Pennsylvania 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.

Pennsylvania Investors

United States > Pennsylvania

28 year old individual investor from Philadelphia. Working in Software Engineering Management. Experience in leadership in a company that was acquired for $900 million. Highly technical in software engineering/IT. I anticipate that my involvement will vary across silent, advisor, hands-on depending on the opportunity.

$1 to $1,000,000

United States > Pennsylvania

Interested in real estate opportunities.

$0 to $150,000

United States > Pennsylvania

I have some knowledge of investing and am looking to find more opportunities.

$100 to $5,000

United States > Pennsylvania

We are one of the oldest seed funding organization. We are venture capital firm investing in early-stage companies. We fund entrepreneurs with the energy, vision, experience, and desire to build great companies. We are looking for distressed, pre-foreclosure, foreclosure, or bank workout, condo and town home projects. Others (hotels, etc.) on a review basis. We will consider large projects nationwide. MUST HAVE ASSETS, not interested in “preconstruction” “no infrastructure” deals. Will consider partial construction, none sold OK. NO SF RESIDENTIAL We are fully funded to acquire millions in distressed commercial assets. Looking for distressed commercial RE Projects Nationwide We've seeded over 200 companies in our history with 40+ profitable M&A exits and 9 Nasdaq IPOs. We have founded companies such as Symantec, Logitech, and National Semiconductor and been senior executives at the likes of Sun Microsystems, Hewlett Packard.

$1,000,000 to $70,000,000

United States > Pennsylvania

I'm self made. Started Home Improvement Business in 2017 with no capital and high interest 15k loan. Fully liquid in 5m all original debts paid in 5m and looking for new investment opportunities

$50,000 to $100,000

United States > Pennsylvania

I represent an investment banking firm with 15 years of experience and billions of dollars in capital financed and invested for our clientele. We can assist in providing debt or equity financing for a variety of real estate transactions.

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

United States > Pennsylvania

Business owner for 25 years, have experience in payroll, marketing, accounting, Business relations.

$25,000 to $100,000,000

United States > Pennsylvania

We are couple looking to invest in new startups,real estate or anything that looks sustainable

$0 to $100,000