The prominent question that may be going through entrepreneur’s minds is how do I impress and stand out to investors when there are so many new startups with brand new ideas out there?
The answer is in the detail and shifting your mindset into the bigger picture.
The key thing to remember is that the investor is potentially putting their time, energy and most importantly money into your startup, so you need to prove to them why they should do this. Imagine getting into investor’s brain and pick out what they are thinking, the questions they may be asking themselves.
- How does your idea fit in with both the current and future market trends?
- Is your business idea sustainable?
- What are the opportunities for growth and profit?
- What is your Unique Selling Point (USP) compared to the other competitors in your market? What should they invest in YOU?
So when presenting to investors, a top-notch pitch deck is key. If you can, get hold of a successful pitch deck from another startup and use it as a template. The key is to cover all the main points in a simple and effective way. Tell a story.
The key points can be considered as follows:
- What is the product you are bringing to market?
- What is the problem you are trying to solve?
- What is your solution to the problem?
- What market are you disrupting?
- Who is your competition?
- What evidence do you have that your product is going to work?
- Who is your team and what do they bring to the business?
- Current financial position and financial projections
- What do you want from the investors?
- Remember to tell the investors a story throughout your pitch deck! Make it personable and humanised.
Another key point to remember is that you should not only speak about what your company is currently doing but also where it is going in the future financially, and how it fits into future market trends. However, be sure not to over-forecast your projections as investors may not buy into this.
Once you have presented your perfect pitch deck, be prepared for any potential questions you may be asked and how you will answer these.
Good luck!
For more content on fundraising, click here.
