4. Assumptions
Written a Business Plan ✓
Conducted Due Diligence ✓
Team, Financials, Investors, Market, Comp
etition, IP, Trends …
Have Mentors/Advisers ✓
5. Build Credibility
Hit the “stage” strong!
Share your “rock star” talents
Share “been there done that”
Utilize the “cool factor”
Spark their interest…
9. Target Markets
5th 4th
3rd
2nd 1st
Beta Market, Addressable Market, Market Segments,
% of Revenue/Market, Potential Market...
1 min
Highlight any Key Research
10.
11. Target Markets
1st Harvard/Stanford
2nd Ivy League
3rd Colleges/Univs
4th 14 – 34 yrs old
Fastest growing demographic
Women 55+ years old
5th Businesses…
14. Due Diligence on Competition
City/ Can Social
Local Easy to Free to No Character
Include Media
Focus search Post Limitations
Images Friendly
✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪
Local
Newspaper ✪
Spark their interest. Want to learn more – see your business plan, talk to your customers, meet your team, demo your products, etc.
Can’t emphasize the importance of rehearsal. You want to know the content of your pitch presentation on a deep knowledge level – not just memorized. Your audience will know if you’re reciting the pitch from a point of memory vs from a point of deep knowledge. And if an investor tells you you have 10 minutes to pitch – you better not go over. I’ve seen some disaster pitches.
Use Maternova story: # of babies that die due to lack of proper affordable supplies. Almost all maternal deaths occur in developing countries. 99% - due to lack of access to proper healthcare. Our products will help save tens of thousands of women each year. Don’t have to be lifesaving stories – just compelling. Most people spend a total of 32 hours planning for their family vacations. Our technology will cut that time in half as well as cut the cost to travel in half. We’re saving people time and money and increasing their travel experience.
We provide a single source that makes it easy for medical practitioners to access otherwise difficult to access medical supplies to help save the lives of mothers and their newborn children. OrWe’re saving families time and money by matching them with travel destinations and itineraries within their travel budgets.
Your biz plan should have milestones, due dates (accomplished dates), who’s responsible and status. This is the reinvention of the business plan – it’s not just a document you write and walk away from – you keep it alive b tracking the implementation of it. And adjusting as you grow. Successful startups are agile and able to turn on a time to meet the changing needs of the market.
Hopefully you’ve already done this in your opening story and in the description of your product – but this allows you to get more specific and show why/how you’re different. Don’t ever say you don’t have any competition. I met with some great entrepreneurs yesterday about a very cool product they’ve developed and they’ve essentially opened up a new market, so there are no other products like what they’ve developed, but they definitely have competition. Facebook and Linkedin compete – they compete for time online.
Yourmargins
The numbers behind the numbers are more important than your projections.
The numbers behind the numbers are more important than your projections.
Don’t just list who is on the team and then their job descriptions – I see that all the time. This section is to sing your team’s praises! Awards won, experience related to the current company, connections, key mentions, etc. Investors invest in people first, ideas second – so show them why your team is the right team to lead this venture – whether it’s a local café or an international software company – they must believe your team can implement the plan being presented. And – be sure to make it known that you know what you don’t know! List any open positions that the funds will be used to help recruit.Investors invest in people first, ideas second.
Know where you fall
Well stated: who, what, how much and whyUse of Funds slide. Raising $200,000 and 25% will be used for marketing, 40% for product development, etc.If 10K or $10M – explain what you’ll use it for…
Not everyone is building a company to exit from in 5 or 10 years, but know that investor make their big ROI when you have a liquidity event – someone buys you for example. There are many ways to provide a return to your investors without having an exit though – but you better have those rewards works out up front. % of revs, profits, dividends, etc. But even if you’re not planning on selling your company – it’s important to tell the story of the legacy your company will leave – and potentially to whom. If family business – passing down to children, merging with another company, acquiring other companies, etc. Just as you tell the story in the beginning, the story needs to continue to be told…
Bring it back to your story that you opened with – focus on the market opportunity – the problem you’re solving in the marketplace – and why your team is the right team to lead or grow this venture.