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

Founder of Private Health Care Software Company formed in 1992. Company specialized in Practice Management Software (Billing / Scheduling / Office Management). Company was sold to a Public Company in 1998. Became Chairman/CEO of the acquiring Public Health Care Software Company in 2002. Company had 1500 employees, 28 locations and over 80,000 clients. Restructured public company and increased company value by over 800%. Company was subsequently sold to another Public Company in 2005. Subsequently, started MyCellCash in 2006, which mission was to facilitate cash transfers via text messaging. Decided that the technology available at that time was not sufficient to bring to market.

$25,000 to $1,000,000

United States > Pennsylvania

30 years experience in all aspects of finance

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

Canada > Toronto

Investment banker, Toronto, Canada since 1994

$3,000,000 to $1,000,000,000

United States > Colorado

We specialize in Renewable energy and real estate development.

$2,000,000 to $300,000,000

Australia > Sydney

I am a business man from Australia which involve in many business which I establish and then sale with the profit, and now I am looking for bigger opportunity if possible to invest in.

$1 to $1,000,000

United States > California

Looking to invest

$0 to $60,000

United States > California

Involved with Research & Development in polymers for about 25 years. PhD in polymers from USC, Ex MBA from UCLA. V.P. of Research & Development for last 10 years in a large corporation. Extensive background in intellectual property rights, acquisition and protection. Have been involved with several entrepreneurial developments over last decade.

$50,000 to $500,000

United States > New York

I represent a group of private and corporate investors. We have vision and are looking for the same. My background is varied; real estate, healthcare, distribution, e- commerce, software development.

$1,000 to $100,000