Most of us don’t put a lot of thought into our title pages. For one thing, typewriters never gave us the luxury to be creative–underlining was all you could do. Boy, have computers changed things. Your title page no longer has to be a series of sentences descending down the middle of your page. You can add clip art, fancy fonts, borders, color, stars–even let loose and try a free-hand drawing if you want to. These are small added touches, which complement the information on your title page. Make sure your title is still the main event, and not a bystander in a crowd of flourishes.
Here is a listing of what your title page should include:
- your product’s name or the title of your business plan
- you or your company’s full legal name, address and telephone number
- the date you prepared your plan
- the name of a person who can be contacted regarding the business plan (optional)
- a note clearly stating that your business plan is confidential, and should not be divulged or released to anyone else without your permission (include your name or the company’s name).
If you think that starting your own small business means working when you want and making your own hours, think again. According to the National Association for the Self-Employed, small business people work 52.5 hours a week on average, while the average American works a 43.5-hour week.