business-document-generator

Business Document Generator

Overview

Generate professional business documents (Project Proposals, Business Plans, Annual Budgets) from high-quality PDF templates. Use the bundled Python script to fill templates with user-provided data and output polished PDF documents ready for distribution.

When to Use This Skill

Activate this skill when the user asks to:

• Create a business proposal or project proposal
• Generate a business plan document
• Develop an annual budget plan
• Create any professional business document based on the available templates
• Fill in business templates with specific data

Available Document Types

This skill supports three types of professional business documents:

1. Project Proposal - Professional proposals for client projects

   • Template: assets/templates/Professional Proposal Template.pdf
   • Use case: Pitching projects to clients, stakeholders

2. Business Plan - Comprehensive business planning documents

   • Template: assets/templates/Comprehensive Business Plan Template.pdf
   • Use case: Startup planning, investor presentations, strategic planning

3. Annual Budget - Detailed budget planning documents

   • Template: assets/templates/Annual Budget Plan Template.pdf
   • Use case: Financial planning, budget proposals, fiscal year planning

Quick Start Workflow

Step 1: Understand User Requirements

Gather information from the user about:

• Document type needed (proposal, business plan, or budget)
• Key data to include (company name, client info, dates, etc.)
• Any specific customization needs

Step 2: Prepare the Data

Create a JSON file with the document data. Reference the data schemas in references/document_schemas.md for field requirements.

Example for Proposal:

{
  "title": "Digital Transformation Initiative",
  "subtitle": "A Comprehensive Plan for Acme Corporation",
  "client_org": "Acme Corporation",

Note: Check assets/examples/ for complete example JSON files:

• proposal_example.json
• business_plan_example.json
• budget_example.json

Step 3: Install Dependencies (First Time Only)

The generation script requires Python packages. Install them:

Step 4: Generate the Document

Run the generation script:

Parameters:

• <document_type>: One of proposal, business_plan, or budget
• <data_file>: Path to JSON file with document data
• --templates-dir: Directory containing PDF templates (default: assets/templates)
• --output-dir: Where to save generated PDFs (default: output)
• --output-filename: Optional custom filename

Example:

Step 5: Deliver the Document

The script outputs a PDF file in the specified output directory. Verify the document was generated successfully and inform the user of the file location.

Detailed Usage Instructions

Creating a Project Proposal

1. Collect proposal information:

   • Project title and subtitle
   • Client organization and contact
   • Your company name and contact info
   • Project details (problem, solution, timeline, budget)

2. Create a JSON data file with proposal fields (see references/document_schemas.md)

3. Run the script:

   python3 scripts/generate_document.py proposal proposal_data.json \
     --templates-dir assets/templates

4. Output: Professional PDF proposal with cover page and content sections

Creating a Business Plan

1. Collect business plan information:

   • Company name and legal structure
   • Mission and vision statements
   • Target market details
   • Financial projections

2. Create a JSON data file with business plan fields

3. Run the script:

   python3 scripts/generate_document.py business_plan plan_data.json \
     --templates-dir assets/templates

4. Output: Comprehensive business plan PDF template

Creating an Annual Budget

1. Collect budget information:

   • Fiscal year
   • Company name
   • Budget assumptions (inflation, growth targets)
   • Revenue and expense forecasts

2. Create a JSON data file with budget fields

3. Run the script:

   python3 scripts/generate_document.py budget budget_data.json \
     --templates-dir assets/templates

4. Output: Annual budget plan PDF with tables and projections

Important Notes

Script Functionality

The scripts/generate_document.py script:

• Reads PDF templates from the assets directory
• Overlays user data on template pages (primarily cover pages)
• Generates a new PDF with filled information
• Preserves the original template structure and formatting

Current Limitations

The script currently fills in cover page information (titles, names, dates). The template body content serves as a professional framework that users can follow when creating their documents manually or through other PDF editing tools.

Extending the Script

To fill additional fields beyond the cover page, the script can be enhanced to:

• Parse form fields in PDFs
• Add text overlays on specific coordinates for each page
• Replace placeholder text programmatically

Modify scripts/generate_document.py to add more sophisticated PDF manipulation as needed.

Data Schema Reference

For detailed information about required and optional fields for each document type, consult:

• references/document_schemas.md - Complete data structure documentation

Example Files

Find complete working examples in assets/examples/:

• proposal_example.json - Sample project proposal data
• business_plan_example.json - Sample business plan data
• budget_example.json - Sample budget plan data

Use these as starting templates when creating new documents.

Troubleshooting

Import errors when running the script:

• Install required packages: pip install pypdf reportlab

Template not found:

• Verify --templates-dir points to assets/templates
• Check that PDF template files exist in the templates directory

Generated PDF is blank or missing data:

• Verify JSON data file is properly formatted
• Check that required fields are present (see references/document_schemas.md)

Need to customize templates:

• Original templates are in assets/templates/
• Modify templates using PDF editing software
• Keep original filenames or update TEMPLATE_MAP in the script

Resources

scripts/

Contains the Python script for document generation:

• generate_document.py - Main document generation script with CLI interface

This script can be executed directly without loading into context for token efficiency. It may be read if modifications or debugging are needed.

references/

Documentation to reference while working:

• document_schemas.md - Complete JSON data structure for all document types

assets/

Files used in the document generation output:

• templates/ - Professional PDF templates for each document type
  • Professional Proposal Template.pdf
  • Comprehensive Business Plan Template.pdf
  • Annual Budget Plan Template.pdf
• examples/ - Sample JSON data files demonstrating proper structure
  • proposal_example.json
  • business_plan_example.json
  • budget_example.json

These templates and examples are not loaded into context but referenced during generation.