New York Investment Network

Business Plan Tips

What Investors Are Looking For In A Plan

Investors, whether angels or VC's, are looking for the same things when reading a business plan. They want to know how big the opportunity is, whether this is the right team to exploit the opportunity, who the competition is, what the risks are, and why they can expect this team to implement successfully. Your job in writing the business plan is to address these questions convincingly and clearly.

Emphasize Your Real Strengths

Highlight what your team brings to the table. If your business hinges on a particular competency (for example, understanding the procurement process), your plan will be more persuasive if one of your team members knows something about it and that is brought out in your plan. Rather than including generic resumes of team members, tailor the resumes to draw out the experience each member has that will make him or her a valuable contributor.

Get To The Point And Make It Clear And Comprehensive

Investors see many business plans. A 20-page plan which clearly lays out your business is far more likely to be read than a 100 page plan. Today, some entrepreneurs are using a 15 slide Powerpoint presentation. If your text is short and punchy, you won't need to repeat yourself, because the reader won't be bogged down keeping ten chapters in their head. Reading the same thing over and over, even if it's in different words, can get really tiring. The more you use brevity and give each concept a single home in your document, the more people will want to read it.

Write In Plain English

If you can't explain your idea in English, either you don't understand what you're talking about (What is a transaction enabled atomic journaling database server, anyway?) or you haven't simplified the idea enough. Think, revise, and try again.

Get Rid Of The Hype

Yes, we know you will be the "premier insert product category here of the Internet, achieving 99% market penetration with 60% customer retention in 3 months". Your product will reach "new heights in customer experience through the use of personalization and one-to-one profiling and customization". It will be "user friendly" because you will be creating a truly "ecstatic customer experience". It is a "quantum leap forward" in the marketplace for product category here. Um, yeah. Believe me, we've read it before. About a dozen times today, in fact. (And by the way, the phrase "quantum leap" really doesn't mean anything.) Stick to a tight, simple explanation of your idea. Convince your reader you'll be the best because your idea is the best, not because you can string a dozen buzzwords together.

Use Quantifiable Information

In each section, back up your assertions with solid facts. Even if you are a new venture and cannot give specific figures on the performance of your business, quote figures for the industry or your competitors. These real figures carry more weight than your assumed projections and give more reality to your plan.

Choose A Huge Market

Especially in the internet world, investors are looking more at the market than at the detailed specifics of your financials. Choose a market that is big enough to be an obvious good opportunity. A business which targets teenage girls who listen to music and has a reasonable chance of capturing 90% of the girls that are online is a huge opportunity. A business which targets net-savvy SAAB mechanics who need prosthetic limbs is not.

Local Investors

United States > Massachusetts

25 yrs in Information technology experience as a Vice president in fortune 200 largest financial institutions. An investor in few startups related to education, IT and Medical devices. Looking to pick up investments in the range of 25000- 300000 in all business areas mentioned above. Not interested in interest only paying businesses. Can involve at all levels hands-on, advisory, silent etc. Individual Investor.

$1 to $100,000

United States > New York

I have been working in the Food industry for the past 8 years and closed significant deals with major retailers and brands. Deep knowledge of the Food Supply Chain. I am interested in bringing strategy expertise and network.

$10,000 to $40,000

United States > New York

We are a facilitating Network, not direct Investors. We have Investors lined up. Our Policy: NO UPFRONT FEES.

$500,000 to $1,000,000,000

United States > Massachusetts

I am a former corporate attorney and graduate of Georgetown Law Center. In recent years, I have established company with principal focus on acquiring undervalued commercial real estate assets, enhancing value and reselling for a profit as part of group of assets. That market has essentially evaporated in the current real estate climate in the US, but I see an opportunity to launch a profitable enterprise which is designed to fulfill (1) the home-ownership need of countless families that have lost their homes through foreclosure, and (2) the need of banks to turn thousands of non-performing assets into assets that will add to their bottom line. Kindly contact me for more information.

$5,000,000 to $50,000,000

United States > New York

Hard working entrepreneur with an eye for a winning business model. I have had several successes as well as several failures in business in different sectors. It is true that you learn alot more about business overcoming serious setbacks and/or a series of failures. I didn't think that was a true statement when I heard it from other much more successful people when I was in my 20s starting out. Failure is not only humbling but very sobering. As an entrepreneur, small-business executive, I have managed to learn to apply Fortune 500 "best practices" in many areas of business in order to make my prior businesses run efficiently and profitably. I will not participate in any "start up" or "idea-phase" co unless you have assets to leverage. I can be hands on to help you with Human Resources, Sales/Marketing, Making Operations Super Efficient, Identifying hidden value and unlocking it to add more produce line or revenue streams. Areas I outsource: PR, Legal, Technology

$100,000 to $250,000

United States > New Jersey

I'm a 42 year old male with three children. Worked for Morgan Stanley & Lehman Brothers for 15 years managing all aspects of operations. Marketing & sales is my background. I'm looking for a partner I can invest in gaining equity in an existing business. I would like to dig in to all areas of operations and staffing. Policies / procedures etc... I can turn things around very quickly!

$1,000 to $100,000

United States > California

Managing Partner of Cash Flow Specialists. Company specializes in business lines of credit and in large project funding. In business since 1999.

$500,000 to $500,000,000

United States > Ohio

Individual real estate investor just getting into private investing.

$0 to $10,000