We all know that first impressions are important. For business plans, the first impression is made by the cover letter, so having a good one-page letter is vital. Fortunately, writing a good cover letter is easy.

Step 1: Get the stationery. Since the cover letter shows off your firm, the paper it appears on is important. These days, you can print high-quality stationery from a color printer, using templates that come in word processing programs. For a more distinctive template, you can buy ready-made ones from companies like TemplateZone.com or from your local office supplies or computer store. You can also make a template on your own. Stationery should be heavier (at least 20-pound weight) paper. Printed on this should be your firm's name, address, phone and fax numbers, e-mail and Web addresses, and the firm's logo if it has one. Great stationery should be simple and eye-catching and leave a lot of space for your letters.

Step 2: Get all the recipient's address information. Find out the proper name, title, and address of the person to whom you are sending the plan. Call or e-mail this person's office to get the right information if you are not sure.

Step 3: Draft your letter. There is a classic format for cover letters.

1. Salutation: "Dear Mr. Monroe," "Dear Ms. Craft," or "Dear Dr. Jones" is how cover letters typically start. If you have a long-standing personal relationship with the reader, you can start informally, like "Dear Chris."
2. First paragraph: Here you introduce yourself and your business ("I am Edward Blankenship, owner of PROmote Advertising"). You explain how you got the recipient's name ("Brigit Hawkins at Security Bank suggested I contact you." Or "I am contacting you in your role as president of the Northside Investment Group.").
3. Second paragraph: Here you explain your company in a little greater detail. Typically this will be a variation of your vision statement in the first sentence ("PROmote specializes in increasing sales of small-lot professional and technical books through market expansion."). The next sentence describes the product or service in a sales-oriented manner ("PROmote's expertise gets books into specialty bookstores, online bookstores, and professional and trade association booklists for new sales."). The third sentence points up your competitive advantage, or what makes your product, service, or firm special ("PROmote is the only company in the industry that targets small-lot professional books on behalf of the authors, helping them increase sales.").
4. Third paragraph: Here you describe the current situation of the company and explain what you are seeking from the recipient ("PROmote is in start-up phase, having completed its pilot tests and secured its first customers. PROmote is currently seeking a $20,000 line of credit. I would appreciate your consideration of the attached business plan."). The typical requests are for investment, lines of credit, partnering or joint ventures, sales, or feedback on those areas of the plan in which the recipient is expert.
5. Fourth paragraph: In closing, you thank the recipient for his or her consideration, let the reader know you are available to answer any questions, and close with a mention of your future action, such as a promise to contact the recipient within a week.
6. Signature block: Typically you sign off with "Sincerely," and your name the way it appears in the business plan.

Step 4: Proofread. A cover letter with misspellings or grammatical errors sends the worst possible first impression. If the cover letter has problems, imagine what the plan must look like!

Step 5: Package and send. Print or type mailing labels for the recipients' addresses and your return address. Send the plan, with the cover letter clipped to the cover, in a 9- by 11-inch envelope. Make sure you put enough postage on it.