A good business plan is approximately twelve slides, not thirty-two. Less is more here. The average funding meeting is forty useful minutes in length. Twelve slides can cover the topic and leave time for discussion. The following is my business plan outline. It is not the only one on the Internet but I think it tells a story.
- Cover – Company Name, Presentation Date, Presenter Name(s), Company URL, Contact Email
- Company Background – from idea to now in ONE slide
- Problem Addressed – include market size
- Solution – Product/Service Overview (up to three slides)
- What is it
- What it does
- Differentiation – Competition (think Consumer Reports here)
- Financials Summary (not the Financial Model, up to three slides)
- Market Size, Penrtration
- Sales Funnel
- Pricing – for B2B must map to target clients’ pricing/revenues
- Time to Close
- Total Lifetime Value or TTL
- Costs
- Product Roadmap (think timeline here)
- Five-Year, High-Level Financial Summary – Cash need for each proof point (prototype, pilot, production, first revenue, market validation, CFBE)
- Biographies of Founders (keep it to two or three slides)
- Next Steps – Contact Information
It is very important to listen during a funding meeting. Many founders get so focused on getting their message across that they forget that they are in a room filled with free expert advice that is actually worth something. If it becomes clear that there is not a fit, try to get leads for other investors, advice on the product/company, and feedback on the pitch.