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 > Florida

I am an individual that has some funds to invest in viable opportunities. Contact for more information

$50,000 to $1,000,000

United States > New York

We are a FINRA member broker dealer/investment banking firm established 1971. We help established businesses with experienced management access capital from the public markets. We assist with the entire public offering process advising on reverse mergers into public entities or conducting an IPO. We make principal investments into qualified companies along with arranging equity/debt investments from our investor client base of wealthy accredited and numerous hedge funds.

$50,000 to $15,000,000

United States > Missouri

I am a chartered accountant with an MBA from one of the top business schools in Europe. I have worked extensively in the mergers and acquisition space. Worked with start-ups, turnaround and restructuring situations both in emerging markets and developed markets. Have experience in the US, European and African markets. I have started and sold several businesses. I am currently involved in roll ups in the financial services, oil and gas as well as manufacturing space

$300,000 to $500,000,000

United States > Georgia

I live in Georgia. I am Indian ( India) . I am an investor for any good product or any innovation. I am a business owner.

$100,000 to $5,000,000

United States > California

Recent: July 2006 – Present, Managing Director of a Capital Group We provide a select array of debt financing solutions critical to the growth of middle-market and emerging growth companies looking to leverage their cash and equity to acquire debt for equipment or growth capital. We understand the relation between your company's cash and equity, where the key to success is conserving both and having access to additional sources of capital for capital expenditures. The key to our success is having the resources, the insight and the talent to extract the highest value from your business assets and being able to leverage them to facilitate a loan to achieve maximum growth and profitability.

$5,000 to $10,000,000

United States > New York

Looking for investment opps and bus dev role with tech or new media startups in NYC Atlanta or New Orleans to take advantage of the technology and digital media tax credits. Have 9 years of successful sales experience with startup tech research firm in NYC and maintain ownership of several relationships in the digital space on Madison Avenue.

$5,000 to $25,000

United States > New York

Our Merchant Funding has provided funding and working capital to hundreds of businesses across the United States. We have established a new program for restaurants about to open so that they have enough working capital to operate past opening.

$10,000 to $1,000,000

United States > New Jersey

I look for multi unit apt buildings of 50+ units

$30,000,000 to $100,000,000