Tell me more ×
Answers OnStartups is a question and answer site for entrepreneurs looking to start or run a new business. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 1 down vote favorite
2

I was just watching some interview of an investor. I was shocked to hear when he described the idea he would invest in is very similar if not exact thing to what we are developing. He said send me the business plan but we are not very experienced at it on the business side of the things.

I don't want to miss the opportunity and want to approach him as soon as possible to give him a demo. Just wondering how can I go about it without being dismissed right away for not having a business plan. He already spoke about what he would invest in, do you think a business plan is still needed?

Thanks,

share|improve this question

2 Answers

up vote 1 down vote accepted

A business plan is only required as far as a first qualifying point. Most people won't actually read them, they will just do the "weight" test and maybe look at a few key points.

It will come down to the personality of the investor, some will care, others won't. If you can talk intellegently about your plans, your market, your growth strategy, your break even points, your key metrics, how you will bring on staff, which roles there are going to need to be, how much it will cost you to aquire staff ... and more ...

If you can talk about all that and demonstrate you have thought the entire thing through end to end then noramlly you should be fine ... otherwise ... you should probably write the business plan for your own sake, in order to get it straight in your own mind before talking to an investor and damaging their confidence in you.

Where to start?

  • Search for [CANON] at the beginning of the question, these are cononical answers and should link you to some good starting points.
  • Have a look at one of my posts for some of the considerations in your plan. There are a bunch of good answers on this site.
  • Ask a few more questions yourself to target specifics.
share|improve this answer
up vote 1 down vote

You need three things to pitch an investor:

  • Executive Summary: A one-page summary of your ideal. Essentially, a business plan summary
  • Power Point Pitch: 14-16 slides that take the investor through how you will use and make them money
  • Financial Model: A detailed financial plan of expenses and incomes for 3-5 years. Usually, broken down by month.

A business plan is only really required and read by banks nowadays (and usually only for expansion of an existing business).

share|improve this answer
Robin/Jarrie,Thank you for your comments. Thanks for the pointer. I will also try to seek some expert consultants help with writing this plan. – Gagan Aug 27 '11 at 16:30
@Gagan. Anytime. If you are in the US, you can get free advice from SCORE (www.score.org). They even have on-line counseling. Also, check out venturehacks. They have some great resources – Jarie Bolander Aug 27 '11 at 20:00
Here is an excellent example of the PP pitch, for the company Mint: slideshare.net/hnshah/mintcom-prelaunch-pitch-deck – Alex Aug 28 '11 at 4:08

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.