Most of us have used Microsoft Word at some point. Some might use it daily, while others only need it once in a while. Either way, it’s important to be aware of Word’s many built-in templates for document creation.
Have you ever noticed? Check it out: open Word on your computer, click New. A window will open with all the many templates that are free to use. From Christmas letters to marketing materials, Word has quite the selection. The best part? They are all editable.
But what if you need a template that you can’t find in Word?
Once again, Google is your friend.
I recently had a situation where I needed to write an RFP, something I’m not required to create on a regular basis. Not having written one in quite some time, I Googled “request for proposal template”. I was greeted with quite a selection to choose from. However, some sites were charging for these templates. I adjusted my search – “request for proposal free template”. These results were perfect.
For myself, personally, my brand is simplistic but pretty. I don’t need a lot of bells and whistles, and my document didn’t need them either. This is important when choosing your template. However, if it’s editable, you can delete and add whatever you like in the way of images, table, etc. to match your own brand.
That’s exactly what I did next… I deleted everything I didn’t need and edited and added information where it was necessary. I added my logo to the document, as well as my brand’s theme to it.
By spending a few minutes crafting your own theme, it will save you tons of time later on when you’re editing documents to all look uniform and consistent. You may need to do this if you’re producing materials for meetings or networking events.
As always, make sure to periodically save your work as you’re editing the template to make it your own.
Odds & Ends
Other interesting things you can add to your document:
- a watermark
- images
- wordart
- charts
- tables
- graphs
- links
My document began as seven pages, and I narrowed it down to two. I used my brand’s Word theme and saved it. My document looked slick and professional, which is important when it comes to first impressions.
I’d be happy to help you with your documents so you and your business can make a stellar first impression.
Book a free consultation call with me, and let’s see how we can move your business forward.
