What do investors look for in a business plan?
Investors will want to see information that indicates the current financial status of the business. Usually they will expect to see current reports such as a profit and loss statement, a balance sheet and a cash flow statement as well as projections for the next two or three years.
Lenders want to know who you serve, how large the population is, and how viable the market is (e.g. affluence, room for growth, etc.). Lenders also want to know who you are competing with in this space and how you are setting yourself apart.
A business plan is a communication tool that you can use to secure investment capital from financial institutions or lenders. You can also use it to convince people to work for your enterprise, secure credit from suppliers, and to attract potential customers.
Perhaps the most important part of a business plan, especially for investors, partners and financial institutions, is your financial projections. These show the viability of your business in the years to come, according to Constant Contact.
Value investors use financial ratios such as price-to-earnings, price-to-book, debt-to-equity, and price/earnings-to-growth to discover undervalued stocks. Free cash flow is a stock metric showing how much cash a company has after deducting operating expenses and capital expenditures.
- Rule Number 1: Diversify. Since some investments zig when others zag, divvy your money across several investment categories, from stocks to bonds to real estate. ...
- Rule Number 2: Rebalance. ...
- Rule Number 3: Dollar-cost average. ...
- Rule Number 4: Keep costs down.
Standards may differ from lender to lender, but there are four core components — the four C's — that lender will evaluate in determining whether they will make a loan: capacity, capital, collateral and credit.
- The Right Fit.
- Location, Industry, and Stage of Development.
- Market Size.
- More Than a Good Idea.
- A Competitive Edge.
- Social Proof.
- Traction.
- Credibility is All.
Interest rates and repayments are two big factors when deciding how to choose a lender. You may be looking for the lowest interest rates, lowest fees or most reasonable and flexible repayment terms.
The 3 most important purposes of a business plan are 1) to create an effective strategy for growth, 2) to determine your future financial needs, and 3) to attract investors (including angel investors and VC funding) and lenders.
What are the 4 factors to consider in putting up a business?
- Mind-set. Many people make the mistake of selecting a franchise based on what the business does, what the person likes or where their passions lie. ...
- Finances. ...
- Skills. ...
- Time availability.
A business plan is your best chance at conveying why the bank should lend you the money and support your business. It demonstrates to the bank that you have commercial acumen and essentially sells your ideas to us.
- Reason of investment.
- Researching the market.
- Risk levels.
- Investment Tenure.
- Taxations.
- Liquidity.
- Volatility.
- The Company.
- An industry they are familiar with.
- A management team they believe in.
- An idea with a large market and a competitive advantage.
- A company with momentum or traction.
- An idea that will generate cash flow.
While the short-term process may have changed, the characteristics of a good company in which to buy stock have not. Stable earnings, return on equity (ROE), and their relative value compared with those of other companies are timeless indicators of the financial success of companies that might be good investments.
- You Need to Sign This NDA. ...
- We Have No Competition. ...
- We Don't Really Know Our Unique Selling Proposition Yet. ...
- We Have No Weaknesses. ...
- This is Such a Sure Thing it Can't Fail. ...
- I Don't Have an Exit Strategy Yet. ...
- We Really Need the Money.
They can be cash assets (cash and cash equivalents), accounts receivable, merchandise inventory, investments or tangible (fixed) assets (e.g., buildings, machinery) or intangible assets (e.g., patents, trademarks).
We've found that the best investors have three key characteristics: Deep knowledge and interest in your product or industry. Experience with the unique challenges and idiosyncrasies of a growing business. An interest and ability to actively help to grow the company and to be invested in its success.
- Keep some money in an emergency fund with instant access. ...
- Clear any debts you have, and never invest using a credit card. ...
- The earlier you get day-to-day money in order, the sooner you can think about investing.
- Get time on your side.
- Don't be fooled into thinking that timing is everything.
- Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
- Be specific on your objectives and timeframe.
- Use the wisdom of experts.
What are the golden rules for investors?
Warren Buffett once said that the only two rules of successful investing are (1) Never Lose Money and (2) Never Forget Rule 1. Buying and selling stocks in the share market (share market) is such a simple activity that almost anyone can do it.
To accurately find out whether the business qualifies for the loan, banks generally refer to the six “C's” of credit: character, capacity, capital, collateral, conditions and credit score.
Lenders will look at your creditworthiness, or how you've managed debt and whether you can take on more. One way to do this is by checking what's called the five C's of credit: character, capacity, capital, collateral and conditions.
Payment history accounts for 35% of your FICO® Score☉ , the credit score used by 90% of top lenders. Amounts owed. Your credit usage, particularly as represented by your credit utilization ratio, is the next most important factor in your credit scores.
- Why is now the right time to start the company? ...
- What trends do you see in the market? ...
- Why is the team uniquely capable of executing the plan? ...
- Why do users care about your product? ...
- How did you come up with your business idea? ...
- Which competitor is doing the best job and why?
- Term Sheet. ...
- Stock Purchase Agreement (SPA) ...
- Disclosure Schedule for a SPA. ...
- Voting Agreement. ...
- Investor Rights Agreement (IRA) ...
- Right of First Refusal / Co-Sale Agreement. ...
- Certificate of Incorporation.
- Buy the right investment.
- Avoid individual stocks if you're a beginner.
- Create a diversified portfolio.
- Be prepared for a downturn.
- Try a simulator before investing real money.
- Stay committed to your long-term portfolio.
- Start now.
- Avoid short-term trading.
- Your credit. ...
- Your income and employment history. ...
- Your debt-to-income ratio. ...
- Value of your collateral. ...
- Size of down payment. ...
- Liquid assets. ...
- Loan term.
- Credit Score.
- Current Income.
- Employment History.
- Occupation.
- Repayment History.
- Amount of Loan.
- Purpose of the Loan.
- Surplus Income.
- Purpose of finance. The choice of finance depends on what the money is intended for. ...
- Cost of finance. ...
- Duration of finance. ...
- Required amount of finance. ...
- Type of the business organization. ...
- Size and status of the business. ...
- Gearing level. ...
- Flexibility.
What are the 3 C's of a business plan?
These three C's include: (1) having a concept of what your business is all about; (2) identifying who your customer or client will be; and (3) figuring out how the cash flow in your business will actually work.
- Executive summary. This is your five-minute elevator pitch. ...
- Business description and structure. This is where you explain why you're in business and what you're selling. ...
- Market research and strategies. ...
- Management and personnel. ...
- Financial documents.
- A great idea. “No business can develop in the absence of a great idea. ...
- Funding and budget. ...
- What is your business plan? ...
- Legal documentation. ...
- Passion. ...
- Find the right equipment. ...
- Know when you need help.
- Set a business goal. ...
- Understand Your Customer Needs. ...
- Research your competition. ...
- Attract and retain the right talent. ...
- Be transparent with your team. ...
- Become a decisive leader. ...
- Learn to be patient. ...
- Keep business documents.
- Behavioural and personal traits. A business leader's characteristics such as behaviour, personality and attitude can certainly have an impact of the growth of the business. ...
- Business structure and management. ...
- External factors. ...
- Location.
They'll consider household income, business revenue, cash flow, outstanding debt, unused credit lines, and the amount of money the owner has personally invested into the business. All these variables will help lenders calculate the ability for an owner to repay the loan.
Lenders need to determine whether you can comfortably afford your payments. Your income and employment history are good indicators of your ability to repay outstanding debt. Income amount, stability, and type of income may all be considered.
The most common publicly disclosed investment criteria include the geography, size of the investment or company targeted, and industry. Some buyers also disclose criteria regarding the investment type which may include management buyouts (MBO), distressed opportunities, or succession situations.
Investors are usually classified into three main categories based on how much risk they can tolerate. They include aggressive, moderate, and conservative. Knowing the risk tolerance level helps investors plan their entire portfolio and will drive how they invest.
- A market they know and understand.
- Powerful leadership team.
- Investment diversity.
- Scalability.
- Promising Financial Projections.
- Demonstrations of consumer interest.
- A clear, detailed marketing plan.
- Transparency.
How do I impress investors?
- Work on extending your network. ...
- Show evidence. ...
- Personalize your pitch. ...
- Choose co-founders wisely. ...
- Refine your business first. ...
- Build a strong brand online. ...
- Think outside the box when it comes to investors.
- Do the thing you say you're going to do. ...
- Start small — trivially small — and then build up. ...
- Make three people love you. ...
- Ask for advice, not money. ...
- Be authentic. ...
- Consider an equity crowdfunding campaign when the time is right. ...
- Leverage the 'social proof' from crowdfunding.
The characteristics that startup investors pay attention to: team, product, market size and valuation. – Size of the market: what drives most investors is finding startups that at some point can become big, large companies to get a significant return on their investment.
Risk and return go hand-in-hand in investing; low risk generally means low expected returns, while higher returns are usually accompanied by higher risk.
- A clear description of the problem that your business is trying to solve in the market. ...
- Potential for high growth. ...
- Sustainable competitive advantage. ...
- Financial return on their investment (ROI) ...
- An experienced management team with a thorough and credible execution plan.
As you move forward in the due diligence process with an investor, the investor will want to see a business plan. It shows the maturity of your ideas and thought process and how far you've come in developing your business.
- Work on extending your network. ...
- Show evidence. ...
- Personalize your pitch. ...
- Choose co-founders wisely. ...
- Refine your business first. ...
- Build a strong brand online. ...
- Think outside the box when it comes to investors.
- Risk and return. Return and risk always go together. ...
- Risk diversification. Any investment involves risk. ...
- Dollar-cost averaging. This is a long-term strategy. ...
- Compound Interest. ...
- Inflation.
The pitch deck should include details of who the people behind your business are, the problem you are trying to solve, your product or service which acts as the solution to that problem, traction, the current market and your competitors, as well as details of your business model and how any successful investment will ...