business plan: pet salon and day care in santa barbara county
Tips for Creating/Using Visuals
1. Mix up types of visuals.
2. Visuals should be labeled. Figures beneath, tables above (be sure to know the difference between the two). They should also be cited when appropriate. More on this in class.
3. Don’t let a visual take over more than half the page (otherwise, put it
in the appendix).
4. Visuals should be easy to read (not to small, not blurry, etc.)
5. Use color (wisely).
6. Spread visuals out (avoid two pages in a row without one).
7. Refer to visuals in the actual text (“As seen in Figure 2.1,” etc.)
8. Make sure visuals relate to the text around them.
9. When using tables, make sure data inside columns is justified right.
10. Leave breathing room between visual and text.
11. Be creative.
12. Do you find it easy to read? Do you find it visually interesting? Do you find it aesthetically pleasing?
Notes on Formatting Your Plan
1. Choose a clear, simple font: Tahoma, Helvetica, Calibri, etc.
2. Font size 11 or 12 for main text.
3. Headings (2.1, 2.2, etc.) should be one step higher (13 or 14 font size) and bolded.
4. Subheadings (2.1.1, 2.1.2, etc.) should be the same size as the text,
not bolded, but underlined.
5. If you need to go to three decimal points (2.1.1.1), it should be the same size but italicized.
6. Coordinate with your team so that the sections use the same basic
heading/subheading breakdowns.
7. You can use either footnotes or endnotes for your plan; just be sure to choose one and stay uniform.
8. Avoid section headings at the bottom of a page with no text beneath
them.