Pithy new book: The One-Page Proposal

I’ll admit this right off the bat: I’m a bit jealous I didn’t write The One-Page Proposal: How To Get Your Business Pitch on One Page (HarperCollins, $17.95), a sharp new book by businessman Patrick G. Reilly. The idea behind this slim paperback is simple and sweet: "The One-Page Proposal is a communication tool specifically designed to get your ideas into the mind of another person in a world overwhelmed with ideas and information. It should provide a fast and effective way to help your ideas become realities," writes Riley.

Set aside the laborious business plans that take you months to prepare and leave you with little to show, other than a laborious business plan. Riley argues that virtually every new venture should be pitched in less than 400 words. A one page proposal sums up the target (i.e. the context and meaning of the plan,) explains the finances associated with the project, tells the status of the project, and closes by stating the action called for from the reader of the proposal.

What’s refreshing about this book is it’s simple execution. Riley backs his argument with examples of personal ventures, and he packs in useful material on how to research, write, and use the proposal. His new website provides you direct access to his ideas. This is a refreshingly direct book, and one I recommend highly. As Riley says of the tool, "Its power derives from knowledge imparted succinctly." Bravo.