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 > New York

I am an individual investor from Long Island with a Masters Degree in Engineering and more than 30 years of international experience of working in three continents.

$10,000 to $250,000

United States > Illinois

Investing on behalf of both large institutional investors and small private equity firms including debt, mezz and equity investments 18+ years in commercial real estate development and investment Group investor with access to $70Bln in funds

$5,000,000 to $1,000,000,000

United States > California

I am the president of a development and investment company in the real estate industry for the last 4 years. Am in the process of developing a $20,000,000, 156 modular home park in bull head city, Arizona on 24 acres. Looking for other areas of real estate expansion for potential funding and partnerships. My background is 25 years in the investment securities industry raising funds for 504/ 505 /506 private placements and foreign currencies. I am a private investor, however I have access through my network of USA and foreign funds in excess of 5 billion available.

$50,000 to $200,000

United States > Georgia

Career as an Individual investor, investment group member and licensed broker. 30 years in commercial real estate investments and sales. Involved in Equity and Debt structures, Joint Ventures, and Investment Groups. Can provide Strategies, Capital, and Resources. Experience with deals of many types and in many industries.

$50,000 to $100,000,000

United States > Virginia

I am a private investor with a construction background. I am looking for a good investment in this market

$1,000,000 to $10,000,000

United States > Florida

Our investment group funds oil & gas projects.

$1,000,000 to $10,000,000

United States > Wisconsin

I have broad manufacturing experience with a few small ventures of my own in the past. I've worked in consumer packaging, tool and die, foundry equipment, metal fabrication for industrial equipment and most recently in Long Term Care making products for nursing homes that were both simple medical devices as described by the FDA and non- medical devices. I've been building business cases for new product development and new product introductions as part of my current role and have traveled to Asia and Mexico for design reviews and production approvals. I'm looking to take my 10 years of product development, international sourcing and marketing experience along with my manufacturing experience to a more flexible, dynamic and agressive environment. I'd like to be part of something that has higher potential than standard returns and willing to take calculated risks to get there.

$10,000 to $100,000

United States > California

Hi, I am a consultant with a group funding sources to assist you in your funding needs. We have funded projects like yours in the past and they may be interested in funding this project. Our consulting services include: NO UPFRONT FEES! Please submit a business plan and executive summary of your project to start. Other lender documentation which may be required: A. Use of Funds B. Proforma C. Biography D. Resume E. Exit strategy F. Do you have 15/20% invested in the project. In order to facilitate a faster response time, please tell us if you have shopped this project and if there is a fee agreement in place. I look forward to assisting you with creative funding sources to make your project reality!

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