Short proposals win
Clients rarely read a 20-page proposal. They want to know three things: do you understand what they need, what exactly will they get, and what will it cost. The best proposals answer those in two to four pages. The SmallKits proposal generator gives you exactly that structure: an optional cover page, an overview, the scope of work, deliverables, a timeline, the investment and an acceptance signature.
Start from good text, then make it yours
Choose your field under Advanced settings (design, development, photography, events, consulting or something else) and each section is filled with starter text you can edit. It is never locked. Write in plain words, use “- ” at the start of a line for bullet points, and keep each section to what the client needs to decide.
What to put in each section
- Overview: the client’s situation and goal in two or three sentences, in their words. This shows you listened.
- Scope of work: what you will do, as a short list. Say what is not included if it could be assumed.
- Deliverables: the things they will have at the end: files, a live website, a report, an event.
- Timeline: phases with weeks, so the client can plan.
- Investment: the price, line by line. Lines with no price show as “Included”, which helps show value.
- About us and testimonials are optional. Add one or two quotes from real clients if you have them.
Offer three packages
Turn on “Offer three packages” and the price table becomes Basic, Standard and Premium, each with its own lines and total. Clients who can choose are more likely to say yes, and many pick the middle option. The proposal asks the client to tick their package and sign.
After they sign
Open the proposal from Documents and make an invoice or a deposit proforma invoice. The lines come across, so you only remove the packages they did not choose.
Proposal, quote or estimate?
A proposal explains your approach and sells the work. A quotation simply prices a defined list. An estimate prices a job that may change. If the client already knows what they want, a quote is enough.
Common mistakes
- Talking about yourself before the client’s problem. Lead with their goal.
- A vague scope that leads to endless extra requests. Be specific about what is and is not included.
- No deadline to decide. The valid-until date encourages a timely yes.
A worked example
A two-person agency pitches a coffee roaster for a new brand and website. The cover page shows their logo, “New brand and website for Harbour Coffee” and the date. The overview restates the client’s goal (selling beans online, not only in the shop) in two sentences. The scope lists discovery, brand identity, a five-page website and training. Deliverables are concrete: logo files, a one-page brand guide, the live site and a recorded handover. The timeline runs seven weeks in four phases. In the price table, training shows as “Included”. A second version uses packages: Basic (brand only), Standard (brand and website) and Premium (adding photography). The client picks Standard and signs.
Writing tips
- Use the client’s words for their problem. If they said “we need more online orders”, say that.
- Keep each bullet to one line where you can.
- Be specific about rounds of changes, so the scope does not grow without limit.
- Name a start date, or say how soon you can start after acceptance.
- Send it as a PDF, then follow up two or three days later with a short message.
Proposal terms explained
- Scope
- Exactly what work is included.
- Deliverables
- What the client receives at the end.
- Packages
- Two or three options at different prices, so the client can choose.
- Rounds of changes
- How many times the client can ask for revisions before extra work is charged.
Proposals are numbered (PR-0001 and so on) and kept under Documents, so you can find the version a client signed, duplicate it for a similar client, or turn it into an invoice.
Related free tools
- Free quotation generator: for simple fixed-price quotes.
- Free invoice generator: to bill the client once they sign.
One more tip
Send the proposal soon after your conversation with the client, while it is fresh, and mention one detail from that conversation in the overview. It shows you listened, and clients remember that.
Updated 2026-10-29