About the Author - Ian Lauder /

Ian Lauder has been helping businesses and freelancers write their proposals and contracts for over two decades. I am the owner and founder of Proposal Kit, a leading provider of business proposal and contract products and services.

I started as a software developer back in the 1980s. Out of college I was a consultant and software developer for a database software provider.

The first company I worked for as a Technical Support Engineer was Raima Corporation, manufacturer of the db_VISTA III Database Management System. I supported the full line of products which included db_VISTA, db_QUERY and db_REVISE. I was involved in porting db_VISTA to other environments and testing the new releases of Raima's products. As well, I maintained, administered and enhanced two of Raima's internal databases.

Raima Corporation spun off its consulting division to a separate company called Vista Development Corporation soon after.

As a Software Engineer for Vista Development Corporation, I was involved in a variety of projects working with customers on a one-to-one basis. I have managed projects and worked as the sole member of many client projects.

The following is a list of companies I had consulted for with Vista - Chase Manhattan, VMX, Fisons, Image Consulting Group, Vitro, Kvinko, Harland Simon, NDS, Rockwell, Fidelity Investments, Thomson Financial Networks, Intellicom Solutions, WheelBase, Visa, Sterling Winthrop Pharmacuticals, US Coast, Infosel, Silveco, MSG, Lundy Financials, Comdisco, Scanning Management Systems, Versyss, E. F. Haskell, Magnavox, ADT Security Systems, Document Automation Corp., GTE, IBM, De La Rue Printrak, Applied Systems Technologies, XILINX, Chief Data, Cybermedix Inc., Lincoln National Information Services, Coulter Electronics, Bull Information Systems, Pacer Corp., GSA, Goodwill Games, Scientific Columbus, XYTRON, Peckham Industries, CMS Users Group.

Following my time at Raima and Vista I was the Director of Software Engineering at LOG-NET, Inc. (an international transportation logistics software company) responsible for a large portion of the backend software written by the company. This was a code base portable across DOS /Windows 3.1/Win95/NT with a portable database interface (ODBC or embedded SQL) and portable between multiple compilers and DBMS's (Oracle and Sybase). My primary responsibilities were writing applications to interface with external systems and to keep databases worldwide synchronized daily.

The following is a short list of companies I have done work for at LOG-NET, Inc. - Nike, Toys R Us, Service Merchandise, Lillian Vernon, K-Swiss, Tommy Hilfiger, Skyway, Paris Presents, Applause, Butler, Bradlee, P&O Nedloyd.

Eventually I learned web site development which coupled with my photography and I started developing small business web sites. During this time the initial seeds of Proposal Kit were started. As my business grew, I had to start writing business proposals and have legal contracts created. Back then there were no online services or products for proposal templates and only one or two software systems were available for large companies. How you learned proposal writing back then was to go to a brick and mortar bookstore and buy some paperback books on the subject. Over time I had created an internal company kit of materials including some legal contracts, proposals and project management checklists and client questionnaires. One day it dawned on me that this might be something I could sell to other companies as a kit. So, the first edition of Proposal Kit was born with just a handful of documents targeted at web site developers.

With the Internet taking off and with no competition Proposal Kit took off quickly and with the amount of interest in it we were able to quickly expand the content adding more and more documents. At that time CD-ROM business cards were taking off as a hot new marketing concept. We started a company called Cyberi, Inc. and started developing CD-ROM business cards.

As the VP of Engineering at Cyberi, Inc. I produced multimedia CD-ROM presentations. I was an owner and co-founder of the company and primarily responsible to produce CD-ROMs.

The following is a short list of companies I have created CD-ROM presentations for (for Cyberi, Inc., Cyber Sea, Inc. and other private labels) - West Coast Hotels, Renaissance Parc Hotels, Inn of Chicago, Four Seasons, Embassy Suites, Hyatt, Hilton, Summerfield Suites, Last Frontier Resort, Sheraton, Doubletree, Wellesely Inn, University Inn, Days Inn, Marriott, Horseshoe Resort, Olympic Data, Last Frontier Productions, Florentine Design Group, Diamond Communications, Advanced Laser Clinic, New World Network, Delta Dental, Biltmore Fashion Park, Hydrofoil Inc, Sky Ski, Hot Air Expeditions, Valentinis Fine Wine Line, Seattle Christian School, Andover College, Burr & Temkin, Marine Stewardship Council, Linblad Expeditions, Send International.

While working with these companies and owning all the intellectual property the legal contracts, proposals and other development documents were able to be incorporated into the Proposal Kit expanding it to cover more and more software and IT situations.

On the side I was also a semi-professional photographer. I was the official tour photographer for the Hydrofoil Pro Tour responsible for photography of the Hydrofoil Pro Tour with stops at watersporting venues across the country each summer.

I was the senior photographer for Flight Magazine responsible for photography and web site development for both Flight Magazine and The Flight World Championships of Hydrofoiling.

My publication credits include - NationalGeographic.com, National Geographic Kids Magazine, Discovery Channel's Shark Week, Nature - The International Weekly Journal of Science, Adventure Aquarium, National Wildlife, Popular Mechanics, Shark Diver Magazine, SKIDFIN Unlimited Hydroplane Magazine, NANPA Showcase Impressions 2006, Adventurous Magazine, Extreme Water Sports, VSD Magazine, WakeSurfer Magazine, Fun and Fitness Magazine, The Water Skier, Wakeboarding Magazine, Level X Wakeboard Magazine, Extreme Lives, Dangerous Wildlife of the Southeast, Alaska Magazine, Ski and Snowboard Magazine, Flight World Magazine, Special Wonders of the Sea World, Boating Life Magazine, WaterSki Magazine, Diver Magazine, Photo Life Magazine, Rodale's Scuba Diving, Popular Photography Magazine, Northwest Dive News, Splash Magazine, Southern Boating, PWC Magazine, Bavarian Autosport, Stuff, Seafair event material, Seafair Magazine, LA Times, Cape Times Newspaper, Race Center Magazine, SharkCageDiving.net, InFlight Magazine, Providence, NW Runner, Seattle - The Premier Seattle Monthly, WAC Magazine, Parent Map, Pacific Northwest Magazine, Seattle PI, Seattle Times, Seattle Magazine, 425 Magazine, Bellevue Downtown Association Magazine, Northwest Citysports Magazine, West Seattle Herald, 501 Must Visit Destinations, Waterski Hall of Fame, PEMCO, Rodales Dive into Adventure Travel Guide: 12 Top Dive Destinations, Nature's Techno Tricks, Burning Man, Shark Trust - and many more.

Through all my semi-professional photography work the Proposal Kit was expanded with all of the legal contracts and proposals for photography services.

Over the years I kept hearing from Proposal Kit customers using the product in ways I had not expected for business situations it wasn't originally designed for. As I heard these comments, I hired writers and legal experts to expand the content to cover many other types of businesses. This has been the process of how the Proposal Kit has evolved over the years as a constant evolution of new content and expanding features to cover more and more situations.

The Proposal Kit started as an internal company project for creating my own proposals and legal contracts for our various software and media businesses. Over time the kit grew to the point it could be used by other companies and the Proposal Kit system was released in its first edition back in 1997. Decades of software development, web site design, graphic design, CD-ROM production and photography experience have given me a wealth of experience to draw from in creating the Proposal Kit system which continues to this day.