Business Plan / Proposal / Pitch to Investors / Financial Statement

A. Business Plan / Proposal / Pitch to Potential Investors

A business plan/proposal is a blueprint that details what a business or business idea is, what is expected of the business, how management intends to get the company to succeed, and above all, the specific reasons why it is expected to succeed. Developing a business plan is not only important to raise money / capital, but it also serves as a useful opportunity for an entrepreneur to:

• carefully research the company's existing or intended industry, target market, and competition,
• identify the factors that will account for its success and failure;
• plan ahead in terms of acquiring and managing human, physical, technological and financial resources that are needed to operate successfully.

By crystalising the entrepreneur's thoughts and committing them to paper, the feasibility, strength, and weakness of the business can be evaluated and specific factors that will determine the company's success can be identified. 

In addition, to raise funding from venture capitalists or financiers, the entrepreneur would also need to demonstrate:

• a clear defined business idea;
• a working knowledge of the major functions of the business;
• a clear understanding of the industry, target market, and competitive environment;
• a detailed business plan, market analysis, and marketing strategy for capturing market opportunities;
• a true picture of the financial position and business model of the company;
• supporting evidence and convincing arguments for why and how the company will succeed.

In relation to Business Plan / Pitch to Potential Angel Investors, DocPro has the following documents:

1. Pitch to Potential Angel Investors / Incubators - Business Plan Template

An outline of a full business plan for potential angel investors/incubators to seek funding.

2. Pitch to Potential Angel Investors / Incubators - Full Checklist

A pitch to potential angel investors with a full checklist of topics and issues to prepare.

3. Pitch to Potential Angel Investors / Incubators - Outline

A simple outline of a pitch to potential angel investors to seek funding.

4. Foreign Investment Feasibility Study - For Government in New Country

A form of a feasibility study for a foreign investor setting up a new company and making an investment in a new country.

B. Things to Look Out For in a Successful Pitch

1. Body Language

Look Professional. Pitching begins at the Entrance (the moment you walk into the room). Stand and sit up straight, have good and open posture, and feel confident. Make sure your body language matches up with your pitch. Smile and shake hands confidently. Give and receive compliments politely. Be the most likable person – pitching is never successful if you are not likable.

2. Visual

Prepare a few simple slides for the presentation. Include only keywords and graphics.

Don’t put too many words in the Presentation. Do not read from the slides.

3. Speak 

Practice your tone – not too high pitch, or monotone. Speaks slowly and confidently. Try to limit your accent – get a voice coach if necessary. Bear in mind that most people can say 100-120 words per minute. Keep your presentation to no more than 15 minutes.

4. Story

Prepare a short story if possible. A story that relates to how and why you are starting on this project. Be interesting, relevant, and to the point. A story can make a boring business interesting.

5. Simplicity

Be simple – do not give everything to people in one go. Give people less information so that they would ask for more. Think of it as a movie trailer instead of the actual movie. Keep it to a few sentences so that your audience can paraphrase and repeat it to others. Use Metaphor and Analog to help people to remember it.

6. Enthusiasm

Keep your enthusiasm for the project and make it interesting for others. What would the world be like with your business? How do people benefit from your business? What problem is it trying to resolve? Make your business sounds important and interesting.