How can you tailor your business plan to different investors or lenders? (2024)

I inherently hate this question as in the startup ecosystem it encourges founders to try to be something they are not in order to align with investors. my strong preference is to be true to your organization andd put in the owrk to ensure you are sourcing and reaching out to the right investors! Ultimately, fit (or lack there of) establishes itself. Founders are better off to put in the early work to find the right investors and save themselves from meetings that will never result in investment. Value your time like it is your most precious asset because it is!

Conhecer o negócio dos stakeholders é essencial para adequar o propósito do seu negócio criar uma proposta de valor que atenda as expectativas dos investidores e credores. Demonstrando conhecimento e dominância, trazendo informações e estudos relevantes que comprovem aquilo que está passando é a maneira mais eficaz de atrair e criar uma boa reputação.

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You need to be very careful when tailoring pitch to not be presenting yourself as completely different things to different groups. Particularly as you will learn that it IS a small world and two of these groups may confer and that would only serve to confuse and give the impression you don't have a focus. So the best thing is to have the core presentation the same for all, that is business proposition , service/product etc and tailor to show how you address a specific problem/need of the audience you are speaking to.

VCs don't want early stage startups with limited traction and metrics. You need to find the right type of investor and research into their thesis and past investments before wasting time contacting them.

A tailored business plan for investors should be concise, targeted, and persuasive. It should include an executive summary, market analysis, value proposition, realistic financial projections, and management team bios. This approach ensures the plan resonates with the investor's interests and increases the likelihood of investment. Adjusting the format and length can also impact the message.

Know your value proposition. Most founders can't explain it to their team, let alone possible investors. Focus on how your value proposition makes the lives of your users easier or how it is better than current market offerings.

To create an effective value proposition in a business plan, follow these steps: understand your customer, differentiate your offering, communicate benefits, keep it simple, use evidence, and refine. Understand your customer's needs and how your product or service will solve their problems. Differentiate your offering by offering unique features, better pricing, superior quality, or exceptional service. Focus on the benefits rather than features, use concise language, and support your claims with testimonials, case studies, or data. Test and refine your value proposition based on feedback to ensure it resonates with your target audience.

Providing credible and relevant evidence to substantiate your claims and assumptions signals your team's commitment to de-risking your venture. This contributes to a positive impression of your team. Metrics that demonstrate a product-market fit such as revenues are of course ideal. At earlier stages of a venture, evidence validating the problem, potential market size, your target audience and your value proposition for them e.g. through pilots and successive MVPs will be expected. Once the problem-solution fit is established, your team would need to showcase your customers' willingness to pay and validate your go-to-market strategy. The key is to gather compelling evidence that can be presented effectively to reinforce your narrative.

Encore plus qu'avant, les investisseurs et prêteurs attendent du concret. Dans les structures innovantes, nous regardions beaucoup (dans les dernières années) le futur, mais aujourd'hui il est moins regardé. Les analyses sont revenus sur des choses plus terre à terre, étant donné que l'avenir économique est devenu plus incertain. En conséquence, c'est un équilibre à trouver entre "montrer vos ambitions" (qui doivent être étayés d'un plan d'action concret) et également "prouver vos chiffres présents". Tout est bon à prendre : des factures, des devis, des mails clients, des témoignages clients.. tout ce qui peut prouver la réalité business de votre entreprise

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Address potential investor questions and objections by incorporating a SWOT analysis in your business plan, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Also, include a contingency plan to show your readiness to adapt to unforeseen changes. This demonstrates strategic foresight and flexibility, making your plan more robust and appealing to investors by showcasing your ability to effectively handle challenges and leverage opportunities.

Probably the best way to showcase your strategic skills is not only to understand your audience, but to showcase your understanding. You showcase this understanding by anticipating their specific questions and objections and tailoring your presentation to answer as many of their questions before they can even ask them.If this is executed correctly you will have investors leaving the pitch feeling as if you read their mind, and in some case that is true. That is the feeling you want them to have because it magnify your ability right before their eyes!Good luck!

I kinda love and hate this question. I think a business owners is ahead of the game in just writing a business plan in the first place.To tailor it to an investor can be risky and tricky. Have all other methods of raising capital been exhausted? We've seen business owners lose their passion because investors start telling them "how to make the pizza."

Show them the numbers, not just words. Use Microsoft Excel instead of PowerPoint and clearly show realistic numbers that will lead to a profitable investment. Make it a one page document that is concise and precise.