How to Write a Proposal or Bid for a Job

In order to generate business, companies frequently must first submit a bid or proposal to a client. Clients may choose to solicit multiple bids to compare prices, products and companies. Each industry and each company within that industry will use a different format for the business proposal. But the common elements in all business proposals are a clear definition of the project and the price.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Determine the format that others in your industry use for bids or proposals. If you belong to an association in your field (such as a marketing association or plumbers association), contact a representative from the association and ask for proposal examples.

2. Purchase a blank proposal form if you are in a construction or fix-it type field. You can find triplicate proposal forms at office supply stores such as Staples or online stores.

3. Write a short proposal for construction or fix-it jobs. For jobs in which the client is less informed about the type of work you do (such as a homeowner might be about electrical work) keep the proposal short and simple (one to two pages). Ensure that you include essential elements such as type of equipment to be installed and exact repair work to be done. Ensure that the price is clearly labeled.

4. Write a longer, detailed proposal for white-collar jobs when the client is an informed consumer. If the client is expecting detailed content as a result of your work (such as a public relations strategy), she will expect a detailed proposal. You should include information such as: "who we are," "project deliverables," "project time line" and "costs." Detailed proposals may be five to 20 pages in length.

5. Ensure that all job and bid proposals have the following elements: your name or your company's name; your contact information; a description of the job being proposed; a clearly labeled price; and a time line (e.g. that the bid must be accepted within a certain number of days).

Tips & Warnings

• Job proposals are usually not binding. This means that you may be allowed to charge more for the work if the work warrants it. However, if this is the case, you must explicitly state in the job proposal that the terms and conditions may be subject to change.

Resources

• Snappy Forms: Sample Plumbing Proposal Form
• Gotoforms: Discount Printer Paper and Printer Supplies Store
• Simply Forms & Computers: Business Forms