The ultimate proposal template for entrepreneurs

What is a proposal template?

A proposal template is your go-to document for creating business proposals fast. Instead of starting from scratch every time, entrepreneurs like you use templates to quickly tailor ideas, pricing, and pitches to potential clients. It’s a framework you can customize—just swap in the details relevant to each project while keeping key sections consistent.

For example, if you're running a consulting firm or offering graphic design services, you’re likely sending out multiple proposals at once. A well-structured template saves you hours on formatting so you can focus more on nailing that killer pitch.

Why do you need one?

Honestly? efficiency!

Entrepreneurs wear all the hats—from networking to client meetings and everything in between. If you're crafting brand-new documents for each potential project, you're losing valuable time... Which could be better spent scaling your business or closing other deals.

Saves Time: imagine you're pitching digital marketing strategies to three startup founders in one week—your proposal structure stays the same while only minor tweaks (goals, pricing) need adjusting based on their specific needs.

Improves Focus: less time worrying about layouts means more brainpower spent convincing prospects why they should hire you.

Boosts Conversions: cranking out polished proposals faster helps keep momentum going in conversations with leads—and shows them how professional and prepared you are from day 1. More output = more chances for success.

Plus? the consistency of using templates also builds credibility. Clients notice when things are well-organized and easy-to-follow—it creates trust before they've even finished reading through it.

What should be in your proposal template?

Let’s break down what every entrepreneur should include when writing service-based proposals:

1. Cover page

The cover page might seem simple but first impressions matter! this is where professionalism meets branding. Make sure it includes: your company name client's name/business project/proposal title date

With an eye-catching yet clean design—because no one likes messy documents—it sets a sleek tone from the start.

2. Executive summary

This is your chance to hook them early! think of this section as your elevator pitch within the proposal. Keep it tight; explain in just a few lines what problem you're solving and why your solution matters *for them*.

Tailor it directly toward their pain points and leave them thinking "yep—that's exactly what we need."

3. Problem statement & solution

Dive deeper than that summary by clearly laying out their challenges (which shows you've done your research), then follow up with how you plan on fixing those issues through your services/products.

4. Scope of work

This is where communication breakdowns usually happen—so let’s avoid that altogether! clearly outline all phases involved in delivering the solution: timeline, responsibilities (both yours and theirs), deadlines, and milestones ensuring everyone knows what's expected at every stage of the engagement.

If neither side has any uncertainties—they’ll feel way more confident moving forward with you!

Your next step?

You’ve got enough on your plate without sweating over proposals every time a new opportunity comes up. When you're ready to bring ease and professionalism into your process, check out offorte—our software designed specifically for business services companies like yours looking for customizable proposal templates that deliver results consistently!

Why business services businesses use a proposal tool instead of Microsoft Word

Many business services professionals still use Microsoft Word or some other word processor to create their quotations. A previously created template is modified manually and then sent as a PDF. Sounds easy, but in practice this takes a lot of time, the chance of errors is high and you no longer have insight into your quotation after sending.

With the use of a proposal tool it has become a lot easier and better for entrepreneurs. You still use templates as a basis, but now you have a full content library in which you can search and reuse texts. The chance of errors is minimal due to smart automation. And after sending you can still adjust your quotation and you will get insight when your customer views the proposal. The modern interactive presentation options make an impression and the option to digitally sign makes it very easy for a customer to agree.

The following blog will elaborate on how to make perfect quotations with the right tool: Read more why Microsoft Word is not the best way to create proposals