Getting a business proposal approved is the easy part. Getting off on the right foot with a project is the hard one. If you don’t gain traction or momentum in your business project, the likelihood of it failing is pretty high. Writing out a plan is important so you understand what all the moving pieces are. There is really no excuse because there are lots of free business case templates you can use.
What is a Business Case?
A business case is a document at that outlines everything necessary you need to do on a project. It’s like a business proposal but it goes into much more detail. Think of it as an action plan and a schedule of how things are going to pan out.
Writing out a business case should clearly explain the who, what, why and how in the project. It usually includes the benefits of completing a project, any risks or potential problems, an initial assessment of costs, and any impact on other parts of the existing business.
How to Write a Business Case
No matter what, you need to make sure your business case is able to communicate clearly so it can help decision making. If you’re looking for free business case templates to help you, make sure that the document helps you get to the point quickly. This means that there is no jargon and be written as concisely as possible. As well, you want to carefully edit the document to make sure the style and readability is consistent.
The four main sections of a business case are:
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Executive Summary
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Finance
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Project Definition
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Project Organization
The executive summary is just a summary of what the business case will include. It should be concise and include the most important information about the project. Whoever reads this should be able to get the entire picture of the project.
The finance section of the business case is pretty obvious – discussing the money involved with running the project. It should include any predictions or the cost of the project, including cash flow. It should also include an assessment of the items and services that will be purchased and how they relate to each part of the project.
The project definition is where you outline the entire project and should be the majority of your business case. Things that are covered here include the goal of the project, what problem it solves for the existing business, the potential solutions, any risks associated with going through with the project, the scope of work and an action plan on how everything will be executed.
Finally, the project organization section is where you will explain how the project is structured. This includes roles and responsibilities of team members, how decisions are made, and how project completion will be reported.
Where to Get Free Business Case Templates
There are lots of places to get free templates, but the links below do not require you to register (aka give away your email address) to download them:
Dex’s Free Templates – There are seven to choose from
SCORE – There are even templates for other aspects of your business
Free Plan – Don’t let the dated website design fool you
