to respond fast and effectively to help win that business.

8. Align your team and work together – working together as a team is vital. If you’re not aligned on your objectives, strategies and tactics, this will become apparent to the customer so keep communication lines open and work together.

9. Keep the customer in mind at all times – when you’re writing the proposal and pulling together any accompanying materials, keep the customer in mind at all times. Put their needs at the forefront of your response and use the proposal as a means to pre-empt any questions or concerns they might have.

10. Use plain, positive language and, be you! – coherent, plain language is a must and will ensure that whoever your recipient is will be able to understand, share and respond to your communication. Positive language ties in with this as well so keep the content upbeat and confident. Above all else, be you!

A good proposal communicates to your potential client that you value their business enough to put the time and effort in for them. Make it count.

For more information, visit the  Amadeus Sales & Catering eProposal  page or www.cendyn.com .

Guest post from Nicola Graham, Senior Marketing and Communications Manager at Cendyn.

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How to Write a Business Proposal [Examples + Template]

Meredith Hart

Published: December 05, 2023

Free Business Proposal Template

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Propose your business as the ideal solution using our Free Business Proposal Templates.

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Here's what every new business owner needs: an extra 8 hours in the day, an endless supply of coffee, and, most importantly, a really strong business proposal.

how to write a business proposal: image shows a person holding a pen and another person typing on a laptop

A business proposal can bridge the gap between you and potential clients. Done correctly, and it will outline your value proposition and persuade a company or organization to do business with you.

Here, we'll take a look at the various kinds of business proposals and go over how to write one. We’ll also see some ideas and examples to help guide yours.

Know exactly what you need? Jump to one of the following sections:

What is a business proposal?

Types of business proposals, how to write a business proposal, business proposal templates, business proposal example, tips for writing a business proposal, business proposal ideas.

A business proposal is a formal document that’s created by a company and given to a prospect to secure a business agreement.

It's a common misconception that business proposals and business plans are the same. However, a proposal helps you sell your product or service — not your business itself.

Think of it this way: instead of assisting your search for investors to fund your business, a proposal helps you seek new customers.

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There are two types of business proposals: unsolicited and solicited.

  • Unsolicited Business Proposals : With unsolicited business proposals, you approach a potential customer with a proposal, even if they don't request one, to gain their business.
  • Solicited Business Proposals : Solicited business proposals are requested by prospective clients so that they can decide whether to do business with your company.

In a solicited business proposal, the other organization asks for a request for proposal (RFP). When a company needs a problem solved, they invite other businesses to submit a proposal that details how they'd solve it.

how to write a hospitality business proposal

Propose your business as the ideal solution using our Free Business Proposal Templates

  • Problem summary
  • Proposed solution
  • Pricing information
  • Project timeline

You're all set!

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Fill out the form to get your template.

Whether the proposal is solicited or unsolicited, the steps to create your proposal are similar. Make sure it includes three main points:

  • A statement of the organization's problem
  • Begin with a title page.
  • Explain your why with an executive summary.
  • State the problem or need.
  • Propose a solution.
  • Share your qualifications.
  • Include pricing options.
  • Summarize with a conclusion.

Before writing your business proposal, it's crucial you understand the company. If they've sent you an RFP, make sure you read it carefully, so you know exactly what they want.

I recommend having an initial call or meeting with any new clients to ensure you fully understand their objectives. Ask open-ended questions to understand not just what they want, but why they want it.

Once you've done your research, it's time to begin writing your business proposal. While there's no one-size-fits-all approach to writing a business proposal, there's several elements most proposals include. (I designed this example business proposal using Canva .)

1. Begin with a title page.

You have to convey some basic information here. Introduce yourself and your business. Be sure to include:

  • Your company's name
  • The date you submitted the proposal
  • The name of the client or individual you're submitting the proposal to

Your title page should reconcile engagement with professionalism. I think of it as your first tone-setter, so you need to make sure yours is sleek, aesthetically appealing, and not too "out there."

Here's an example of what a business proposal template looks like when done right:

How to Write a Business Proposal: Business Proposal Example Title Page

The executive summary details exactly why you're sending the proposal and why your solution is the best for the prospective client.

Specificity is key here. Why are you the best choice for them?

Like a value proposition, your executive summary outlines the benefits of your company's products or services and how they can solve your potential client's problem.

After reading your executive summary, the prospect should offer a clear idea of how you can help them, even if they don't read the entire proposal. Here's what one should look like:

How to Write a Business Proposal: Sample Executive Summary

3. State the problem or need.

This is where you share a summary of the issue impacting the potential client. This is your opportunity to show them you understand their needs and the problem they need help solving.

How to Write a Business Proposal: Example Event Overview

In the example above, I included several signals to showcase my expertise – that I've been in the photography biz for 10 years, that I've worked with over 500 clients, and that I've been featured a number of publications. 

As you approach this section, focus on presenting yourself as an authority. Consider leveraging tools like:

  • Case studies
  • Client testimonials
  • Relevant awards
  • Industry accreditations

6. Include pricing options.

Pricing is where things can get a bit tricky, as you don't want to under or over-price your product.

How to write a business proposal: Include Pricing Options

The pricing section of your proposal could include:

  • A detailed pricing breakdown, including packages, tiers, and add-ons or optional services
  • How product features and benefits align with pricing choices
  • Pricing for different needs and budgets
  • How your pricing compares with competitors
  • An FAQ section to respond to anticipated objections and explain your pricing strategy

7. Summarize with a conclusion.

After sharing the above information, simplify it all into one final section.

  • First, briefly summarize the proposal. Be sure to share your qualifications and why you’d serve as the best choice.
  • Then, to prompt further conversation, confirm your availability to go over the next steps.
  • At the end of the proposal, the goal is to have the client ready to work with you. So, be sure to offer your contact information for easy follow-up.

In need of some inspiration before you begin writing? Here are example business proposal templates from popular business proposal software companies you can use to help create your proposal.

1. HubSpot's Free Business Plan Templates

HubSpot Business Proposal Template

Download these Templates

We know how crucial a great business proposal is to your and your client’s success. That's why we've compiled 2 Free Business Proposal Templates for you to use and customize for any of your projects.

You'll gain access to a concise, one-page template (pictured above), as well as a longer template for you to refine your plan and proposal.

Download the templates now to get started on building your proposal.

What We Like

The one-page template is clear, straightforward, and easy to read — without skipping on the key elements of a business proposal. This format is especially useful for busy clients who appreciate brevity and clarity.

2. Web Design Proposal

Business Proposal Templates: Web Design

With advertising on social networks projected to reach $82.23 billion dollars in 2025 , it's in your business's best interest to have a plan for growing your client's social media presence.

To help you in that effort, the information in this social media marketing proposal includes an executive summary to help introduce your high-level ideas, an assessment of the client’s company to show your diligence, and a breakdown of billing to show how your company charges for posting, content creation, and analytics.

This template includes all the bells and whistles of a social media proposal packaged in a fun yet professional design. It also includes helpful writing instructions under each section.

8. Content Marketing Proposal

Business Proposal Templates: Content Marketing

Business proposal templates are helpful places to get started, but what should your business proposal look like when it's complete? This template should inspire you.

When pitching your content marketing services to clients, this template can help you organize your ideas. While it walks you through initial objectives and how to communicate your prospected results, one of the most helpful parts of this template is the pricing ideas it gives you when charging for your services.

In the business template example below, Social Portal Consulting (SPC) pitches a marketing proposal to Graphic Bean. At first sight, this proposal appeals to the creative. I recommend going a step forward and designing the layout in your or your client’s brand colors.

Business Proposal Example: Social Media

Besides the design, the social media icons quickly tell the prospect what platforms Social Portal is pitching. Because we see Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest icons, the client instantly knows that this proposal doesn’t include LinkedIn, YouTube, or other platforms.

While maintaining its design, this example outlines Social Portal Consulting’s plans efficiently. It begins by providing insight into Graphic Bean and its goals before elaborating on how SPC can leverage its expertise to help them achieve them.

This business proposal template includes an easy-to-follow timeframe for goals and objectives while keeping the client abreast of how payment will happen across the project.

Overall, this is an excellent example of how to combine the elements of social media marketing into a creative and concise business proposal. Finally, we'll leave you with some business proposal ideas to get you started on your own.

  • Start with an outline.
  • Keep it simple.
  • Stay on brand.
  • Quality control.
  • Include data and visuals.
  • Add social proof.
  • Use a call-to-action.
  • Create a sense of urgency.
  • Make the decision for them.
  • Incorporate video into your proposal.
  • Include up-sell and add-on opportunities.
  • Clarify your terms and conditions.
  • Include a space for signatures to document agreement.
  • Create a table of contents.

1. Start with an outline.

If you want to produce a thoughtful, effective business proposal, you need to have some idea of what you're hoping to achieve with it.

Before I dive into writing a proposal, I always outline the major sections of the proposal that I want to include. That way, I can stay focused and make sure my message stays intact as I write.

Use these free business proposal templates to make sure that your outline includes everything you need.

2. Keep it simple.

Ultimately, there's no definitive blueprint for how long a business proposal has to be. Yours should be however long it takes to convey the information you want to get across.

That said, I'm a firm believer in quality over quantity, especially when it comes to business proposals. Keep your sentences short and simple, and avoid including too much business jargon.

You want anyone who picks up your proposal to make sense of it. So, be straightforward and don't get too fancy. Aim for substance over flash.

3. Stay on brand.

Don't be afraid to let your company's personality shine through in your proposal. Stay true to your brand and show the client what sets you apart from your competitors.

4. Quality control.

I've made it a habit to add an editing/QA step in my writing process. During this step, I do a quick spelling and grammar check before hitting send.

So, as you draft your proposal, and after checking for the basics, keep scanning this document until it's just right.

Check to make sure your proposal:

  • Meets client needs and expectations
  • Highlights your value proposition
  • Is well-structured and easy to read or skim
  • Complies with legal, ethical, and regulatory requirements
  • Looks professional and engaging

5. Include data and visuals.

You want your business proposal to capture your prospect's attention and help set you apart from any other ones they might have received. One of the best ways to do that is to include hard, quantitative data that helps stress the value of your business.

Use relevant, compelling figures that highlight what you have to offer. This can establish authority and make your proposal more convincing. It also helps to include visuals such as charts and graphs to enhance your proposal.

6. Add social proof.

From my experience, you can only be so convincing when you're personally talking up how great your business is — which is why adding social proof is key to establishing credibility.

At the end of the day, prospects are skeptical. They may not take you at your word. But they'll likely trust peers and fellow customers. That's why including elements like customer quotes and testimonials can go a long way.

7. Use a call-to-action.

I've learned that the best proposal in the world can only take you so far if you don't clearly define the next steps. That's why you have to make sure the reader knows what to do after reading your proposal.

A clear call-to-action is the best way to get there.

Define and highlight exactly what they should do to act on the interest your proposal has generated. Without that guidance, you might leave your reader in limbo.

HubSpot customers : Use this CTA builder to create powerful customized CTAs.

8. Create a sense of urgency.

No one wants to feel as if they missed out on a great opportunity. From my experience, prospect tend to drag their feet and put off making a decision if there isn't a sense of urgency.

So, as you create your business proposal, your goal should be to add a degree of urgency. When prospective clients read your business proposal they should feel that the best time to sign up for your service is now .

One way I accomplish this is by stating short and long-term goals for their business. They'll have to wait for the long-term goals, but I make the short-term goals so enticing that they'll be ready to begin a collaboration.

9. Make the decision for them.

Craft your copy in a way that seems like saying "no" to the proposal would be stepping over dollars to pick up pennies. Your offer should go above and beyond their expectations. Do everything in your power to remove friction and objections along the way.

10. Incorporate video into your proposal.

If you're creating an online proposal using document file formats like PDF, add multimedia elements. This will enhance the proposal experience, make your document richer, and keep them engaged.

Try adding a video at the beginning as an intro to your proposal. Or, put a video in the project breakdown to verbally discuss some of the more confusing parts.

Extras like this can make an impression. This tip works especially well with prospects who are visual or auditory communicators.

Pro tip : HubSpot Video makes it easy to record and embed video into a website or email for a big proposal boost.

11. Include up-sell and add-on opportunities.

They say you won't receive unless you ask. And readers won't explore the upper tiers of your solutions if you don't give them the opportunity.

So, share some upsells and add-ons about your business that they can act on. Call out a specific pain point and how this extra can add value.

With this step, balance is important. Show them everything your business has to offer without overwhelming your recipient.

12. Clarify your terms and conditions.

Your business proposal should include details on your project timeline and payment schedule. This summary is basically what you and the client agree to if they accept your proposal.

How to write a business proposal: Example Terms and Conditions

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How to Start a Hotel Business: Everything You Need to Know

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Wondering how to start a hotel business? You’re not alone. One of the first-ever hotels , as we’ve come to know them, was started in Exeter, England in 1768. Today, the industry has skyrocketed to be part of one of the largest in the world.  But dreaming of starting a hotel business and actually doing it are two completely different things. That's where we come in. 

In this guide, we’ll teach you how to start a hotel business with step-by-step instructions, expert advice, and actionable tips. Keep reading to discover the fundamentals all hotel businesses need to succeed.

The steps we cover in this guide:

  • Step 1: Find a market need
  • Step 2: Craft your strategic goals
  • Step 3: Run the numbers
  • Step 4: Review financing options
  • Step 5: Do your paperwork
  • Step 6: Hire and train your team
  • Step 7: Draft a marketing plan
  • Step 8: Launch your hotel business

Discover how to start a hotel business in 8 steps:

Step 1: find a market need..

The first and most important step when learning how to start a hotel business is to gain a thorough understanding of the hospitality industry worldwide, as well as in your location. To get started, find your favorite hotel news sources , then set aside time each day or week to stay informed. Once you have some familiarity with the industry, it’s time to dive into the market research for your hotel.

Let us help you start your hotel business

Cvent's resources library is a great place to start. It's where you can read the latest news, thought leadership, and best practices from a wide variety of industry experts. The goal of your industry research is to get a clear idea of whether you can be competitive in your market. Also, what characteristics your hotel will need in order to succeed. 

Rather than starting with an idea and making the research fit, try to find an area of need in your market. What audiences are underserved? Where is demand outpacing supply? What does your location need in terms of hospitality and accommodation?

To give you a good understanding of where you’ll fit in, your market research should include:

  • Property type. All hotels are not built the same. The industry is made up of resorts, spas, airport hotels, all-inclusives, hostels, boutiques, and many other property types. Determine what property type you plan to offer and what other options in that category exist in your location.
  • Hotel size. Closely related to your property type is the hotel size. How many guest rooms will you offer, and how does that compare to your competitors?
  • Star rating. What level of service and hotel amenities do you plan to offer?
  • Location. What region will you operate in? Is demand increasing in the area? What location amenities, like airports, beaches, or event venues , will you be in close proximity to?
  • Brand affiliation. Will you be a part of a larger brand’s umbrella? Being affiliated with a brand can help with marketing , business intelligence, pricing, and audience targeting.
  • Extra amenities. What services or amenities are important for hotels of your type and star rating in your location? Things like free Wi-Fi, meeting space, a pool, or wedding services  are all important, depending on your target audience.
  • Guest demographics. How would you define the types of guests who may frequent your location? What is the purpose of travel, and what are some common characteristics of these travelers? Knowing whether you are targeting business travelers, families, couples, solo travelers, retirees, or other demographic groups will help you to craft your marketing plan and hotel concept.

All of this research should give you a good idea of your main competitors and target audience. Those two pieces of information will determine everything else about your property, from budget and financing to marketing and daily operations. Spend time on this step to make sure you’ve found a true need in the market. You’ll be better prepared for success.

You can utilize tools like Cvent's Hotel Business Intelligence™ Software Solutions to provide you with the transformative business insights needed to conduct your market research and benchmark against the competition.

Step 2: Craft your hotel's strategic goals.

Once you have an understanding of market needs, you’ll need to create a smart solution to fill that gap. Your unique combination of amenities, concept, decor, marketing, location, and services can help you stand out from the crowd and capture market share if you approach it strategically.

Consider how you’ll approach pricing, revenue management , sustainability, customer satisfaction, events, and other market needs when crafting your goals. As with all goals, they should be S.M.A.R.T - specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. According to the Naples Hotel Group , an expert hotel development firm, some of the best goals a hotel owner can focus on include: 

  • Measuring and increasing customer satisfaction.
  • Creating a solid revenue management system.
  • Building a strong online reputation.
  • Attending at least one hotel industry conference .
  • Considering working with a consulting firm to bypass the common roadblocks new hotel owners face.

Make sure the needs of the market and your target audience, along with your business needs, help determine your goals. This will ensure that everything you do helps your customers, as well as your bottom line.

You can use a hotel business plan template to outline the results of your research and planning, including your competitive advantage, goals, and your plan to get those results.

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Step 3: Run the numbers.

With your goals and plan in place, it’s time to run the numbers to make sure you'll be profitable. Using your market research, you can estimate key factors like room pricing, vacancy rates, RevPAR (revenue per available room), and operating costs. A basic overview of hotel finances will help you hire the right revenue manager and sales team later on. The two key areas to focus on are profitability and any external factors that may affect your hotel business. You’ll also need to estimate initial costs for your hotel business. This includes startup and hiring costs, licensing, permits, construction, renovations, and your first year of operations.

Set up a few scenarios in your forecasting to see how key decisions affect the potential profitability of your business. For instance, do you want to buy or build? Buying into a franchise or taking over an existing hotel building has lower startup costs, unless you have to renovate extensively. But it also requires you to establish your new hotel identity, which can be a challenge depending on the current state of the business. On the other hand, building a hotel, while usually considerably more expensive upfront, can provide a solution to a lack of available buildings and can be more lucrative in the long run. 

Step 4: Review financing options for your hotel business.

Once you decide on the right financial plan for your business, you’re ready to fund it. There are a number of available options for financing your hotel business. Jim Pendergast, Senior Vice President and General Manager of altLINE , discussed this topic in a recent interview with Cvent.

“It's important to understand the full scope of financing options available for your hotel's funding," he said. "Generally, you have two commercial financing categories when opening your hotel: traditional credit or specialty credit.

With traditional credit lines, you receive financing based on long-term assets. These are things like real estate owned by your hotel as well as cash flow projections and calculations submitted during underwriting. Lenders review these assets before awarding your loan.

With specialty credit, you'll receive financing or credit lines based on near-term assets. This might be hotel equipment or invoices from accounts receivable. The idea is these backings are more liquid than what's needed in traditional lending.

Both traditional and specialty financing are appropriate vehicles for hotels depending on your capital needs. However, the larger and more established your hotel franchise, the more specialty lending could make ongoing sense. This is because large hotels manage significant account receivables operations. 

Consider the amount of credit card transactions that must be administered. Also, hospitality-related vendor operations happening within the establishment. The larger your AR activities, the more something like AR-based asset lending and similar specialty lending might benefit you.”

Step 5: Do your paperwork.

There are many important legal, regulatory, and insurance requirements to fulfill in order to establish any new business. Your hotel business is no different. 

Consult with your legal, insurance, accounting, and operations teams to determine the requirements for your location. At a minimum, you’ll need to set up a business structure and get business insurance. You will also likely need building or renovation permits, hotel licensing, and licensing for serving food and alcoholic beverages. There will also be a number of health and safety requirements as you complete your building or renovation process. 

All of this paperwork is not the motivating factor for getting into the hospitality industry, but it is important. Work with your team to check requirements at the local, state, and federal level. Additionally, keep on top of the process throughout so you don’t have to repair costly mistakes later.

Modern hotel management begins here

Step 6: Hire and train your hotel team.

A business is only as good as the team members that contribute to its success. By hiring great employees at all levels, you’ll set yourself up to deliver value to your guests and become a market leader.

Many hotels opt to hire for executive and departmental positions first, setting the tone and direction. These leaders can then identify what they want to see within their teams and how many staff members they need. Each team should identify the roles and skills they’re looking for, as well as developing a plan to reach and source great new hires.

Make sure that your application and interview processes are easy for candidates so that you don’t introduce needless friction. Find ways to communicate your core mission, values, and approach to this new business throughout the hiring process. This will help you attract candidates who share your vision.

Once you’ve hired a great team, take the time to onboard and train them. This is an incredibly important step that will help everyone in the long run. Any employees who will interact with guests should receive extra training on customer service and guest relations so that they’re ready to lend a helping hand, regardless of whether it’s in their job descriptions.

Focus from the beginning on becoming the employer of choice in your market. You’ll attract a stellar team that’s ready to help you become a market leader.

Step 7: Draft a marketing plan.

You’re now ready to share your hotel concept with the world. Well in advance of opening, you’ll need to spread the word and set yourself up for a profitable launch. 

Your hotel marketing plan is an important part of your overall business strategy. It guides your decision-making on decor, daily operations, communications, customer service, and more. 

Think back to the target audience that you identified in your market research. Using that initial audience, you can now conduct more in-depth customer research to determine who your customers are. Also, where you’ll find them, how you’ll communicate with them, and how they define value.

Hotel marketing made simple

Hotel marketing expert and Co-Founder of Saffron Key, Ben Weagraff, advises that there is no one-size-fits-all plan for new hotel businesses.

“There’s a number of strategies that can work very well,” he told SiteMinder . “But they depend on the hotel itself; its digital properties (including website , email relationships , the strength of social media channels ) and what exactly the hotel is trying to do.”

He goes on to note: “However, generally these techniques present a good repeatable path towards driving high-value customers. The greatest thing about content marketing is that it is low-cost, measurable, repeatable, and it builds upon itself. Once the foundation is in place, customers roll in at increasing rates.”

If you’re looking for ideas for inspiration, check out  Marriott’s marketing strategy . Also, be sure to check out all of Cvent's hotel marketing solutions  to help guide you throughout the process.

Step 8: Launch your hotel business.

At this point, you’ve put in the work to open a profitable and high-quality hotel business for your market. You’ve got the plan and the team to make your vision a reality. Now it’s time to launch.

The goal of your launch is of course to introduce your hotel to guests. But it’s also a great opportunity to introduce yourself to the local community, key stakeholders, influencers, and potential partners. Put your best foot forward with these audiences by planning a grand opening event that reflects your mission and values.

Use event planning and diagramming tools to create your layouts, collaborate with vendors, and assign tasks to team members. As long as you focus on building relationships with your community, investors, and potential clients, your grand opening will be a success. 

Now you know how to start a hotel business using proven strategies from across the industry.

Now that you know how to start a hotel business, it's time to start thinking about reputation. Read on for  hotel reputation management tips every hotelier should know.

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Blog Business

How to Write Winning Business Proposal: Examples & Free Templates (2024)

By Aditya Sheth , Jan 25, 2024

How to Write Winning Business Proposals

The great Mark Cuban once said, “Sales cure all.” If a business doesn’t sell, it doesn’t make money and by extension the business fails. That’s why you need to write business proposals .

A well-written business proposal can often mean the difference between winning or losing a prospective client.

In this in-depth guide to creating business proposals, we show you how to close more deals, make more sales and crush your business goals — all by using easy-to-edit professional business proposal templates .

Here’s what this guide will cover (click to jump ahead):

What is a business proposal.

  • How to write a business proposal step by step

What should you include in a business proposal?

What are the types of business proposals, more business proposal examples + writing and design tips.

  • FAQs about business proposals

Looking for a shortcut? Watch this quick video for an overview of everything to include in your business proposal:

An effective business proposal is a document used by a B2B or business-facing company (this may not always be the case, but most B2B SaaS companies do so) where a seller aims to persuade a prospective buyer into buying their goods or services.

A business proposal outlines what your business does and what you can do for your client . It can be general like this business proposal example:

general business proposal template

Or it can be more specific, like this business proposal template which focuses on proposing a project for the Newton Center Rail:

simple business proposal project proposal template

Or this business proposal sample, which presents a plan for a social media strategy and campaign:

social media marketing business proposal template

To design a business proposal that holds the client’s attention, identify their pain points . Then provide your buyer with the right solution to alleviate those frustrations.

Working on a new project? These project proposal examples might come in handy for you.

How to write a business proposal step by step

Before you start creating your business proposal template, you need to understand the business proposal format. At a high level, your effective business proposal should include the following:

Table of contents

Executive summary, the problem statement, the proposed solution, qualifications, the timeline, pricing, billing, and legal, terms and conditions, the acceptance.

Below, you can see business proposal examples that demonstrate how to include these 10 sections.

Business proposal title

A compelling title could mean the difference between someone reading your proposal or ignoring it in favor of a competitor’s . 

What makes a good title page? Here are the essential elements to include: 

  • Your name along with your company’s name
  • The name of the prospect (or their business) 
  • The date you’re submitting the proposal

Gray Business Consulting Proposal Template Cover Page_Venngage

The gray business consulting proposal template above contains all the details a prospect would want to know. The title also offers a strong tangible benefit to the prospective buyer. Honestly, “Who doesn’t want to grow their business?”

The table of contents is a fundamental part of every winning business proposal template. It makes your proposal scannable and easy to read.

The people you will be pitching to are usually C-level executives. These are busy people who don’t have time to read your entire proposal in one go.

That’s why most of the business proposal examples in this list include a table of contents.

Adding a table of contents to your document makes it easy for them to go through it at their own pace. They can also skim through parts of the proposal that they deem more important. You can see how this abstract business proposal template uses the table of contents:

Creative Social Media Business Proposal Template Table of Contents

You can also make your business proposal template easier to navigate by adding hyperlinks to the document, particularly in the table of contents. This way your clients can jump to specific sections without having to scroll through the entire document. 

It’s easy to add hyperlinks in the Venngage editor. Select the text you’d like to turn into a link, then click the link icon in the top bar. From there, select the page you want to link to! Then download your completed design as an Interactive PDF .

Proposal-ToC-Example

The executive summary is a staple in all kinds of annual reports , leadership development plan , project plans and even marketing plans . It is a concise summary of the entire contents of your document. In other words, write a business proposal outline that is easy to glance over and that highlights your value proposition.

The goals of your executive summary are:

  • Introduce your company to your buyer
  • Provide an overview of your company goals
  • Showcase your company’s milestones, overall vision and future plans
  • Include any other relevant details

This gray business proposal example has a detailed yet short executive summary including some social proof in the form of clients they’ve worked with:

Gray Business Consulting Proposal Template About Us

Take note of how precise this business proposal example is. You want to keep your executive summary concise and clear from the get-go. This sets the right tone for the rest of your proposal. It also gives your buyer a reason to continue reading your proposal.

Pro Tip: Try to write an executive summary such that, even if your prospective client doesn’t read the entire proposal (with a good executive summary, they most likely will), they should have a clear idea about what your company does and how you can help them.

The point of writing a business proposal is to solve a buyer’s problem. Your goal is to outline the problem statement as clearly as possible. This develops a sense of urgency in your prospect. They will want to find a solution to the problem. And you have that solution.

 A well-defined problem statement does two things: 

  • It shows the prospect you have done your homework instead of sending a generic pitch
  • It creates an opportunity for you to point out a problem your prospect might not be aware they had in the first place. 

Texture Business Proposal Template

This bold business proposal template above clearly outlines the problem at hand and also offers a ray of hope i.e. how you can solve your prospect’s problem. This brings me to… 

The good stuff. In the proposed solution section, you show how you can alleviate your prospective buyer’s pain points. This can fit onto the problem statement section but if you have a comprehensive solution or prefer to elaborate on the details, a separate section is a good idea.

Spare no details regarding the solution you will provide. When you write a business proposal, explain how you plan to deliver the solution. Include an estimated timeline of when they can expect your solution and other relevant details.

For inspiration, look at how this business proposal template quickly and succinctly outlines the project plan, deliverables and metrics :

Sales Plan Proposal Table Template_Venngage

At this point, the prospect you’re pitching your solution to likes what they’re reading. But they may not trust you to deliver on your promises. Why is this?

It’s because they don’t know you. Your job is to convince them that you can fix their problem. This section is important because it acts as social proof. You can highlight what your company does best and how qualified your team is when you write a business proposal for a potential client.

business proposal qualifications section

This free business proposal template showcases the company’s accolades, client testimonials, relevant case studies, and industry awards. You can also include other forms of social proof to establish yourself as a credible business. This makes it that much more likely that they will say yes!

Pro Tip: Attaching in-depth case studies of your work is a great way to build trust with a potential client by showcasing how you’ve solved similar problems for other clients in the past. Our case study examples post can show you how to do just that.

To further demonstrate just how prepared you are, it’s important to outline the next steps you will take should your buyer decide to work with you.

Provide a timeline of how and when you will complete all your deliverables. You can do this by designing a  flow chart . Or add a  roadmap  with deadlines. Pitching a long-term project? A timeline infographic would be a better fit.

If you look at this abstract business proposal template below, even something as simple as a table can do the trick.

Abstract Business Consulting Proposal Template Timeline_Venngage

The timeline is not always set in stone, rather it’s an estimation. The goal is to clarify any questions your potential client might have about how you will deliver for the underlying B2B sales process.

On this page, you can outline your fees, payment schedule, invoice payment terms , as well as legal aspects involved in this deal. You can even use the  Excel Invoice Template  to create professional-looking invoices (including brand logo and other elements) and add them to this page.

The key to good pricing is to provide your buyer with options. A  pricing comparison table can help with this. You want to give your client some room to work with. Make sure you’re not scaring off your client with a high price, nor undervaluing yourself. 

Breaking up your pricing in stages is another great way to make sure your potential client knows what he’s paying for. Look at how this simple business proposal template does this:

Bold Business Proposal Template Pricing Page_Venngage

The legal aspects can slot right into the terms and conditions section. Alternatively, you can add them to the signature section of the proposal to keep things simple.

Summarize everything you have promised to deliver so far. Include what you expect from your prospective buyer in return.  Add the overall project timeline from start to end, as well as payment methods and payment schedule. This way, both of you will be clear on what is being agreed on.

This step is very important as it outlines all the legal aspects of the deal. That is why the terms and conditions section of your proposal needs to be as clear as possible.

Modern Business Proposal

I recommend consulting a lawyer or your legal team when working on this section of the business proposal. If you’re a business veteran and understand the legalities of your business, you can use the same terms and conditions across all your proposals.

The final step of this whole process. Your client has read your business proposal and they want to buy what you have to offer.

Add a small section at the end of your proposal to get the necessary signatures. This way, you and your client can sign the proposal and the partnership becomes official.

Be sure to also include your contact information in your business proposal template. It acts as a gentle prompt to your client to contact you in case they have any questions. A professional way of doig that would be to include an e-business card with your contact details, email i.d and any other social links you want to share. You can go through this article for the best digital business cards .

Orange-Simple-Project-Proposal-Template

A business proposal usually aims to answer the following questions: 

  • Who you are and what your company does
  • The problem your buyer is facing
  • The solution your company offers to alleviate the problem
  • How your company will implement this solution effectively
  • An estimate of resources (time, money, etc) required to implement the solution

You can see how this sample business proposal template covers the above points.

business project proposal template

Notice how this proposal template addresses the same project like in one of the previous templates, but uses a completely different design style (more retro, while the previous business proposal template is more modern and minimalistic).

Generally, there are three types of business proposals:

1. Formally solicited 

A formally solicited business proposal is made when you respond to an official request to write a business proposal.

In this scenario, you know all the requirements and have more (if not all) information about a prospective buyer. You simply need to write the business proposal for your buyer to evaluate so you can begin the sales process .

2. Informally solicited 

Informally solicited business proposals are written when there isn’t an official request for a proposal. A prospective buyer is interested in your services and asks for a proposal so they can evaluate it.

An informally solicited proposal requires a lot more research from your end. These types of proposals are usually created out of informal conversations. They are not based on official requests which often contain more detail.

3. Unsolicited 

Think of this as a marketing brochure or a cold email . Unsolicited business proposals will often take a generic, one-size-fits-all approach to business proposals. Unsolicited proposals lack any understanding of the buyer or their requirements.

But with additional  market research , personalization and identifying customer pain points , you can propose a customized solution based on your buyer’s needs. This can be a very persuasive approach, such as in this business proposal example:

corporate business proposal example

Now that you know how to write a business proposal, let’s look at how you can optimize your proposal to deliver results!

Below you’ll find some winning business proposal templates and examples to get you started. I’ve also included some design tips to keep in mind when you’re creating your next business proposal: 

1. Know your audience 

If you have some clarity on who your ideal buyer is — their pain points, their budget, deadlines, among other things — you’ve already won half the battle.

If you are a business that helps clients with everything from running giveaways or helping grow their blog , identify which customers to pitch. This is a sure-shot way to close the deal.

Mapping user personas  for your ideal buyer can help bring some clarity. It will also help you position your business proposal correctly. This improves the chance of your buyer moving your business proposal to the “Yes!” pile.

2. Put your brand front and center

If your company follows certain brand guidelines, incorporate them in your business proposal templates. Consider how business proposal examples like the one below highlight brand identity :

content marketing plan business proposal example

From the color palettes to the company logos , everything follows their brand guidelines. The result: a business proposal that’s consistent across the board.

Pro Tip: Switching this template to match your brand assets is actually pretty easy. Venngage’s My Brand Kit feature allows you to import your color palettes, logos as well as font choices. Any Venngage template can now be your template.

You can also consider this sample business proposal template:

Example of a Business Proposal

Design companies sure do know their design. They did a phenomenal job keeping their brand colors consistent while opting for a black design. This unique color scheme also makes their white logo prominent throughout the proposal.

3. Try less text, more visuals

Have you ever read a proposal and thought to yourself, “Wow, this is all text and has no images, I love it!”? Yeah, me neither.

The free business proposal template below is a perfect example of the “less is more” principle. It does a phenomenal job of communicating what it needs to. By substituting some of the text with icons and visuals, you get a clean business proposal that’s much more scannable.

Social Media Plan Proposal Template

Want to keep things strictly professional? Instead of icons, you can always add your team’s headshots. This shows your buyer exactly who they’ll be working with.  

Check out this formal business proposal format for some inspiration:

Red Human Resources Consulting Proposal Template Team

4. Switch up your business proposal designs

It doesn’t hurt to go above and beyond once in a while. Jazz up your business proposal template with some extra colors. This helps make your business proposal more engaging. It also helps your buyers retain information faster.

Simple Business Proposal Example

The business proposal example alternates between black, white and grey backgrounds. It still manages to maintain consistency in its branding . Just switching up your backgrounds once in a while can also bring in some variety to an otherwise standard business proposal.

This SEO business proposal sample proves that it’s possible to switch up the colors in every other page. But it still maintains the same color scheme across the entire proposal just like a professionally designed website : 

SEO Marketing Proposal

Pro Tip: Not a color expert? Our guide on picking colors can help you pick the right color scheme for your proposals.

FAQ about business proposals

What is the purpose of a business proposal.

A business proposal aims to streamline the B2B sales process (which is often complex ) between you as a seller and a buyer.

It does this by serving the dual purpose of acting as a source of information. The proposal also acts as a sales pitch aimed at convincing your buyer why they should buy what you have to offer.

What are the best practices for business proposal design?

  • Do a thorough spell-check. The goal of your business proposal is to convince your buyer why you’re the perfect person for the job. A proposal with typos or grammatical errors communicates the opposite. A thorough spell-check before you send your proposal is a must.
  • Keep things clear and readable: Clarity is an important aspect that you have to ensure in your business proposal. If you want your proposal to hit home and make an impact on the buyer, you have to write it in an understandable way. To keep things clear and readable, there are a couple of things that you can do. You can, for one, take care to use easy wording and segmented sentences from the get-go. You can also try paraphrasing the hard parts of your proposal once you are done writing it.
  • Let your brand shine. As discussed before, writing a business proposal is all about knowing your ideal buyer and focusing on their pain points. But that doesn’t mean your business proposal template has to be boring. Demonstrate how different you are compared to other companies. You can do this through your brand guidelines , by using more visuals, switching up your proposal design or showing off your personality in your writing . 
  • Create a business proposal PDF. Downloading your business proposal in PDF format allows you to attach other collaterals with your business proposal. These can include a company explainer video or case studies showcasing the work done with past clients. Also, who doesn’t love saving paper?

How long should your business proposal be? 

The length depends on the scope of the work as well as the complexity of the project. Here is a one-page business proposal template:

one page business proposal template

Can your business proposal template really be one page? Yes, as long as you understand who your buyer is and their pain points. You should also have the ability to communicate everything your ideal buyer needs to know about your business in a succinct manner.

Or if you’re feeling adventurous how about just two pages? Often, clients prefer if you go straight to the point and avoid all the fluff.

For example, this green modern marketing proposal template wastes no time in getting down to brass tacks:

Project Business Proposal

Need more inspiration? Check out this blog on the 5 marketing proposal examples that’ll help elevate your business.

There is no one size fits all approach when it comes to deciding how many pages you should include in your business proposal template. And at the end of the day, “the only rules are the ones you set for yourself”.

At the end of the day, writing winning business proposals that sell is all about you understanding your buyer, their potential pain points and positioning yourself as someone who can alleviate those pain points. 

Now that you know how to write compelling business proposals, what are you waiting for?

Take action and start creating your own business proposals to close more deals and grow your business today!

More business communications templates + writing tips you might be interested in…

  • 31 Consulting Proposal Templates to Close Deals
  • 20+ Professional Business Letterhead Templates + Branding Tips
  • How to Write a White Paper [Tips & Templates]

Business proposal templates

Business proposal templates

The importance of sending a business proposal

How to title a business proposal, business proposal subject line examples, how to write a business proposal.

Determine if the business proposal is cold outreach, or if the potential customer has already shown some interest. For cold outreach, your proposal should be more professional and include an executive summary. For the latter, you can focus on the project itself and be less formal in tone. Remember to refer to any previous conversations that you’ve had with the prospect in your project proposals.

What to include in a business proposal

Business proposal examples and templates, business proposal good practices, frequently asked questions, how do you write a business proposal via email, when should you follow up after a proposal, how do you follow up on a business proposal, how often should i send business proposals, what should i include in a business proposal, how long should a business proposal be, what is the difference between a business proposal and a business plan, should i follow up after sending a business proposal, what are the most popular types of proposals.

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How to Write a Business Proposal

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Briana Morgaine

8 min. read

Updated February 25, 2024

A business proposal can make or break your chances of securing a new client. Write a great one, and you’ll likely snag their business.

Write a poor one, and you might lose out—even if you’re offering the best service out there. So, how do you write a business proposal? What is the proper format? What do you need to include?

While it all depends on your industry, and whether or not you’re offering a product or service, writing a business proposal is pretty straightforward. We’ll answer all those questions and more throughout the course of this guide. 

  • What to expect with this business proposal guide

Whether you’re starting fresh or need to look at a specific section, here’s what we’ll be covering in this guide. 

  • What a business proposal is
  • The differences between a business proposal and a business plan
  • The format of a business proposal
  • How long to make your business proposal
  • How to write a business proposal

You can download a  free business proposal template here  to start writing up your own proposal as you work through this article. By the end, you’ll be prepared to develop a well-written business proposal that can explain your business clearly and win more clients. Let’s get started.

  • What is a business proposal?

A business proposal is a document you’d send to a prospective client, outlining the service you’re offering, and explaining why you’re the best person for the job. 

It’s a  pitch by a business or individual  to complete a specific job or project, to supply a service, or, in some instances, to be the vendor of a certain product.

What are the different types of business proposals?

A business proposal can be either solicited or unsolicited. With a solicited proposal, the prospective client will put out a request for proposals; with an unsolicited business proposal, you are approaching a client in hopes of attracting their business, even though they did not explicitly request a proposal.  

While both are commonplace, a solicited proposal is an easier sell, as your prospective client has already decided that they want to make a purchase or use a service, and they’re evaluating possible vendors or businesses.

With a solicited proposal, your prospective client might have issued an RFP, or “request for proposal.” This is exactly what it sounds like—they want you to send over a business proposal so they can take a look at it.

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  • Differences between a business proposal and a business plan

A business proposal is not the same as a  business plan . This is the most common misconception, but while there are areas of overlap (like your  executive summary ) the two are different.

That being said, you can certainly pull information from your business plan while writing your business proposal—in fact, that’s a great way to start.

But don’t confuse the two; they are distinct and separate. In short, a  business plan  represents the cohesive strategy of how your business operates and makes money. A business proposal is an official pitch to clients selling your products or services. 

A business proposal outlines a particular product or service offered by an established business to a prospective client.

You’re trying to sell your prospective client on your product or service, not on your business itself. You’re not after funding, as you are with a business plan, you’re trying to make a sale.

A business proposal is also not an estimate; although you’ll likely touch on costs and pricing in your business proposal, an estimate is much more informal and just a quick look at the costs, not the whole picture.

  • What goes into a business proposal?

Your business proposal should address the three Ps:

  • Problem statement: What your customer’s current problem is
  • Proposed solution: How your business solves that problem better than other solutions
  • Pricing: How much that solution costs compared to alternatives

If you’re stuck on how to start, maybe try brainstorming first; start with these three points, and you’ll have a rough, bare-bones version of your business proposal.

Once you’ve done that if you’re ready to go more in-depth, here is a step-by-step look at how to format your business proposal.

Your business proposal should start with a title page, which should include your name, the name of your company, the name of the person to whom you’re submitting your proposal, and the date submitted.

Table of contents

Depending on how long your business proposal is, a table of contents is a nice touch. Include it after your title page, and before you launch into any details. If you’re delivering it as a PDF, including anchor links down to each section, so it’s easy to get to specific areas. 

Executive summary

Introduce your proposal with a great executive summary, one that really sells your business and the products or services you provide—it’s about why you’re the right company for the job. You can draw from your business plan’s executive summary here, too.

Statement of problem, issue, or job at hand

Following your executive summary, go on to discuss the problem that the client is currently facing. Think of “problem” or “issue” loosely; after all, their main problem may just be finding the right person to complete their project. But be sure you understand why they want the product or service they’re seeking. If the proposal is for developing a brand new website, make sure you understand what they want to get out of the site—better sales, more content management flexibility. 

This is the place to show your new client that you  understand their needs , and fully grasp the issue they are trying to solve. Take this opportunity to restate the issue they are facing in your own words so that they know you understand what they are looking for.

Approach and methodology

This section shows how you plan to tackle your potential client’s problem, and the steps you’ll take to carry out your plan.

This is where you’ll get into the nitty-gritty of how you actually plan to fulfill your client’s needs. While earlier sections might have been a bit surface-level, this section of the business proposal is where you’ll go into detail about what steps you’ll take to solve their problem.

Be careful of going into  too  much detail, though—keep the jargon to a minimum. Your client should be able to follow along and get a clear sense of your plan, but you don’t want to drown them in minutiae.

Qualifications

Go ahead, brag a little—this is the section of your business proposal where you get to convince your potential client why you are the most qualified person to take on the job.

You can mention any relevant education, industry-specific training, or certifications you have, your past successful projects of a similar nature, years of experience, and so on.

Schedule and benchmarks

Be clear with your potential client: How long will your proposed project take?

Making sure you and your prospective client are on the same page from the outset will help make sure that the relationship stays positive for both of you, and that you don’t set your client up with unrealistic expectations.

While you might be tempted to underestimate how long it will take you to complete the project, don’t. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver!

If you’re offering a product, this section might not be applicable to you, so feel free to omit it. The business proposal format is flexible, so tailor it to suit your business and industry.

Cost, payment, and any legal matters

Here is where you get down to brass tacks and state the cost, and payment schedule if necessary.

How you structure this section will largely depend on the particular project or service you are offering. A section entitled “Fee Summary” may be sufficient if one-time payment is required; otherwise, a “Fee Schedule” list or pricing table might be more appropriate. Always refer back to the client’s RFP whenever possible, to make sure you’re supplying them with all the information they need to help make their decision.

If there are any legal issues to attend to, such as permits or licensing, include this information here. Feel free to add a section entirely devoted to handling the legal side of the project if need be.

This is your final sell—don’t be afraid to detail for your prospective client all they have to gain by choosing you to complete the project.

Impress upon your clients why you are the best choice, and all the ways in which their business will benefit from choosing you and your business as their solution.

  • How long should a business proposal be?

When it comes to the format of a business proposal, this is the million-dollar question without an answer. Remember in school, when you’d ask your teacher how long an essay should be, and they’d reply, “as long as it takes to answer the question.”

The same applies to your business proposal. It ultimately depends on your industry, the scope of the project, and the client’s specifications in terms of detail and elements included.

That being said, the tighter your initial proposal can be and the more directly you can make your point, the easier it will be to pitch it to clients. Start by following the business proposal format above as a guide, and you’ll be well on your way to creating a winning business proposal—and securing new clients.

See why 1.2 million entrepreneurs have written their business plans with LivePlan

Content Author: Briana Morgaine

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How to Write a Tourism Business Plan

by Bryan Reynolds | Jul 10, 2023 | Destination Marketing

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Starting a tourism business can be an exciting venture, but it’s vital to have a solid business plan in place. Your business plan will serve as a blueprint for your business, outlining your goals, strategies, and financial projections. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write a tourism business plan.

Step 1: Executive Summary

  • Start with an executive summary, which provides a snapshot of your business.
  • It should include your business name, location, and a brief description of the services you offer.
  • This section should also highlight your unique selling proposition – what sets your tourism business apart from the competition.

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Step 2: Business Description

  • Provide detailed information about your tourism business.
  • Describe your target market, the types of tours or services you’ll offer, and your business structure (e.g., sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation).
  • Also, discuss any partnerships with local businesses or organizations that will enhance your offerings.

Next up is the market analysis.

Step 3: Market Analysis

  • This section requires research into the tourism industry in your area.
  • Identify your competitors and analyze their strengths and weaknesses.
  • Understand your target customers – their preferences, behaviors, and what they value in a tourism experience.

After understanding your market, it’s time to outline your organization and management structure.

Step 4: Organization and Management

Outline your team structure..

  • Include the roles and responsibilities of each team member, and provide brief bios if possible.
  • If you’re a sole proprietor, describe any outsourced roles (like accounting or marketing).

a pencil on a paper book

Step 5: Services or Products

  • Detail the services or products your tourism business will offer.
  • Whether you’re offering guided tours, travel planning, or other tourism-related services, make sure to describe each offering clearly.
  • Explain the benefits of your services and how they meet the needs of your target market.

Finally, let’s talk numbers in your financial projections.

Step 6: Financial Projections

  • This section should provide a clear picture of your business’s financial outlook.
  • Include sales and revenue projections, a budget, a break-even analysis, and a projection of your cash flow.
  • These figures will be crucial when seeking funding or investment for your tourism business.

people walking outside at a tourism location

Why do I need a business plan for my tourism business? A business plan helps you understand your business better, assists in securing funding, and serves as a roadmap for your business’s growth. A company overview is important in the travel and tourism industry. How long should my business plan be? The length of a business plan can vary significantly depending on the size and complexity of the business. However, typically, a business plan ranges from 20 to 50 pages. Who should write the business plan? As the successful business owner, you are the best person to write the business plan. However, you can also hire a professional business plan writer or use business plan software. How often should I update my business plan? It’s a good idea to update your business plan at least once a year or whenever significant changes occur in your business or industry. What if I’m starting a small tourism business and don’t have a team yet? That’s perfectly fine. In your organization and management section, simply focus on your role and any outsourced functions. Do I need to include all these sections in my business plan? Yes, each section plays a critical role in providing a comprehensive view of your business. However, the depth of detail in each section can vary based on your specific business. Can I use my business plan to secure funding? Absolutely. Investors and lenders will often request to see a business plan to understand the viability and potential of your business. A well-crafted business plan is crucial for the success of your tourism business. By following this guide, you’ll be well on your way to creating a comprehensive and effective business plan.

Best Practices when Writing a Tourism Business Plan Template

Writing a business plan for a tourism business involves several best practices that can increase the likelihood of your venture’s success. Here are some key points to consider:

1. Be Clear About Your Business Idea:

  • Define your tourism business concept clearly.
  • Specify the type of services you will provide, such as guided tours, travel planning, or accommodation booking.

2. Conduct Thorough Market Analysis:

  • Identify your target audience and understand their needs and preferences.
  • Analyze your competitors, their offerings, strengths, and weaknesses.

3. Create a Unique Selling Proposition (USP):

  • Determine what sets your tourism business apart from competitors.
  • Your USP could be unique tour packages, superior customer service, or partnerships with local businesses.

4. Detail Your Marketing Strategy:

  • Develop a marketing and sales strategy to attract and retain customers.
  • This could involve online advertising, social media promotion, collaborations with local businesses, or special offers for repeat customers.

5. Plan Your Operations:

  • Outline how your business will operate on a day-to-day basis.
  • Include details about logistics, staff requirements, equipment needed, and any regulatory compliance issues.

6. Develop a Financial Plan:

  • Prepare a detailed financial plan, including revenue projections, budget, and break-even analysis.
  • This section is crucial if you’re seeking investment or loans.

7. Review and Revise Regularly:

  • A business plan should not be a static document. Review and update it regularly to keep it aligned with your current business situation and future goals.

Remember, your business plan is not just a document for potential investors or lenders; it’s also a roadmap for your business, guiding your decisions and strategies. By adhering to these best practices, you can create a robust business plan that sets your tourism business up for success.

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Write Your Way to a Win: Business Proposal 101

T o keep your business growing, you need to always be adding to your client portfolio. In order to keep landing new clients, you have to be able to sell them on your business and what you can do for them. One way to do so is by preparing a business proposal. Business proposals not only allow you to include the details of the project, your proposed solution and prices, but also give you the leeway to sell the benefits of your solution and your company. The business proposal is your opportunity to shine and, hopefully, acquire a new client in the process.

What is a business proposal? 

A business proposal is a multipage document detailing how your business can solve a problem or fill a need for a customer. Business proposals can be unsolicited or solicited. 

  • Unsolicited: With an unsolicited business proposal, you create the proposal on your own based on your understanding of the client's need and send it to the client to capture their attention and win their business. Unsolicited proposals are generally less specific because the prospective client has not told you anything about its needs.
  • Solicited: With a solicited proposal, the customer identifies its own need or challenge and then asks companies like yours to submit proposals with solutions and costs. This is called a request for proposal, or RFP. There is a deadline by which the proposals are due so the client can compare them to each other, and there may be specific specifications that the solutions need to conform to. Sometimes, companies whose proposals are attractive to the client are called in and asked to make a presentation on their solution so that the client can ask questions. After reviewing all of the proposals, the client will make its choice.

Business proposals should demonstrate your company's understanding of the client's problem or need, your expertise and experience in addressing this type of need, your proposed solution and recommendations, your unique selling points, how much you are charging, and what the terms and conditions will be if the client chooses your company for the project. 

Business proposals can be printed on paper, in the form of a presentation using software such as PowerPoint (sent electronically or printed), or via proposal software that allows clients to accept the proposal electronically.

Did you know? The ideal length for a proposal, on average, is six pages. This gives you enough space to adequately cover the essentials but is short enough to keep the client's attention.

When do you need a business proposal?

Business proposals are not appropriate and necessary for all types of businesses, but in some industries, they are a crucial way to get new clients. They are almost exclusively used in business-to-business (B2B) sales . The reasons for this are twofold. First, to justify a business proposal, the size of the project must be fairly significant, at least $1,000. Second, the project or challenge must have some level of complexity where it needs a custom solution, not something ready-made.

These are some industries that typically require business proposals:

  • Construction
  • Landscape design
  • Architecture
  • Property management
  • Engineering
  • Market research
  • Coaching (business or personal life coaching)

Before you start writing your proposal

Writing a business proposal involves a lot of initial legwork. Once you become aware that a potential client is looking for proposals in your business niche, you will want to develop a sound, clear and precise business proposal. To do so, there are many pre-planning activities you will want to conduct.

1. Do your research.

If you don't know much about the potential client, you need to study. Go to the website and read everything. Get names of decision-makers, an idea of its business model , how long it's been in business, its goals and its financial picture.

2. Arrange a meeting with management. 

You may not get in to see the CEO, but you should make an appointment with the highest-level manager possible. During this meeting, you want the client to clarify goals and needs, so be a good listener and take notes! You also want to get clear budget parameters so you have a financial framework for your proposal. While the focus of this meeting must be on the client, try to tout yourself a bit. Talk about your successes with similar organizations/industries.

3. Develop your solutions.

Once you understand the client's goals and needs, you are prepared to brainstorm and develop the most effective and cost-effective ways to serve them. For example, if you are in the property management business and have become aware that a large apartment complex owner is looking for a new outside property management firm, you meet with that owner or their rep. You ask about their issues and problems and what made them unhappy with the previous management. These will be critical points in your solution proposal. [Related article: Your Guide to Creating a Small Business Marketing Plan ]

What to include in the proposal

Writing a business proposal can be a lengthy and time-consuming process. If you don't know how to write a proposal, you need to be a quick learner. There are templates and samples online that you can study, or you can visit a fellow entrepreneur who has experience and ask for their help. Generally, though, your sections will be as follows.

  • Introduction: This should summarize the client's needs, what your company provides and your top selling points.
  • Description of the client's current situation: This is a way to describe the need you are trying to solve for. This shows the potential client that you understand what their needs are. 
  • Solution: State your solution, including the goals, objectives and methodologies for meeting the client's needs and remedying the current situation.
  • Timeline: This is where you say how quickly you can get started once the client accepts your proposal, when each of the steps you are proposing will take place and the date when the project should be complete.
  • Proof: Do not be afraid to praise yourself. What are the benefits of choosing your company? Point out your successes with similar projects and provide references . 
  • Pricing: This is where you detail how much the project with the currently described scope will cost. Critically important, the costs must be carefully and clearly broken down so that each facet of your solution methodology has a specific cost. This way, if the client has to cut back on something, they can make informed decisions. 
  • Guarantee and terms and conditions: If you are offering a guarantee or warranty, this is the place to include it. You should also include terms and conditions, such as how much will be charged if the scope of the project changes and how often the client will be billed. You should also outline how approvals and disputes will be handled. To write this section, you may want to consult with a lawyer.  
  • Next steps: At the end of the proposal, include a call to action. How can the client say yes to this proposal? Most proposals include a signature page that allows the client to accept the bid, while some proposal software allows clients to not only accept the proposal electronically, but also pay for it online. In addition, say what will happen next. For example, you might say that you will set up a meeting with the point person at the client company to get more specific information on their needs, or the next step may be for your team to create a proposed design for discussion.

Tip: To establish your credibility, include testimonials, examples of similar projects and client references, and awards and press your company has received.

How to write the proposal

If you are not a good writer, get someone who is. You never know who will be reading your proposal, so make sure there are no grammatical, punctuation or spelling errors. And above all, keep it simple. Write it in a conversational tone. No one wants to struggle through long and complex sentences with academic-level vocabulary. As an extra check, have someone else read it over to catch mistakes and points that need clarification before you send it to the client.

You may also want to get input from your marketing and sales team. They specialize in communicating with prospects and know their pain points and priorities. So they can help you emphasize the right things and get your message across in a way that will be effective.

In addition to the content of your proposal, the way it looks makes a difference. An attractive graphic on the cover page can catch the eye of the client, and high-quality images, charts and layout make your proposal easier to read and more compelling. A well-designed proposal also tells the client that your business is professional and that you took your interaction with them seriously. You can use a business proposal template or software, or you can engage the services of a graphic designer to make your proposal look its best.  

Did you know? Proposals with an attractive cover page tend to convert 45% better than those without one, according to Better Proposals.

How to write different types of business proposal letters

Business proposal solicitation letter.

A business proposal solicitation letter sets the stage for an unsolicited business proposal and is a formal and much more dignified cold call or cold email . You are trying to drum up business by introducing yourself to potential clients who may or may not have heard of you before. The letter should, of course, be business formal and impeccable in grammar and style. Here are some pointers:

  • Find out who the decision-maker is before you write the letter. It should be addressed to that individual.           
  • Your opening paragraph should catch their attention quickly. The potential to lower their costs will usually do the trick, so tell them that you can save them money and/or make their operations more cost-efficient.
  • The next paragraph should provide more detail about your product or service and describe how it saves money or is more efficient.
  • The third paragraph should speak to your qualifications. How long have you been doing this? Name past and current clients who have experienced cost savings and greater efficiency with your help. Be certain that you have permission to use their names, as they may be contacted.
  • The closing paragraph should be short and give some call to action. Either ask them to call you or tell them you will call in a few days for an appointment.

Business proposal cover letter

Once you have written the business proposal, it is time to send it to the client. Even when the client is expecting to receive it, you should still include a cover letter as an introduction. If the client has issued an RFP or specifically asked you for a proposal, refer to this and express thanks for the opportunity. Let the client know that you have the ability, expertise, experience and creativity to successfully solve their problem. Throw in a few examples, such as how many years you've been in business, similar problems you have solved for other companies in the industry and how long clients tend to use your services.

Finally, tell them that the proposal is enclosed or attached, and encourage them to reach out to you if they have any questions.

Chad Brooks contributed to the writing and research in this article. 

To keep your business growing, you need to always be adding to your client portfolio. In order to keep landing new clien

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Hospital Business Plan

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Starting a hospital is a huge responsibility because taking care of millions of people in a year is difficult. If you are considering starting a hospital, then staffing, financial and business planning are necessary, for which a business plan is vital.

Need help writing a business plan for your hospital business? You’re at the right place. Our hospital business plan template will help you get started.

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Free Business Plan Template

Download our free business plan template now and pave the way to success. Let’s turn your vision into an actionable strategy!

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How to Write A Hospital Business Plan?

Writing a hospital business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan:

1. Executive Summary

An executive summary is the first section planned to offer an overview of the entire business plan. However, it is written after the entire business plan is ready and summarizes each section of your plan.

Here are a few key components to include in your executive summary:

Introduce your Business:

Start your executive summary by briefly introducing your business to your readers.

Market Opportunity:

Products and services:.

Highlight the hospital services you offer your clients. The USPs and differentiators you offer are always a plus.

Marketing & Sales Strategies:

Financial highlights:, call to action:.

Ensure your executive summary is clear, concise, easy to understand, and jargon-free.

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how to write a hospitality business proposal

2. Business Overview

The business overview section of your business plan offers detailed information about your business. The details you add will depend on how important they are to your business. Yet, business name, location, business history, and future goals are some of the foundational elements you must consider adding to this section:

Business Description:

Describe your business in this section by providing all the basic information. Describe what kind of hospital you run and the name of it. You may specialize in one of the following hospital businesses:

  • General hospitals
  • Specialty hospitals
  • Teaching hospitals
  • Children’s hospitals
  • Outpatient clinics
  • Rehabilitation hospitals
  • Maternity hospitals
  • Describe the legal structure of your hospital, whether it is a sole proprietorship, LLC, partnership, or others.
  • Explain where your business is located and why you selected the place.

Mission Statement:

Business history:.

If you’re an established hospital, briefly describe your business history, like—when it was founded, how it evolved over time, etc.

Future Goals:

This section should provide a thorough understanding of your business, its history, and its future plans. Keep this section engaging, precise, and to the point.

3. Market Analysis

The market analysis section of your business plan should offer a thorough understanding of the industry with the target market, competitors, and growth opportunities. You should include the following components in this section.

Target market:

Start this section by describing your target market. Define your target market and explain what types of services they prefer. Creating a buyer persona will help you easily define your target market to your readers.

Competitive Analysis:

Market trends:.

Analyze emerging trends in the industry, such as changes in patient behavior or preferences, etc. Explain how your business will cope with all the trends.

Regulatory Environment:

Here are a few tips for writing the market analysis section of your hospital business plan:

  • Conduct market research, industry reports, and surveys to gather data.
  • Provide specific and detailed information whenever possible.
  • Illustrate your points with charts and graphs.
  • Write your business plan keeping your target audience in mind.

4. Products And Services

The product and services section should describe the specific services and products that will be offered to patients. To write this section should include the following:

Describe your facilities:

Mention the hospital facilities your business will offer. This list may include,

  • Intensive care
  • Neonatal care
  • You can also mention the number of beds & specialized units

Medical specialties:

Quality measures:.

This section should explain how you maintain quality standards and consistently provide the highest quality facility.

Additional Services:

In short, this section of your hospital plan must be informative, precise, and client-focused. By providing a clear and compelling description of your offerings, you can help potential investors and readers understand the value of your business.

5. Sales And Marketing Strategies

Writing the sales and marketing strategies section means a list of strategies you will use to attract and retain your clients. Here are some key elements to include in your sales & marketing plan:

Unique Selling Proposition (USP):

Define your business’s USPs depending on the market you serve, the equipment you use, and the unique services you provide. Identifying USPs will help you plan your marketing strategies.

Marketing Strategies:

Sales strategies:, testimonial and success stories:.

Overall, this section of your hospital business plan should focus on patient acquisition and retention.

Have a specific, realistic, and data-driven approach while planning sales and marketing strategies for your hospital business, and be prepared to adapt or make strategic changes in your strategies based on feedback and results.

6. Operations Plan

The operations plan section of your business plan should outline the processes and procedures involved in your business operations, such as staffing requirements and operational processes. Here are a few components to add to your operations plan:

Staffing & Training:

Operational process:, equipment & machinery:.

Include the list of equipment and machinery required for the hospital, such as operating rooms, tables, surgical lasers, surgical drills & saws, vital signs monitors, etc.

Adding these components to your operations plan will help you lay out your business operations, which will eventually help you manage your business effectively.

7. Management Team

The management team section provides an overview of your hospital business’s management team. This section should provide a detailed description of each manager’s experience and qualifications, as well as their responsibilities and roles.

Founders/CEO:

Key managers:.

Introduce your management and key members of your team, and explain their roles and responsibilities.

Organizational structure:

Compensation plan:, advisors/consultants:.

Mentioning advisors or consultants in your business plans adds credibility to your business idea.

This section should describe the key personnel for your hospital, highlighting how you have the perfect team to succeed.

8. Financial Plan

Your financial plan section should provide a summary of your business’s financial projections for the first few years. Here are some key elements to include in your financial plan:

Profit & loss statement:

Cash flow statement:, balance sheet:, break-even point:.

Determine and mention your business’s break-even point—the point at which your business costs and revenue will be equal.

Financing Needs:

Be realistic with your financial projections, and make sure you offer relevant information and evidence to support your estimates.

9. Appendix

The appendix section of your plan should include any additional information supporting your business plan’s main content, such as market research, legal documentation, financial statements, and other relevant information.

  • Add a table of contents for the appendix section to help readers easily find specific information or sections.
  • In addition to your financial statements, provide additional financial documents like tax returns, a list of assets within the business, credit history, and more. These statements must be the latest and offer financial projections for at least the first three or five years of business operations.
  • Provide data derived from market research, including stats about the industry, user demographics, and industry trends.
  • Include any legal documents such as permits, licenses, and contracts.
  • Include any additional documentation related to your business plan, such as product brochures, marketing materials, operational procedures, etc.

Use clear headings and labels for each section of the appendix so that readers can easily find the necessary information.

Remember, the appendix section of your healthcare business plan should only include relevant and important information supporting your plan’s main content.

The Quickest Way to turn a Business Idea into a Business Plan

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This sample hospital business plan will provide an idea for writing a successful hospital plan, including all the essential components of your business.

After this, if you still need clarification about writing an investment-ready business plan to impress your audience, download our hospital business plan pdf .

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Frequently asked questions, why do you need a hospital business plan.

A business plan is an essential tool for anyone looking to start or run a successful hospital. It helps to get clarity in your business, secures funding, and identifies potential challenges while starting and growing your business.

Overall, a well-written plan can help you make informed decisions, which can contribute to the long-term success of your hospital.

How to get funding for your hospital business?

There are several ways to get funding for your hospital, but self-funding is one of the most efficient and speedy funding options. Other options for funding are:

Small Business Administration (SBA) loan

Crowdfunding, angel investors.

Apart from all these options, there are small business grants available, check for the same in your location and you can apply for it.

Where to find business plan writers for your hospital?

There are many business plan writers available, but no one knows your business and ideas better than you, so we recommend you write your hospital business plan and outline your vision as you have in your mind.

What is the easiest way to write your hospital business plan?

A lot of research is necessary for writing a business plan, but you can write your plan most efficiently with the help of any hospital business plan example and edit it as per your need. You can also quickly finish your plan in just a few hours or less with the help of our business plan software .

About the Author

how to write a hospitality business proposal

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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how to write a hospitality business proposal

Small Business Trends

Tax decisions you can still make for 2023.

tax decisions you can still make for 2023

The 2023 tax year ended for calendar-year businesses on December 31, 2023. You closed your books and made resolutions for 2024. But there’s still one chore remaining that relates to 2023, and that’s filing a federal income tax return to report your business activities. While 2023 is over, it’s not too late to make certain tax decisions that can minimize your tax bill for 2023.

How will you write off the cost of equipment purchases?

If you bought machinery, equipment, and off-the-shelf software for your business in 2023, you have several ways to write off the cost:

  • Use regular depreciation to spread write-offs over a set number of years (depending on the type of property involved).
  • Elect Sec. 179 (first-year expensing) deduction up to $1,160,000 for 2023 purchases. This only works if you’re profitable and you must affirmatively elect the deduction; it’s not automatic.
  • Forego bonus depreciation of 80% of the cost of the property. Bonus depreciation applies automatically unless you elect out.
  • Treat equipment as non-incidental materials and supplies. They’re not added to the balance sheet but are immediately deductible up to $2,500 per item or invoice.

Some points to consider:

  • Financing purchases in whole or in part has no impact on tax write-offs.
  • Profit or loss this year and projections for the future impact your write-off decisions.
  • You must have placed the property in service by the end of 2023. It’s not good enough that you paid for it if you didn’t take delivery.
  • Factors in state income tax rules may differ from federal rules. For example, California does not allow bonus depreciation; Ohio does not allow the Sec. 179 deduction.

For more information, see IRS Publication 946 .

Set up a qualified retirement plan?

Did your business have a 401(k) or other qualified retirement plan in place for 2023? If not, you can still set one up and fund it as a way to minimize the tax bite on your profits. For example, you can set up a SEP and make deductible contributions for 2023 as late as the due date of your return…or the extended due date if you have requested an extension. See your retirement plan options in IRS Publication 560 . Do a cost-benefit analysis: what you save in taxes, and the benefit you provide to employees who must be covered by your plan if certain conditions are met versus the cost of setting up the plan, funding it, and administering it.

Note: You may qualify for a tax credit  for setting up a plan. This helps to reduce your cost.

Use the IRS standard mileage rate?

If you use your personal vehicle for business driving, you can deduct the expense of business driving based on your actual costs for gas, repairs, insurance, etc., or rely on an IRS-set standard mileage rate (65.5 cents per mile for 2023). The option applies whether you own or lease the vehicle.

Small Business Deals

To use the standard mileage rate for a vehicle you own, you must choose to use it in the first year the vehicle is available for use in your business. In later years you can then choose to use the standard mileage rate or actual expenses. But if you lease a vehicle and choose the standard mileage rate for the first year, you have to stick with it for the entire lease period.

Note: Whichever method you use, you must have a record to prove your business driving—the odometer reading, date and destination of each trip, and more.

Use a simplified method for a home office deduction?

If you work from home, you may qualify for the home office deduction. Like business driving, there are two ways to figure the write-off: actual costs or an IRS simplified method. The actual expense method requires you to keep records of home-related costs and do a lot of computations. The IRS simplified method merely requires you to multiply the square footage of business space by $5, but is limited to a maximum deduction of $1,500.

You can toggle between these methods from year to year, as long as you qualify for the home office deduction. See IRS Publication 587 .

As you prepare your 2023 federal income tax return—by yourself or with a tax professional—be sure to explore your election options. They can favorably impact your current return and have consequences for years to come.

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how to write a hospitality business proposal

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IMAGES

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COMMENTS

  1. How to Create a Hotel Business Plan in 2024 (+Free Template)

    Reference your plan as you build and grow your business, and remember that it's ok if things change. 8. Illustrate your passion. Communicate why you want to be a part of the hospitality industry. Passion is contagious and gives investors more confidence that you will work hard to achieve your dreams.

  2. Hospitality proposal sample to make your business stand out.

    Proposal example hospitality. As a professional company in hospitality it is important to look good and to show depth in the proposal. This proposal example is the starting point to further build and realize your ideal proposal template. Explain how your service works and give customers detailed information. Of course, good advice should not be ...

  3. 25 Things To Include In Your Hospitality Business Plan

    1. Executive summary. Your executive summary is the first and most important part of your business plan. This section should excite potential investors about your business idea and encourage them to read further. The executive summary should provide a concise overview of your business idea.

  4. Hotel Business Plan: Beginners Guide

    Research shows that having a business plan could help your business grow 30% faster and protect against business failure. Starting your hotel business plan. The main message here is to simply make a start. Don't just read this blog, agree a plan is a great idea, and vaguely consider writing it at some stage. Take the first step now.

  5. Hotel Business Plan Template

    Steps of your Hotel Business Plan. Let's dive into the step-by-step checklist of what your hotel business plan should look like. Infographic by Xotels. 1. Executive Summary. This first part should consist of two main parts, being: Mission Statement (Introduction): a 1 line company description only the essence of your hotel (not 2 lines or a ...

  6. How to Write a Hospitality Business Proposal

    Keep the Cover Letter brief: simply write a personal introduction and provide your contact information. The Title Page should be just what it sounds like: a title that introduces your proposal and provides a clear message about the project or scope of services you are pitching.

  7. How to write a business plan for your hospitality venue (that ...

    Writing a plan helps you to determine whether your hospitality business is financially viable. You will need to include projections of how much money you will make - this is crucial, especially if you're showing it to potential investors. In the end, there should be a total figure of how much it will cost you to start and maintain. the business.

  8. 5 Tips for Starting a Hospitality Business in 2021

    The following five tips will help you to navigate this landscape: 1. Write a business plan. A business plan is a document describing what your business is, who your customers are, how you plan to make money and what your expected costs and profits will be. It's especially important to have a business plan in the hospitality sector, since most ...

  9. How to Make a Business Plan for your Hotel

    Hotel Business Plan Essentials. 1. Executive Summary. Your business plan in a nutshell. The placement of executive summaries is misleading. They normally come first in business plans, but really, they should be written last. This is because they cover all the key points that are mentioned in your business plan.

  10. How to write a hotel sales proposal to win more guests

    5. Justify the costs. Outlining and explaining the cost to your client is extremely important. Carefully lay out the materials, space, and people involved along with a timeline. The more organized you are, the more likely it is for you to win the client. Don't leave any blind spots in your proposal. 6.

  11. 10 Tips for Writing a Hotel Sales Proposal That Wins Group Business

    Here are our top 10 tips to help you write hotel sales proposal that wins group business: 1. Make your proposal stand out - remember, this proposal represents your hotel and your brand. It should reflect the brand you represent and the values you stand for. This in itself will make it unique and will help it stand out from the crowd.

  12. How to create hospitality proposals

    Hospitality business proposals writing. This page contains in-depth information on everything about making business proposals for hospitality companies. Here you will find useful information and articles designed to make you even more skilled at writing proposals and winning the contract. We help you to make even better offers in a smart way ...

  13. How to Write a Business Proposal [Examples + Template]

    Here's an example of what a business proposal template looks like when done right: 2. Explain your "why" with an executive summary. The executive summary details exactly why you're sending the proposal and why your solution is the best for the prospective client. Specificity is key here.

  14. How to Start a Hotel Business: The 8-Step Guide

    In this guide, we'll teach you how to start a hotel business with step-by-step instructions, expert advice, and actionable tips. Keep reading to discover the fundamentals all hotel businesses need to succeed. The steps we cover in this guide: Step 1: Find a market need. Step 2: Craft your strategic goals. Step 3: Run the numbers.

  15. Hotel Facilities Services Sample Proposal

    To create your customized proposal using your own logo and colors get Proposal Pack for Any Business. This sample is included in every Proposal Pack. 2. Download and install after ordering. Once you have ordered and downloaded your Proposal Pack you will have all the content you need to get started. 3. Setup the included Wizard software.

  16. PDF Hotel Facilities Services Sample Proposal

    After purchasing, downloading, and installing your Proposal Pack and Wizard software add a new project in the Wizard. Click the Pick Documents button then click the View Samples tab. Select the title of this (or any other) sample and click the Import Content from Selected Sample button.

  17. Writing a business plan for your hospitality business

    1. Defining strategy - this is often required when a hospitality business is jointly owned. Running a business together can have many advantages, but it can also add complexity when there is a difference of opinion on the direction of the business and its goals. A hospitality business plan written by a neutral third party can ensure alignment. 2.

  18. Hotel & Lodging Business Plan Examples

    Shelter Business Plans. Whether your business is a rustic retreat or a high-end bed and breakfast, these sample business plans for hotels, inns, resorts, and other lodging businesses will help you write a business plan that will guide you to business success. If you're looking to develop a more modern business plan, we recommend you try LivePlan.

  19. How to Write a Business Proposal (+ Examples & FREE Templates)

    Here are the essential elements to include: Your name along with your company's name. The name of the prospect (or their business) The date you're submitting the proposal. CREATE THIS PROPOSAL TEMPLATE. The gray business consulting proposal template above contains all the details a prospect would want to know.

  20. How To Write a Business Proposal (Copy&Paste Template Examples)

    5. [Your Name] - [Company Name]'s Business Proposal for [Topic of Project] Thank you for the opportunity to submit a proposal for [Name of Project]. We understand that you are looking for a [type of service] and our team is confident that we can provide you with the solution you need. Company Overview:

  21. How to Write Hotel Business Plan? Guide & Template

    In the competitive landscape of the hospitality industry, a well-crafted hotel business plan can serve as a roadmap to success. ... In conclusion, writing a hotel business plan is a comprehensive ...

  22. How to Write a Business Proposal

    Differences between a business proposal and a business plan. A business proposal is not the same as a business plan.This is the most common misconception, but while there are areas of overlap (like your executive summary) the two are different.. That being said, you can certainly pull information from your business plan while writing your business proposal—in fact, that's a great way to start.

  23. How to Write a Tourism Business Plan

    Step 1: Executive Summary. Start with an executive summary, which provides a snapshot of your business. It should include your business name, location, and a brief description of the services you offer. This section should also highlight your unique selling proposition - what sets your tourism business apart from the competition.

  24. How to start a business in 2024

    Step 3: Write a business plan. You don't have a business without a business plan. Your business plan is the foundational document that outlines how you will structure, operate, fund, market and ...

  25. Write Your Way to a Win: Business Proposal 101

    Writing a business proposal involves a lot of initial legwork. Once you become aware that a potential client is looking for proposals in your business niche, you will want to develop a sound ...

  26. Hospital Business Plan [Free Template

    Writing a hospital business plan is a crucial step toward the success of your business. Here are the key steps to consider when writing a business plan: 1. Executive Summary. An executive summary is the first section planned to offer an overview of the entire business plan. However, it is written after the entire business plan is ready and ...

  27. Tax Decisions You Can Still Make for 2023

    See your retirement plan options in IRS Publication 560. Do a cost-benefit analysis: what you save in taxes, and the benefit you provide to employees who must be covered by your plan if certain conditions are met versus the cost of setting up the plan, funding it, and administering it. Note: You may qualify for a tax credit for setting up a ...

  28. How to write a marketing plan for your small business

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