One-Page Business Case: What It Is, How to Write One, and a Free Template

What Is a One-Page Business Case?

A one-page business case is a short document that asks someone to approve a choice, such as a purchase, a hire or a change. It sets out the problem, the options, the costs and one recommendation, so a busy person can decide quickly.

When You Need One and Who Reads It

You need one when you want money, time or permission, and the answer is not obvious. Buying software, switching a supplier and adding a part-time role are common cases.

The reader is a manager, director or committee with many requests. They will give you a few minutes. They want to know what you are asking for, what it costs, what they get and what could go wrong. If the page makes them hunt, the answer is often "not now."

What Goes in a One-Page Business Case

1. The Ask. One sentence: what you want approved.
2. The Problem. What is wrong or missing today, and what it costs.
3. The Options. Two or three, including doing nothing.
4. A Comparison. The factors that differ, side by side.
5. The Cost. One-time and ongoing, with the numbers as given by the source.
6. The Benefits. What improves, in plain terms.
7. The Risks. What could go wrong and how you would handle it.
8. The Recommendation. Which option and why, plus what would change your mind.

How to Write a One-Page Business Case, Step by Step

1. Write the Ask First. If you cannot say it in a sentence, you are not ready.
2. Name the Options. Always include "do nothing."
3. Pick the Factors That Matter. Cost, time, effort, risk, fit.
4. Compare in a Table. Drop rows where the options tie.
5. Use Real Numbers. Take them from quotes and documents, not memory.
6. Recommend One Option. Say why, in two or three sentences.
7. Say What Would Change the Answer. It builds trust.
8. Trim to a Page. Move detail to an attachment.

A Short Example

This sample is invented.

Ask: Approve a new shared scheduling tool for the front desk.

Problem: The front desk double-books rooms about twice a month. Each clash takes staff time to fix.

Options

Factor	Keep spreadsheet	Tool A	Tool B
Yearly cost	0 dollars	480 dollars	720 dollars
Prevents double-booking	No	Yes	Yes
Staff training	None	1 hour	3 hours

Recommendation: Tool A. It prevents double-booking at the lowest cost and needs little training. Tool B would be worth a second look if we need calendar sync, which this comparison did not cover.

Common Mistakes

Most weak business cases fail in the same few ways.

• Burying the Ask. Put it in the first line.
• Only One Option. A single choice looks like a done deal.
• Comparing Everything. Keep only the factors where options differ.
• Guessing at Numbers. One wrong figure sinks trust in the rest.
• Hiding the Risks. Naming them yourself makes the case stronger.

How to Do It with AI Using the Template

The Logic Lab template, "Compare Options and Get a Recommendation," takes your options, the decision you face and any must-haves. It reads each option, builds one comparison table, drops the factors where the options tie, recommends one, and then argues the case for the runner-up.

Its checks are in plain words. Every number must come from the options you supplied. Each factor is marked tie or differs. Only differing factors stay in the table. A recommendation is named, and every reason points to a factor in the table. The facts that could change the answer are listed. The final call is yours.

The template runs in your own AI tool. Logic Lab runs no AI and does not see what you paste. Use the output as the core of your page, then add the ask and the problem in your own words. Check the table against your quotes one more time, because you are the one who will be asked about the numbers.