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How to Effectively Pitch a Business Idea

• 27 Aug 2020

You’ve identified an underserved need and validated your startup idea . Now it’s time to talk about your business to potential investors. Yet, how do you effectively communicate your idea’s promise and possible impact on the market?

Pitching a business idea is one of the most nerve-wracking parts of any entrepreneur’s journey. It’s what stands in the way between your vision and the financing needed to turn it into a reality. Although daunting, there are steps you can take to ensure a greater chance of success.

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What Makes a Great Pitch?

To make a successful pitch, entrepreneurs must exhibit several characteristics to convince investors to fund their innovative ideas .

Every entrepreneur needs an intricate understanding of their idea, target market, growth strategy, product-market fit , and overall business model . This differentiates your business concept and solidifies the steps needed to make it a reality. The perfect pitch shows investors your proof of concept and instills confidence that they can expect a return on investment .

Another crucial component of a successful pitch is understanding the venture capital (VC) ecosystem.

“It’s critical for entrepreneurs to understand the background and motivations of venture capitalists so when entrepreneurs seek them out to help fund their venture, they know what to prioritize in a firm and how to build a strong, trusting relationship,” says Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer Jeffrey Bussgang in the online course Launching Tech Ventures .

To secure funding and support, here are essential steps to ensure your pitch is effective.

How to Pitch a Business Idea

1. know who you’re pitching.

Some entrepreneurs try to get in front of every investor, despite their industry expertise or firm’s investment stage. Consider that, when you accept an investment, it’s about more than money; you enter a partnership. You must perform your due diligence and research potential investors before making your pitch.

When researching, ask yourself:

What industries do they invest in?

A VC firm’s industry focus depends on what the partners’ niche is and where their passions lie. Some firms specialize in a particular sector, such as financial technology (fintech) or education technology (edtech).

For example, Rethink Education is a venture capital fund that invests in early- and growth-stage edtech startups, while Blockchain Capital is dedicated to financing companies innovating in the crypto market. Others are generalists and span several industries.

Knowing the types of companies the firm invests in can help you tailor your pitch and zero in on their presumed priorities.

What stage do they invest in?

If you’re in the earliest stages of business development, you won’t receive growth equity, which is reserved for mature companies that need capital to expand operations, enter a new market, or acquire another business. Before making your pitch, have a rough estimate of the money and resources you need to launch, and then align yourself with investors who can help at that particular stage.

What’s the investor’s track record?

Dig deeper into the investor’s experience and investment history to determine the types of companies they typically finance, the background knowledge they might already have, and whether your personalities will mesh. This information will enable you to modify your pitch and determine if this is the right person or fund to partner with.

“The best venture capitalists become trusted partners and advisors to the founders and team,” says HBS Professor William Sahlman in the online course Entrepreneurship Essentials . “They help recruit key employees. They introduce the company to potential customers. They help raise subsequent rounds of capital. In some cases, they signal that the firm they've backed is a winner, which helps make that assertion true.”

Given the benefits and high stakes, the more you know going into a pitch, the better.

2. Consider How You Present Yourself, Not Simply Your Idea

Although your ideas and skills matter , your personality is equally as important. According to research published in the Harvard Business Review , venture capitalists’ interest in a startup “was driven less by judgments that the founder was competent than by perceptions about character and trustworthiness.”

Investors also want to know they’re entering a partnership with the right people. Jennifer Fonstad, co-founder of Aspect Ventures , acknowledges in Entrepreneurship Essentials that her investment firm “thinks about team and team dynamics as being very critical.”

Investors want to know whether the founders have worked together before, if your startup’s early hires have complementary skill sets, and whether you’ll be flexible, open-minded, and willing to embrace different perspectives.

Think about this as you prepare your pitch. If investors poke holes in your idea, will you get defensive? When they ask for financial projections, will you exaggerate the numbers? Hopefully, your answers are “no”—firms want to partner with founders they can trust who are open to guidance and mentorship—but if you’re second-guessing your reactions, consider what you might be asked and practice your responses.

As Sahlman reinforces in Entrepreneurship Essentials : “Most experienced investors look at the people first and the opportunity second. Even when a team is young and inexperienced, an investor depends on them to make the right decisions.”

3. Tell a Story

When describing your business idea, zero in on the problem you address for your target audience and how you solve it better than the competition. You could do this by presenting a real-life scenario in which you describe the pain point a current or prospective customer faced and how your product or service fixed the issue. This can help engage investors on a personal level and inspire them to see your idea’s potential.

By complementing your spreadsheets and charts with a compelling story, you can paint a fuller picture of your startup’s future and more effectively highlight its business opportunity.

4. Cover the Details

While it’s important to set the stage, you also need to cover the specifics. In your pitch deck, concisely define your value proposition and share a memorable tagline for investors to leave the meeting with.

According to Bussgang in Launching Tech Ventures , every pitch to an investor should contain the following:

• Intro: Focus on answering important questions like who you are, why you’re asking for funding, and what your founder-market fit is.
• Problem: Talk about your ideal customer’s pain point and how you plan to solve it.
• Solution: Explain how your idea is a compelling solution and why it’s better than existing solutions.
• Opportunity and Market Size: Provide your total addressable market (TAM), serviceable addressable market (SAM), and serviceable obtainable market (SOM) through research.
• Competitive Analysis: Understand your unique differences in the market that can help you sustain a competitive advantage.
• Go-to-Market Plan: Clarify how you’re going to reach your customers.
• Business Model: Describe how you’re going to make money.
• Financials: Define what your financial projections are and how you’re going to provide returns for investors.
• The Ask: Detail how much funding you need, how long it will last, and what milestones you hope to achieve.

“VCs will expect entrepreneurs to clearly define the milestones they need to achieve with each round of funding,” Bussgang continues. “Entrepreneurs should know what experiments they will run to reach these milestones and what they expect the results will be.”

5. Show the Roadmap

Although you’re in your business’s early stages, investors want to know how they’ll cash out in the end.

“To truly understand the motivations behind VC firms, remember that they are professional investors,” Bussgang explains in Launching Tech Ventures . “Their objective is to generate the maximum return for their limited partners with a dual fiduciary duty to their investors and the company.”

To clinch your pitch, highlight your exit strategy and the options available.

The most common exit strategies include:

• Acquisition: When one company buys most or all of another company’s shares to gain control of it
• Merger: When two existing companies unite into one new company
• Initial Public Offering (IPO): When a private company issues its first sale of stocks to the public and can start raising capital from public investors

Related: What Are Mergers & Acquisitions? 4 Key Risks

3 Kinds of Pitches for Entrepreneurs

While all effective pitches share foundational elements, you should use different types depending on the scenario. To increase your chances of success, tailor your pitch to your audience and the available time frame.

1. The Elevator Pitch

This is one of the most popular pitches. Use this when you need to communicate their startup’s value in 60 seconds or less.

An effective elevator pitch should be concise, convincing, and convey your startup’s value proposition and differentiators. For tech business ideas, mention the innovative technology that sets your concept apart. At the end, include a call to action, such as the amount of capital required to launch.

2. The Short-Form Pitch

You should portray your business idea’s value to prospective clients and investors as efficiently as possible. This means summarizing the most important elements of your idea in a way that makes them want to hear more. Highlight the market size, how you’ll create barriers for competition, your plan to monetize the business, and how much financing you need.

Short-form pitches can run from three to 10 minutes; if you’re pitching in a competitive setting, note any length requirements. These shorter pitches can pique investors’ interest and earn you the chance to present a long-form pitch.

3. The Long-Form Pitch

Sometimes, you’re fortunate enough to have more than a few minutes to pitch your idea. If this opportunity presents itself, it’s crucial to make the most of your time and address every aspect of your business plan.

“You’re not just trying to start any business,” Bussgang says in Launching Tech Ventures . “You’re trying to create a business that’s profitable, sustainable, and valuable.

Zero in on your story and share a real-life scenario. Detail the market size to illustrate demand and clear examples of how you’ll attract and retain customers, particularly in light of competitors. This will show you’re planning for—and ahead of—future challenges.

You should also have a blueprint for testing product-market fit and early results, along with a detailed monetization plan. Lastly, share your exit strategy and the amount of capital needed to, one day, achieve it. Your long-form pitch should communicate your business concept clearly and concisely, open the possibility for follow-up questions, and capture the investors’ interest.

Consider preparing all three pitch lengths to be ready for any opportunity. It’s important to stay agile so you can modify your pitch to fit specific length requirements.

Landing the Pitch

Every investor prioritizes different data and information. Yet, if you start by choosing the right investor and then align their needs with your proposed market opportunity, value proposition, and exit strategy, you have a chance at landing the pitch.

“In some ways, startup success depends just as much on whether your hypothesis about the future is right, as it does on whether your idea is a good one,” Bussgang explains in Launching Tech Ventures .

As a result, it’s important for you to do your due diligence before pitching your business idea to investors.

If you’re interested in learning more about what investors look for and how you can create value, explore Entrepreneurship Essentials and Launching Tech Ventures , two of our entrepreneurship and innovation courses . Not sure which is the right fit? Download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.

This post was updated on July 28, 2023. It was originally published on August 27, 2020.

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How to Make a Successful Business Pitch: 9 Tips From Experts

You’ve just had your lunch, and you’re about to get back to work. 

While making your post-lunch tea (or coffee), you can’t stop thinking about being your own boss. 

You wonder if it’s about time for you to turn your side hustle into a full-time business and become an entrepreneur. 

Or perhaps you want to propose the idea of a four-day workweek to your CEO. 

If you want to introduce investors and prospects to your business idea and convince them to take the plunge with you,  you need a strong and persuasive business pitch. 

How to create a persuasive business pitch according to experts 

The good news — it’s possible to craft a convincing and successful business pitch. 

Even better news: This Piktochart business pitch guide shows you how. 

Grab your drink of choice and take notes as we explore the different ways to pitch business ideas (from a sales-style elevator pitch to an innovative workplace pitch), as well as understand what makes a great business pitch. You’ll also get a glimpse into our business pitch templates, and learn expert advice from those who have pitched their way to success (and failure too). 

You can also watch the video below if you don’t have time to go over this guide. It’s also easier to follow along if you sign up for a free Piktochart account and edit the templates yourself (learning by doing).

What is a business pitch? 

A business pitch is a presentation of a business idea to a group of people who can help turn your idea into a reality.

You can pitch to: 

• Investors who can help fund your idea
• Potential customers who will pay for your product or service
• Advocates who will support your idea

In some cases, a business pitch doesn’t have to be all about presenting a new idea. You could be asking for more funding or continued support for an already established business venture. 

Whether through an investment, purchase, or advocacy, a business pitch becomes successful if you can convince people to believe in your idea or pique their interest and get them to learn more. 

Now that you understand what a business pitch is, let’s take a closer look at the different types of business pitches. 

Types of pitches in business

Your business pitch can be narrowed down to the following five types of presentations: 

1. Investor pitch

In this type of business pitch, you present a  persuasive presentation or pitch deck to a group of potential business partners and/or investors. 

Sign up for a free Piktochart account to get started on creating professional-looking pitch deck templates that you can edit in minutes.

An investor business pitch should typically last for 45 minutes . The best practice for this type of pitch is 20-30 minutes of presentation followed by discussion or a Q&A afterward.

Alternatively, business pitch competitions follow a different best practice. These presentations should last around five to 10 minutes and focus on pitching to investors.

Lastly, the most stringent type of business pitch is most commonly referred to as an ‘elevator pitch’, and should only last around 30-60 seconds.

Let’s dive in so you can learn how to make the perfect business pitch!

2. Sales pitch 

The goal of a sales pitch is to answer the question “What’s in it for me?” from the lens of the potential customer. 

The best and most effective salespeople can make a sales pitch in as short as one minute. Also known as the ‘ elevator pitch ‘, this type of business pitch should be able to be delivered in a single elevator ride (30-60 seconds on average). In this format, a short sales pitch should include four key components:

• Your unique product name and category
• The specific problem you are trying to solve
• The innovative solution you offer
• the unique selling point of benefit to your solution

3. Product pitch 

A product pitch is similar to a sales pitch, however, the spotlight should be on the product and/or solution itself. 

For example, a sales pitch for an email automation software will highlight one or two of its benefits. Meanwhile, a product pitch of the same automation software will focus more on its features, how it works, and how you can integrate the software into your existing setup. 

In a product pitch, you should aim to:

• Explain your product or offering clearly and concisely
• Identify and address the target audience and/or industry your product supports
• Specify the problem the aforementioned faces and how your solution can solve it
• Provide a realistic example of your solution in action
• Make sure to use accurate facts backed up by relevant and recent data

4. Job pitch 

If you’re applying for a job or internship and you’re wondering how you can stand out from the crowd (consisting of your peers and other qualified applicants), consider pitching yourself to a prospective employer. 

Applying the same logic used for a sales or product pitch deck; sell yourself!

A job pitch or personal summary pitch should be concise, personalized, and consistent. In a job pitch you should include:

• A brief introduction to you
• An explanation as to why you’re a great fit for the company and role
• Relevant experience and achievements
• Your goals and career aspirations

“It’s not about bragging or showing off — it’s about giving the other person evidence that you can actually do what you say you can do,” assures Starla Sampaco , TV news anchor at KCTS 9 and founder of Career Survival Guide .

5. Workplace pitching 

Do you have an idea or initiative that will help your colleagues and help boost the company’s profitability?  Pitch it internally within your workplace, to your team or boss! 

For example, you can pitch a  remote-first culture  or the four-day workweek to your HR, and/or the rest of the leadership team.

Another workplace pitch example? Maybe you might want to propose the creation of a new role in your team which can help advance your career and address a challenge in the organization at the same time. 

To do this, simply create a pitch deck including your main points, the benefits, and proposed next steps to turn your idea into a reality. Piktochart’s workplace pitch decks can help you get your point across through our workplace templates.

The structure of a successful business pitch 

If creating a business pitch sounds intimidating, the team at Piktochart has your back. 

You can address this worry by making sure that you have a business pitch structure that is sure to succeed, using our tips & templates. 

When you have a formulated pitch deck structure, template, and agenda, you’ll know exactly what you’re going to say next, taking the bulk of the stress out of presenting. Additionally, these best practice presentation structures make your business pitch more memorable to your audience and leave a lasting impression. Statistically, it turns out that people retain structured information up to  40 percent more accurately  than information presented in freeform. 

The WHAC Method

Whether you’re pitching to a group of potential investors or you’re selling real estate, use the WHAC method when structuring your perfect business pitch. 

The WHAC method is introduced in  The 3 Minute Rule   by Brandt Pividic, an award-winning film director and television producer. He wrote the book to detail his experience and tips as he made hundreds of pitches in Hollywood. 

This well-known WHAC method stands for: 

What is it and what do you offer? 

You start your business pitch by answering the questions: what is it, and what do you offer? 

At this point, you share your business plan and quickly outline the problem and solution you offer. For example, let’s say that you want to pitch the idea of having a UX researcher on your product team. 

You list down existing problems and challenges that your team and/or organization are currently experiencing without a dedicated UX researcher. Afterward, you propose your solution — hiring someone who can step in and do user research. 

How does it work? 

Next, explain your proposal. Provide a quick summary of the benefits of your solution. In our example, share how the UX researcher will help the product team accomplish its objectives.

It can be tricky explaining how your business idea works. Figuring out how to deliver this information in an entertaining and simple manner can turn potential investors into partners, as we’ve seen from some of the best startup pitch decks .

Since you don’t have much time and attention spans are short, the key is to boil down how your idea works into a few key points. Explain how it works from a high-level overview and weave this in as part of your compelling story.

Are you sure? 

Once you have provided the solution, the people listening to your elevator pitch are likely saying to themselves, “will it really work?”

This is the point where you have to provide solid proof in your pitch. You can use testimonials, a short case study, or statistics.

You should also mention financial projections in order to leave a positive impression. If your manager or potential investors will provide funding for your idea, they’ll want to know what the ROI is.

Can you do it? 

The final part of your pitch should answer this question.

Now that your audience has heard you talk about the problem, solution, and proof that it works, you need to show them how you’re going to implement the solution. Think of this point as the “actionable” part of your pitch. You can even provide steps to break down how this can be achieved in a certain timeframe.

“Show how you have thought about how to turn your idea into a commercial outcome or true partnership. This is really an opportunity to start or continue building trust and showing that you care about creating real value for the people in the room is the best way to put you on the right foot,” shares Michael Rosenbaum , CEO of Spacer ,  one of the biggest parking marketplaces in the U.S. 

Like any good sales pitch, you need to show how achievable the results are. At this particular stage, you need to tie in any additional information to show what resources or specific and unique skills are required to make it happen.

Being transparent about what’s required can build trust with potential investors.

How to persuade your audience with your business pitch 

Now that you know the best practice structure of a successful business pitch, take note of the following tips to help make your business pitch more interesting, relatable, and most of all, convince your audience to say “yes”. 

1. Understand what your audience wants from you 

It’s standard advice across all facets of industry to “know your audience”.  

However, if you’d like to become better at your business pitches, go the extra mile by understanding what your audience wants from you. 

There’s a  difference between understanding and knowing  your audience. Instead of just  knowing  where your client comes from, try to  understand  their pain points, goals, and motivation. 

How do you do this? 

Talk to them in advance, read about the things they publish online (tweets, blog posts), and understand what excites them. By doing so, you’ll be able to tailor your business pitch to their needs, wants, and preferences. 

For example, if you’re pitching to potential clients and investors who are eco-conscious at the same time, it makes sense to highlight how your idea can positively impact the environment. 

Stephen Keighery , CEO of Home Buyer Louisiana and Founder of Bald Eagle Investments USA, shares this tip when it comes to customizing your pitch to your audience: 

“Learn ahead and research about the company or the client you’ll be pitching to, just be sure that every information you obtain is for public knowledge. You can also observe their behavior and their words during the transaction; and perhaps while pitching, use the jargon they use to establish connection and a favorable impression to them.”

2. Have your elevator pitch ready 

Imagine this. You just bumped into Mark Cuban of Shark Tank at the airport lounge, and you can’t believe that you’re sitting next to him! He looks at you and asks you about yourself and what you do. 

This is when you need your elevator pitch handy! 

The Asana team recommends the following  elements of a good elevator pitch : 

• Introduction
• Value proposition
• CTA (call to action)

You don’t have to follow the exact formula. You can mix it up based on the situation, your personality, and the audience you’re pitching to. 

It’s also worth noting that you might not immediately notice the benefit of your elevator pitch.  Think of it as an opportunity for you to make a great first impression. 

3. Use visual aids

If you have the chance to present beyond the elevator pitch, you should never pitch with a presentation that’s filled with texts, numbers, or endless rows of data. 

As humans, our  brains are hardwired to love visuals   — from photographs to infographics to icons. 

When pitching an idea, product, or service, get your audience’s attention (and support!) by telling a story visually and adding a bit of creativity to your PowerPoint slides. 

Images trigger empathy  which in turn can make your audience understand your pitch better. 

The more they understand your idea, the greater the likelihood of angel investors, venture capitalists, and potential customers supporting or advocating for you. 

Another added benefit is that  visuals can elicit emotions  and emotions play an important role in decision-making. 

Watch these 10 legendary pitch decks for visual inspiration.

4. Explain your business model clearly

When pitching to investors, imagine them asking, “what’s in it for me?”. 

After learning about how your idea can help solve a problem, they’re interested in how you’re going to advertise to your target market and generate revenue consistently. 

Johannes Larsson , CEO of  Financer.com  explains that being able to articulate their business model was what made them successful in getting business partners on board. 

“We were relatively unknown in the industry, so it took us quite a few tries before we signed our first deal. After that, however, things became much easier — not just because we were building up a name for ourselves but also because we improved our approach. We learned that being able to clearly explain our business model was the key to earning potential partners’ trust. Once we mastered that, we focused on providing proof of fruitful partnerships. It was obvious that this information was what our affiliates cared about, so we made sure to gather evidence of our success and present it in every pitch.”

5. Weave your passion or story with your pitch

Your business pitch doesn’t have to sound like you’re reading it straight from a script that someone else wrote for you. 

When appropriate, add a bit of your personal touch.  In short, humanize your pitch and slide deck. 

It will not only improve your relatability factor but also make you feel less nervous. After all, you’re talking about something that you’re passionate about. 

Take it from Debbie Chew, an SEO Specialist at  Dialpad .

“As part of my hiring process, I had to pitch a marketing campaign idea. I started brainstorming a list of potential ideas and their projected impact to decide which one to go with. While doing this, one idea kept coming back to me, and I realized I was most passionate about pitching a campaign related to video meetings. People now spend so much of their time in video meetings, but how much time? And how can we have better meetings? So I built my pitch around this concept and really enjoyed pitching my idea (which also helped me feel less nervous),” shares Chew.  If you can share a personal story or something you’re passionate about in your pitch — while also tying it back to your audience — they won’t forget it. And yes, I got the job!” 

6. Put the spotlight on benefits

Once you have your audience’s attention, circle back to how your product or service will address customer needs and benefit business partners. 

For  Carsten Schaefer  of  Trust.io , it boils down to being able to share the benefits of your product or service from the get-go. 

“When I first had to get funding for my product, I had to deliver a sales pitch in front of a board of investors. It didn’t succeed, and I learned a lot from it. “Investors want cold, hard facts and the benefits to the end-user. In the end, they want to see if it makes money for them or not. I’m glad I failed because I learned that for an effective sales pitch, you really need to put yourself in the shoes of someone thinking about profit and pure common sense from a business perspective.

7. Highlight why you’re different from the competition

Your business pitch is also an opportunity for you to explain what sets you apart from other businesses or organizations, and essentially explain your unique selling point. What makes your idea different? Why is your business model unique? 

It also helps to address relevant competition head-on in your pitch. For  Brogan Renshaw  of Firewire Digital, this tactic shows clients and investors that you’re an expert on what you are talking about, giving them confidence in your offering.

“I notice that this is a part of my business pitches that completely wins the client over because it answers their questions and concerns on the market position of competitors,” says Renshaw. 

8. Share the story behind your team

Investors and business partners are also curious about the people, employees, as well as the team behind your idea. When creating this presentation slide in your pitch deck, don’t forget to include information highlighting your team and each team member’s relevant skills. 

“Investors want to know whether the founders have worked together before, if your startup’s early hires have complementary skill sets, and whether you’ll be flexible, open-minded, and willing to embrace different perspectives, “  writes  Lauren Landry ,  associate director of marketing and communications for Harvard Business School Online.

9. Have an impressive one-pager

As its name implies, a one-pager is a one-page document outlining your business plan and mission. Think of it as a business brochure . With Piktochart’s online brochure maker , you can easily create one within minutes.

Imagine that an investor or client is too busy to listen to your pitch, you can simply email or hand out your one-pager; your entire business pitch in an easy-to-digest format.  

According to Greg Cullen , Sr. Account Executive at Dialpad, your one-pager should have these three components: 

• What is the business pain?
• How the solution you’re positioning can solve said business pain
• The value of the solution accompanied by the resulting positive impact by moving forward with the platform

“This one-pager condenses everything that is important succinctly into an easy-to-digest easy to digest format for everyone to read – and it ensures that all parties are on the same page. And most importantly, this can be used by the champion you’re working with to sell this internally, whether it’s to the CEO, procurement, etc. The better you make this one-pager, the better the result you’ll have,” recommends Cullen. 

Get funding, win clients, and gain support with Piktochart’s pitch deck creator 

While it may be nerve-wracking, particularly if it’s the first time that you’re creating a business pitch, use the expert tips above as your guideposts for a successful pitch. 

You’ll eventually find your very own unique style and approach to business pitching as you do it more frequently.

If you need help creating any type of business or personal pitch deck, create your pitch deck quickly with Piktochart’s pitch deck creator. The first step is to get your free Piktochart account .

Want additional insight on how to better prepare and deliver a business pitch that you’ll be presenting online? Go to our guide to stress-free, engaging Zoom presentations .

We’re rooting for you and your business!

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How to write a business pitch: 10 best ways.

A business pitch is a version of your business plan that’s meant for potential investors. Depending on the format, it may be written, a multimedia presentation, or a personal pitch delivered face to face.

On the one hand, writing a business pitch is a lot like writing a proposal for clients . You’re trying to convince someone to put their hard-earned money into your company.

On the other hand, pitching to investors is different. With a client, you’re pitching your work or your product. With an investor, you’re pitching not just the product but your entire business model. Put another way, most clients don’t care whether or not your company is profitable; investors do.

Here’s how to craft a successful business pitch that will have investors lining up to put money into your company.

Here’s What We’ll Cover:

10 Steps to Creating Your Pitch

Key takeaways, 1. start with the elevator pitch.

An elevator pitch is the shortest, most basic type of pitch. It gets its name because it should be succinct enough to get across during an elevator ride. Imagine you hop in an elevator, and you find yourself standing next to Jeff Bezos. In one minute or less, how do you convince him to invest in your company?

The elevator pitch is important because it’s the distillation of your business plan. If you can sum up your vision in such a short period, you’re not going to lose someone’s interest. And if your elevator pitch is well-crafted, you can use it as the opening for a longer pitch.

2. Focus On the Business Opportunity

Entrepreneurs and investors think in terms of providing a solution to an existing need. Before they know anything else about your business, they want to know two things. First, what need have you identified that isn’t being met? Second, how are you going to take advantage of that business opportunity?

3. Research the Competition

If you have a serious business plan, you’ve most likely already done extensive competition research. Don’t wait for potential investors to ask you about this research. Include it in your pitch, and use it to your advantage. Show investors that you’ve built a better mousetrap by comparing it to the current model.

4. Know Your Target Audience

Another thing investors want to know is who your target audience is. This is another basic question any entrepreneur should be able to answer before you go to market. After all, this is your dream! If you don’t know who your potential customers are, there might not be any.

5. Know Your Marketing Strategy

It’s important to have marketing plans before you launch your brand. Once again, this is something investors are going to want to hear about. How do you plan to get the word out about your product or service? If the marketing plan involves expenses like TV advertising, you’d better be able to show investors that the juice is worth the squeeze.

6. Demonstrate Financial Savvy

Investors are trusting you with their money. Just as pricing is important for clients , investors want to know that their money is being wisely allocated. They’re going to want to see your profit and loss statement, and they’ll expect you to know it inside and out. Show them you know where every penny is going, and they’ll give you more dollars.

7. Sweat the Small Stuff

Go over your pitch to make sure all the details are right. This is especially true for written pitches. When you’re working on a third draft at 2 in the morning, it’s easy to mix up words like estimate, quote, bid, and proposal . Make sure you’ve dotted your I’s and crossed your T’s before handing over anything in writing.

8. Set Realistic Expectations

Would-be investors are used to entrepreneurs selling them on wild financial fantasies. Take a long, hard look at your business, and where you realistically expect to be in five to ten years. Base your projections on your past experience and your knowledge of the field. Investors will appreciate your candor.

9. Make It a Team Effort

Unless your business is a one-person operation, you have either a partnership or a leadership team. If you’re pitching in person, bring them along, and have them participate in the presentation. This will demonstrate to investors that the entire team is committed to the company’s ongoing success.

10. Consider Making a Multi-Level Pitch

A multi-level pitch involves creating two versions of the pitch: one longer and one shorter. The shorter version provides a birds-eye view of the business and a compelling case for its offerings. The longer version goes into more depth, and shows investors the nitty-gritty details of the business.

Crafting a compelling pitch won’t guarantee you a flock of investors. But combined with a good business plan and market opportunity, it’s an essential element of success. So roll up your sleeves and get started on that first draft. Everything else will follow.

Find more guides for your small business on our resource hub .

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What is Business Pitching? A Comprehensive Guide

Are you looking to make a lasting impression with your business pitch?

Whether it's capturing the attention of potential investors or presenting a groundbreaking business idea, mastering the art of the business pitching is crucial.

In the entrepreneurial sphere, the skill to present a successful business pitch can be the defining factor in your venture's success. It's not just about having a great business plan. it's about how effectively you communicate it.

From crafting an impactful elevator pitch to designing a persuasive pitch deck, this guide is your roadmap to creating pitches that resonate and yield results.

Stay with us as we explore the essentials of a successful business pitch and how to create business pitch in a way that captivates and convinces.

What is a Business Pitch?

A business pitch is essentially a detailed presentation of a business idea, aimed at individuals or entities capable of transforming that idea into a tangible reality.

A successful pitch does more than just present an idea, it persuades your audience that you have a plan that works. This involves showing a clear understanding of your target audience, what sets your idea apart, and how it fits into the current market.

Today's business world places great importance on the ability to deliver successful business pitches. These pitches are crucial for entrepreneurs to gain support, whether it's financial backing or customer interest.

To create the perfect business pitch, focus on clarity and the ability to highlight what makes your business idea unique. Whether aiming for a sale or investment, your pitch should clearly articulate your vision, backed by solid financial projections and a strategy that appeals to your target market.

5 Types of Pitches in Business

Understanding the different types of business pitches is key to effectively communicating your business ideas.

Each type of pitch, whether it's an investor pitch, a sales pitch, a product pitch, a job pitch, or a pitch for workplace and networking, serves a unique purpose and targets a specific audience.

1. Investor Pitch

An investor pitch is a presentation using a business pitch deck aimed at attracting potential investors. It involves presenting a business idea with detailed financial projections and a clear value proposition.

Typically lasting between 5 to 10 minutes, these pitches include key components like market analysis, business model, team overview, and an investment proposition. The pitch deck should also include a thorough market and competitive analysis.

2. Sales Pitch

A sales pitch is designed to engage potential customers, convincing them of the need for your product or service. These pitches are often shorter, ranging from a few minutes to half an hour.

The perfect pitch clearly articulates the benefits of what you're offering, including a clear description of the product or service, its benefits, pricing, and a call to action.

3. Product Pitch

A product pitch focuses specifically on a product or service, highlighting its unique features and benefits. These pitches can vary in length, from a few minutes to an extended presentation.

They often involve a detailed explanation of the product's value proposition, its functionality, and its problem-solving capabilities for customers.

4. Job Pitch

A job pitch is a personal presentation, usually brief at around 2-5 minutes, highlighting specific and unique skills to potential business partners or employers.

It's about marketing yourself as the ideal candidate for a job or a business venture, including your skills, experiences, achievements, and their alignment with the opportunity.

5. Workplace and Networking Pitches

Workplace and networking pitches are used in professional settings to propose new ideas or projects, or in networking situations to connect with potential business partners.

A good elevator pitch is essential here, typically lasting no more than 30 seconds to a minute, where making a quick and impactful impression is crucial.

These pitches should include a brief introduction, a summary of the idea or proposition, and a memorable closing statement.

Why You Should Create Business Pitch?

Creating a business pitch is an essential step for any entrepreneur, especially for small businesses looking to make a significant impact in their market.

A well-crafted pitch is more than just a presentation; it's a crucial tool for communicating the essence of your company to potential customers, investors, and partners.

Attracting Investment and Funding

For small businesses, securing funding can be a game-changer. A compelling business pitch can capture the attention of investors by clearly outlining your business idea, its market potential, and your strategy for success. It's your opportunity to showcase why your company is a worthwhile investment.

Gaining New Customers

A business pitch isn't just for investors, it's also a powerful way to attract potential customers. By effectively communicating what your business offers, you can persuade customers why your product or service is the solution they need. A pitch helps in clarifying your value proposition and how it addresses the needs of your target market.

Establishing Your Brand

For small businesses, brand recognition is vital. A business pitch allows you to present your company's vision, mission, and values to a broader audience. This is not just about selling a product or service; it's about introducing and establishing your brand in the marketplace.

Networking and Partnerships

Business pitches open doors to networking opportunities and potential partnerships. They provide a platform to connect with other businesses, industry leaders, and potential collaborators who can offer valuable resources, advice, and support.

Strategic Planning and Clarity

The process of creating a business pitch forces you to thoroughly analyze and articulate your business strategy. This exercise can provide clarity and direction for your company, helping you to refine your business model and set clear goals.

6 Key Skill You Need for Effective Business Pitching

Mastering the art of business pitching requires a blend of diverse skills. Whether you're aiming to convince investors, engage prospective clients, or present a business opportunity to your leadership team, certain key skills are essential.

1. Communication and Public Speaking

The foundation of a great pitch is effective communication. This involves not only what you say but how you say it. Capturing and maintaining the audience's attention is crucial, especially in scenarios like elevator pitches or when presenting to potential clients. Public speaking skills are vital in conveying confidence and clarity, making your pitch more persuasive.

2. Research and Data Analysis

To convince investors or a leadership team, your pitch must be backed by solid research and data analysis. This includes understanding industry knowledge, expected revenues, and competitive advantage.

Demonstrating a deep understanding of these elements shows that your pitch is not just a concept but a well-thought-out business opportunity.

3. Strategic Thinking and Planning

A successful pitch is often the result of careful strategic planning. This includes not just the content of the pitch itself but also understanding the broader context in which your business operates.

Knowledge of your industry, competitive landscape, and market trends can help you position your business idea as a viable and attractive opportunity.

This strategic approach is crucial when trying to gain a competitive advantage or when presenting a business opportunity that requires a deep understanding of market dynamics.

4. Problem Solving and Creativity

Every successful project begins with a solution to a problem. Your ability to identify and articulate a problem and propose innovative solutions can set your pitch apart.

This skill is particularly important when addressing potential clients or team investors, as it showcases your startup's early hires' ability to think creatively and solve real-world problems.

5. Leadership and Team Collaboration

Especially in the context of team investors or a leadership team, demonstrating strong leadership and the ability to collaborate effectively can be a key part of your pitch.

This shows that you're not just presenting a business idea, but you're also capable of leading a team to turn that idea into reality. Highlighting successful projects and collaborations in your pitch can reinforce this point.

6. Emotional Intelligence and Empathy

Understanding and connecting with your audience on an emotional level can make your pitch more compelling.

This involves reading the room, being empathetic to the listeners' perspectives, and adjusting your pitch accordingly. A pitch that resonates emotionally can capture and hold the audience's attention more effectively, making it a memorable experience.

15 Tips for Creating Successful Business Pitch

1. start with a clear understanding of your audience.

Before you even begin to craft your pitch, it's essential to know who you're pitching to. Whether it's venture capitalists, angel investors, or potential business partners, understanding their interests, pain points, and what they look for in a business opportunity is crucial.

This knowledge allows you to tailor your pitch, making it more relevant and engaging.

2. Develop a Concise and Compelling Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is your gateway to capturing interest. In just 30 seconds to a minute, you need to effectively communicate the essence of your business idea.

This pitch should be a distilled version of your vision, capturing the core of what you do and why it matters.

It's not just about being brief; it's about being impactful. Ensure your elevator pitch resonates with potential customers, clearly articulating the value proposition and setting the stage for a deeper conversation.

3. Emphasize the Problem and Your Unique Solution

Addressing a specific pain point is at the heart of every successful business pitch. Your audience, especially angel investors and potential clients, needs to understand the problem you're solving.

Clearly define this problem and then pivot to your unique solution.

Explain how your product or service fills a gap in the market. This is where you differentiate yourself from other businesses, showcasing your innovative approach and how it benefits your target market.

4. Showcase Your Business Model and Financial Projections

A robust business model is critical for securing funding from venture capitalists and other investors. Your pitch should detail how your company plans to make money, highlighting key revenue streams and your go-to-market strategy.

Include financial projections that are both ambitious and realistic, covering expected revenues and key metrics for success.

This part of your pitch demonstrates not only the viability of your business idea but also your acumen in planning for growth and sustainability.

5. Include a Strong Go-to-Market Strategy

A well-defined go-to-market strategy is essential for convincing investors of your business's potential. This strategy should detail how you plan to reach your target audience and secure funding.

It involves outlining your marketing plans, sales channels, and how you intend to penetrate the market.

Highlight how your approach addresses a specific pain point in the market, and how your product or service fits into the existing landscape. This section should also include key metrics to measure the effectiveness of your strategy, demonstrating a comprehensive view of your market opportunity.

6. Present a Compelling Story with Real Customer Experiences

Stories resonate deeply with audiences, including potential customers and investors. Share real experiences from customers to illustrate the impact of your product or service.

These narratives should highlight the pain points your customers faced and how your solution helped them.

This approach not only makes your pitch more relatable but also showcases the practical application and effectiveness of your offering. Personal stories can transform your pitch from a simple presentation into an engaging and emotionally appealing narrative.

7. Introduce Your Team and Their Expertise

Your team is a cornerstone of your business, and introducing their expertise is crucial in a pitch. Highlight the complementary skill sets of your team members, focusing on how each contributes to the success of the company.

Discuss the leadership team's experience and qualifications, emphasizing their roles in driving the business forward. This section is not just about listing qualifications; it's about showing how your team's collective experience and skills align with your business goals and will contribute to its success.

A strong team presentation can significantly boost investor confidence and demonstrate your business's capability to achieve its objectives.

8. Address the Competition with a Competitive Analysis

Your pitch should include a thorough competitive analysis, showcasing how your business stands out from others. This involves not just identifying your competitors but also analyzing their strengths and weaknesses in comparison to your own business.

Explain how your product or service offers something different or better – whether it's innovation, cost-effectiveness, or a unique approach to solving a problem.

This section reassures investors and potential clients that you have a deep understanding of the market and are prepared to navigate its challenges.

9. Practice and Perfect Your Delivery

The impact of your pitch is as much about delivery as it is about content. Practice your pitch multiple times to refine your presentation skills, including body language, tone, and pacing.

Consider recording your practice sessions to identify areas for improvement. Remember, a confident and polished delivery can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your pitch.

It's also important to adapt your style to different settings, whether it's a formal presentation to venture capitalists or a more casual pitch to potential customers.

10. Use Visuals to Enhance Your Pitch

Visual elements can make your pitch more engaging and memorable. Use visually appealing slides, charts, and graphics to support your key points.

These visuals should complement your narrative, making complex information like financial projections or market analysis easier to understand. A well-designed pitch deck not only keeps your audience engaged but also demonstrates your professionalism and attention to detail.

Ensure that your visuals align with your brand and effectively communicate your message.

11. Be Ready for Questions and Feedback

Anticipate questions and be prepared with thoughtful, concise answers. This part of the pitch is crucial as it demonstrates your depth of knowledge and readiness to engage with investors' or clients' concerns.

Practice addressing potential queries about your business model, market opportunity, and financial projections. Also, be open to feedback. It can provide valuable insights into how your pitch is perceived and what aspects of your business idea may need further clarification or development.

Engaging positively with questions and feedback can leave a lasting, positive impression on your audience.

12. Leverage Social Proof and Testimonials

Utilizing social proof, such as customer testimonials or industry expert endorsements, can significantly enhance the credibility of your business pitch.

When potential investors or customers hear positive feedback from those who have already interacted with your product or service, it builds trust and validates your business.

Include specific examples of customer satisfaction or expert approval to demonstrate market acceptance and the real-world impact of your offering.

13. Highlight Scalability and Long-Term Vision

Investors are often drawn to businesses with the potential for significant growth. In your pitch, emphasize how your business can scale up.

Discuss your long-term vision, detailing how you plan to expand your market reach, develop your product line, or innovate in your service offerings.

This part of the pitch should paint a picture of a thriving future for your business, showing that you're not just prepared for immediate success but are also strategizing for sustained growth.

14. Demonstrate Market Knowledge and Trends

Showcasing your in-depth understanding of the market sets you apart. In your pitch, provide insights into current market trends, potential shifts, and how your business is well-positioned to capitalize on these changes.

This demonstrates not only your knowledge of the industry but also your business's potential to stay ahead of the curve. Discuss how your product or service aligns with these trends and how you plan to adapt to future market developments.

15. Discuss Risk Management and Contingency Plans

Addressing potential risks head-on in your pitch can significantly boost investor confidence. Outline the main risks your business might face, whether they are market-related, financial, or operational.

More importantly, detail your strategies for mitigating these risks. This could include diversification plans, financial buffers, or adaptive business strategies.

Demonstrating that you have thought about and prepared for potential challenges shows that you are a realistic and prudent entrepreneur.

The Bottom Line

To wrap up, creating an effective business pitch is crucial for entrepreneurs aiming to attract venture capital, grow their business, or reach more customers. A strong pitch is all about clearly and engagingly explaining your business, making sure your audience understands and is captivated by your vision.

Remember, the goal is not just to inform but to engage and inspire action. By focusing on these key elements and avoiding unnecessary jargon, your pitch can become a powerful tool in your entrepreneurial journey, opening doors to new opportunities and paving the way for business success.

Stay open to feedback, learn from each presentation, and refine your approach. This commitment to growth will not only enhance your pitches over time but also contribute significantly to your overall business acumen and success.

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How to Pitch Your Business Idea to Potential Investors

These four simple tips can help you find funding for your new business or product.

Table of Contents

After you’ve drawn up your business idea and crafted your business plan, you need funding to turn your entrepreneurial dream into a reality. When your ability to secure funds comes down to a 10- to 20-minute pitch to potential investors, it’s easy to feel nervous. It’s a pressure-packed moment, and you need to be at your best.

So how can you erase your anxiety and impress potential investors? Business News Daily spoke with a handful of experts, including a former participant on ABC’s Shark Tank , about how to nail a pitch to potential investors.

How to present a business idea to investors

1. tell a story..

A common topic among experts was the need to be personable and create a narrative. While facts and figures go a long way, it’s important to use those numbers to tell a meaningful story. Framing your business idea as a story also helps you explain your passion for your business.

Erin Beck, the CEO of Komae, a cooperative childcare app, believes storytelling sets her presentations apart from those of her peers. She creates an emotional appeal with an engaging pitch. “Make the story more important than what you’re selling because once the market numbers speak for themselves, they don’t connect with you for what you’re doing, but why you’re doing it,” said Beck.

2. Define the problem.

You might be head over heels about your business concept. Your prototypes for the product are all stellar, and you’re thrilled about your business plan. Unfortunately, if your product doesn’t solve a problem or fill a need for customers, investors aren’t going to share your excitement.

“Start off with the problem,” said Donna Griffit, a corporate storyteller for startups. “Do you understand the need that’s in the market today? Do you have the facts to back that up?”

It is critical that you can answer these questions when heading into a meeting with investors. Thorough market research , along with customer surveys and interviews, can show if your product is needed. If you lack the data to prove that your idea addresses a problem, it’s difficult to engage the audience and even more difficult to get funding from investors. 

“I’ve seen startups try to take shortcuts on this and end up with glazed-over eyes in their audience,” Griffit said.

3. Practice as much as you can.

The weeks and days leading up to your pitch to potential investors is no time to be shy. Give your pitch to friends, family, neighbors or anyone else willing to listen. Not only does practicing help take the nerves off, but it also allows you to learn where you can improve your presentation.

“You’ve likely told your origin story dozens of times and have it down,” said David Ciccarelli, the founder and CEO of Voices.com. “Now, get ready to tell it possibly hundreds more. During our capital raise, I told our founding story 200 times. While it’s old news to you, it’s new for the investor, so keep it upbeat and tell it with enthusiasm.”

Don’t hesitate to pitch to multiple potential investors. Ciccarelli went with his team to cities across the country and met with a few investors in each city. This gave his group practice and put his business idea in front of more eyes.

Once you’ve gotten comfortable with your pitch, start focusing on the little details.  

“Use the privacy of your home or office to talk through your pitch and work on making it flow well,” Ciccarelli said. “Don’t be afraid to record your pitch, both audio and video, and review it with a critical eye to make sure you nail every sentence.”

Demonstrating proper body language and tightening up speaking mistakes can be the difference between successful and unsuccessful pitches. When you go over the minor details, Ciccarelli recommends planning your pauses. By doing this, you can make a perfectly rehearsed speech sound spontaneous.

“To make your pitch sound more natural, plan your dramatic pauses out,” he said. “The pause gives the impression that you’re coming up with the material on the fly. Plus, you’ll have a moment to collect your thoughts for what you’re going to say next.”

4. Be realistic.

While practicing the pitch is a must, very rarely will your pitch go exactly as planned. Having realistic expectations will help when you’re preparing. It’s important to practice for a realistic presentation experience, which may include interruptions by investors asking questions.

In addition to expecting disruptions, it’s important to view the presentation from the audience’s perspective. Brian Lim, an entrepreneur who owns three e-commerce businesses (EmazingLights, iHeartRaves and INTO THE AM) that collectively earn more than $20 million annually, pitched one of his businesses on Shark Tank in 2015. He received offers from all five judges on the show and made a deal with Mark Cuban and Daymond John. Lim credits his success to proof of concept: He entered the show with $13 million in sales to date, and his ability to view his business from a different vantage point set him apart.

“I had to imagine myself as an investor and check off boxes that I would want to see if I were going to invest money into a company,” Lim said. 

Presentation mistakes to avoid

There are also some important things not to do when making a pitch:

• Be late for the meeting.
• Dress inappropriately. What’s appropriate will depend on your audience and your company/product brand.
• Fail to convey clear benefits for your intended target market .
• Use terminology, lingo or acronyms your audience may not recognize.
• Talk over or interrupt those in your audience.
• Be self-congratulatory; e.g., “This is a great idea/product!”
• Argue with your potential investors.
• Bring up deal details, like pricing, too early.

Move forward with confidence

It takes time and tenacity to make and close a business deal. Following the ideas above about what to do and what not to do can help you ensure that you’re prepared to make the pitch.

While immigrants and women entrepreneurs can face additional challenges , these stories of successful young entrepreneurs can provide inspiration to push onward.

Maintaining your confidence and conveying your belief in your business or product idea, without being arrogant, is key to making a positive impact and getting the funding you want.

Additional reporting by Linda Pophal.

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How to pitch ideas: 8 tips to captivate any audience

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What’s a pitch?

4 types of pitches, why are business pitches important, 8 simple steps to pitch your idea .

Do we have a deal?

You constantly engage your power of persuasion at work — even when you aren’t aware of it.

Think about how you got your current position. Education, expertise, and skills played a part, but telling an engaging story in your interview was equally important. 

You convinced a recruiter to follow up on your resume, persuaded a hiring manager you were the right person for the job, and negotiated your pay and benefits to receive the top end of the company's salary range. 

At work, you might persuade coworkers to follow your lead on a client presentation , convince your boss to give you extra time to perfect a project, or sell a customer on an extra service . 

Pitching ideas effectively is all about leveraging this ability to persuade. You’re likely already using this ability — you just need to harness it when learning how to pitch ideas.

The dictionary definition of a pitch is "to throw something with a particular objective or toward a particular point." When you pitch an idea, you do the same thing: you deliver a story that leads the listener down the path to your desired conclusion. 

Successful stories follow the same template: a captivating introduction, an engaging climactic moment, and a satisfactory conclusion. A successful pitch uses this storytelling outline to persuade someone the presented idea is the best option. It immediately captivates an audience's attention, explains a problem the listener cares about, and finishes with a solution and next steps.

Different ideas require unique pitching methods. Here are four of the most common pitch types:

Sales pitch: This pitch type outlines a product or service’s costs and benefits to persuade a client to purchase. Imagine a door-to-door salesperson or retailer.

Business pitch: Here you’d outline the business plan of a startup or existing business to earn investment capital or fundraising from potential partners or investors. A good example is an app developer that needs capital to design an innovative new dating app or the owner of a trucking business that needs investment to buy more trucks and expand into a new region.

Idea pitch: For this pitch type, you wouldn’t sell a specific product or service but rather the big picture of your idea. For example, if you want to convince your marketing team to expand their work plan into a new social media platform, your pitch would highlight benefits and how-tos.

Elevator pitch: This regards a pitch you can give in the time it typically takes someone to ride the elevator — about a minute. A good elevator pitch doesn't tell the whole story but gets the listener interested in hearing more.

Whether you’re an employee, entrepreneur, or organization leader, you’re propelled forward by your work goals . Learning to communicate and sell your ideas effectively with business pitches marks the difference between accomplishing these goals and staying stagnant. These pitches also help you get ahead in the workplace.

For example, if you convince your boss to give you a raise or get noticed for suggesting an innovative solution to a stubborn problem. 

Here are a few situations where you can benefit from an efficient pitch:

• Assure leaders you deserve a promotion
• Gain investment for your own business
• Convince workers, managers, and investors that an out-of-the-box idea is the best course of action, potentially producing more revenue and business expansion
• Persuade a friend to go into business with you
• Build confidence in partners and investors about a product’s potential
• Improve your workplace for everyone by convincing management to implement better policies
• Persuade leaders to analyze the business model to better understand present issues and future potential

No matter the pitch type you’re practicing, here are eight tips to help you tell your story effectively and persuade your listener. 

1. Understand your audience

No idea is a fit for everybody. To bring someone on board, they must think your idea is plausible and realistic . 

Analyze the decision-makers you’re speaking with thoughtfully. Consider their motivations, goals, and limitations. Ask yourself: how does my idea fit into their reality? 

For example, if you're drafting a sales pitch, consider the listener’s budget limitations, earnings, and the stage of the business. You’ll pitch a startup much differently than a multi-million dollar organization because what they think is plausible and realistic differs. 

2. Tell a story

People need to feel emotionally connected to become persuaded by a story. Studies show that emotion-affecting storytelling is important even when presenting scientific arguments — facts and accurate data aren't enough.

Whether you're talking to venture capitalists or getting the green light from stakeholders, imagine you're telling an emotion-driven story. Structure it with an engaging opening, a middle with a problem to overcome, and a solution-driven finale. This will help you connect with your audience on a more human level and speak to something they care about. 

3. Know the pain points

Above all else, a pitch answers a single question: how does this solve my problem? This problem is one of your listener’s pain points. 

To analyze their pain points, you can use the P-A-S framework, which stands for Pain, Agitate, and Solution. It's a three-step model that presents a problem, frames it as an issue that requires a solution, and creates a CTA to solve it. For example, a marketing company’s pain point might be tracking leads. You could mention this issue, provide a solution (perhaps your customer relationship management software ), and close by offering a free demo. 

Likewise, it's important to analyze all the potential pain points of your product and pitch. Practice your pitch for the first time with others and invite constructive feedback regarding your communication skills . Use that feedback to tweak your final pitching presentation.

4. Create consensus

Humans are often swayed to make decisions based on others’ behavior . While this influence doesn’t last forever (about three days), you may need your listener to decide before then. Find a way to link your pitch to larger social norms and shared behaviors to persuade your audience to follow suit. 

According to a story in the Wall Street Journal on consensus and persuasion, a hotel increased the reuse of towels by 26% when they left signs in rooms that said, "75% of customers who stay in this hotel reuse their towels."

When they edited the sign to read "75% of customers who stayed in this room reuse their towels," the rate grew another 33%. People wanted to follow other users’ behavior by also reusing their towels. 

5. Show, don't just tell

Seeing is believing. When pitching your idea, use interactive models, visuals, or a pitch deck in real-time to get your audience involved and to complement your public speaking skills .

Studies show that a mix of creative, interactive elements and articulate communication gets listeners to engage more deeply and adopt and implement the idea .

If you're trying to sell a new product, for example, give a mixed presentation with a demo that shows how the product works and a PowerPoint that informs how the product will disrupt the market.

6. Back it up

Storytelling will engage your audience, but a perfect pitch provides results. These metrics look different depending on the pitch, but it's one of the most important parts of demonstrating your value proposition.

If you're pitching a new business to potential investors, include projected metrics for growth, monetization, and market reach in your business plan to demonstrate their return on investment.

Likewise, if you're proposing a strategy to your manager that signifies big changes, estimate how it will impact organizational priorities such as productivity , work performance , and the company’s bottom line.

7. Present your best self

Good entrepreneurship isn't just about presenting your idea. You must also present the entrepreneur behind it — you.

Practice your public speaking skills . A timid sales pitch could tell your listener the idea’s execution will also be timid. Use eye contact , a confident tone, and nonverbal cues like hand gestures and shifting your view around the audience to demonstrate strength and self-esteem . For in-person presentations, consider adopting a power pose to express confidence in your ideas — because if you don’t believe in yourself, why would others? 

Likewise, practice self-awareness . Your pitch will likely garner some criticism. Be sure that you can roll with the punches without losing your cool. How you pitch and respond lets people know what you'll be like to work with.

8. Finish with a CTA

You crafted a great opening and delivered your argument with convincing numbers, narrative style, and energy. Your PowerPoint had eye-catching visuals, and your demo allowed the audience to experience the pitch first-hand. Now what?

Let your audience know how to continue, and be as specific and directed as possible. For example, if you pitch to investors, let them know how much of an investment you're seeking and the rate of return. If you're trying to sell a subscription service to a new customer, finish with purchasing and installment details. Lead them over the finish line so you accomplish your pitch’s goal. 

Do we have a deal? 

Even the greatest ideas need a good sales pitch. No matter where you are in your career, it’s always possible to learn how to pitch ideas more effectively. 

It takes practice, careful thought, and a burst of energy and confidence, but if you take the time to nail the pitch, you’re one step closer to making the sale.

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Elizabeth Perry, ACC

Elizabeth Perry is a Coach Community Manager at BetterUp. She uses strategic engagement strategies to cultivate a learning community across a global network of Coaches through in-person and virtual experiences, technology-enabled platforms, and strategic coaching industry partnerships. With over 3 years of coaching experience and a certification in transformative leadership and life coaching from Sofia University, Elizabeth leverages transpersonal psychology expertise to help coaches and clients gain awareness of their behavioral and thought patterns, discover their purpose and passions, and elevate their potential. She is a lifelong student of psychology, personal growth, and human potential as well as an ICF-certified ACC transpersonal life and leadership Coach.

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Creating the perfect pitch deck and business plan: Examples and best practices [2022]

• January 7, 2022

I know you’ve probably been told that a good pitch deck and business plan are essential in the world of startups. It’s true — they are — but there is a LOT of conflicting advice out there on how to create them. (Hint: There isn’t just one right way.) I want to share some ideas based on solid research and real-world experience so you can create something that works for you.

What is a pitch deck?

What is its purpose, do you need a pitch deck and a business plan, who should create the pitch deck, how do you create a pitch deck, what is a financial model, what is a financial forecast, how accurate does a startup financial model need to be, what to include in an early-stage pitch deck, what should i avoid putting into my pitch deck, slide #0 – title, slide #1 – executive summary, slide #2 – trends, slide #3 – problem, slide #4 – solution, slide #5 – business model, slide #6 – market, slide #7 – competition, slide #8 – go to market, slide #9 – traction, slide #10 – team, slide #11 – investment proposal (the ask), keep it simple, stick to a consistent layout, make it easy to read, use a pitch deck template, beautiful.ai, key takeaways.

In this article, I’ll discuss what a pitch deck is, explain its purpose and its importance in the outreach process, give you tips and practices to create your perfect pitch deck, and what to include in it. We’ll also look at an example of a pitch deck template, using slides from startups that have raised hundreds of millions from VCs. We’ll also explore why you must build a financial model alongside your pitch deck.

Before we get started, remember that pitching on stage and building your pitch deck are two very different things. Pitching is a form of art. Anyone can present a business plan or startup idea to another person, but only a few pitches are memorable and truly capture the interest of investors.

Practice makes perfect, and the better you get at pitching, the more likely you are to succeed. So sign up to pitch competitions, put yourself out there, and get feedback. The more you pitch, the better you will become at it. It’s better to make mistakes when it doesn’t matter than pitch unprepared to critical investors and risk disaster.

Now let’s dive into what it takes to build a great pitch deck!

Pitch decks are an essential document for every founder to master, but there is a lot of conflicting information out there, and no one-size-fits-all template.

To help you get started, we’ve pulled together pitch deck examples and best practices for new founders and early-stage startups.

Using this information to guide you, you’ll be able to create a pitch that will wow investors and get you the funding that your business needs.

A pitch deck is a condensed business plan that communicates your business idea to investors or partners. It should be clear, concise, and well-organised so that it promotes a conversation, not just information that needs to be digested. The pitch deck is used as an elevator pitch during your outreach process and should highlight the key aspects of your startup in a way that gets investors excited about working with you.

The pitch deck itself isn’t going to fund or run your startup — it’s just one piece of the puzzle — but it’s an important one. As Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist at Canva, former Chief Evangelist at Apple, and author of The Art of the Start puts it .

The purpose of a pitch is to stimulate interest, not to close a deal.

While the pitch deck is an information-packed overview of your startup, it should be more than just numbers and figures. A winning pitch deck also captures the imagination by telling a story and getting the audience emotionally involved. People don’t buy products, they buy stories — pitch decks help people to see your startup as a compelling narrative instead of just an idea on paper.

A pitch deck helps you generate interest from investors so that they will fund or work with your company in some way. It is a way to quickly pitch your business idea and get feedback, without having to go through the entire business plan. The pitch deck should be used as a tool to start a conversation with potential investors so that you can get their feedback and determine if they are interested in what you’re doing.

For an early-stage startup, the pitch deck and financial model are the business plan. There are too many uncertainties to waste time writing a 100-page business plan. Founders should use tools like the Lean Canvas to help them think through the different aspects of their business, but a pitch deck and financial model are essential when trying to raise money and get investment.

The pitch deck should be created by the founder or co-founder of the company. They are the ones who know the most about their business and can best pitch it to investors. Remember, the pitch deck isn’t what wins you the investment, but it will start the conversation and get people interested in what you’re doing.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer for this question, as the pitch deck needs to be tailored to your specific startup and its investors. However, there are some best practices that you can use to make sure your pitch deck is as compelling as possible.

Financial Model

The pitch deck should always include a financial model, typically as a supporting document, that shows financial projections for the next three to five years. This will help investors understand how you will manage the financial risks associated with your startup.

A financial model is a document that shows how your business will make money and what kind of return investors can expect on their investment. It includes projected revenue, expenses, and profits over a specific period of time.

Investors will expect to see a three to five-year financial forecast, broken down by year and month.

The financial model should also include a section on the startup’s burn rate – how much money the company is spending each month and how long it can continue to do so before running out of funds.

A financial forecast is a projection of future income, expenses, and profits. It typically covers a period of three to five years and breaks down revenue, expenses, and net cash flow by month.

The financial model doesn’t need to be complex, but it should show a realistic understanding of the numbers behind your startup.

It is important to remember that venture capitalists and angel investors do not expect your financial forecasts to be 100% accurate – they simply want to see that you have put thought into your business, that your operational plans are accounted for, and that you understand the basics of financial forecasting.

Pitch Deck Structure

As a founder, you’ll quickly learn that you’ll need more than one pitch deck. Different pitch decks are used for different purposes, and you may end up using a pitch deck that is specific to your target investor, the stage of investment, or the format in which you’ll be pitching.

This means that there is no magic formula for your pitch deck structure. However, there are a few essential slides that should be in every business pitch deck.

• Title or cover slide
• Market size and opportunity

These slides will give the pitch deck a good structure and focus on the key elements that you want to talk about. There may be more slides depending on your company, but those are the main ones that should always appear somewhere in every pitch deck.

Early-stage startup pitch decks are used to spark interest in your idea and the founding team. Venture capital firms and angel investors will be comfortable with greater uncertainty and higher risk in this pitch deck, so there is more leeway to experiment with different ideas and concepts. This doesn’t mean that you should just throw in everything without a thought though!

At this early stage, there will be multiple unknowns that you are setting out to solve, including exactly how you’ll build your solution to the problem, how you’ll find your scaleable route to market, and maybe even how you’ll convert users to paying customers.

It’s normal to not have all the answers to these questions, and that’s OK! It doesn’t mean that you should pitch an idea if you don’t know how it will work yet. All of this is just a reality check for potential investors — they need to see that you have a realistic idea of what you need to do and a plan for how you might do it.

It’s a common mistake for first-time founders to try to put too much information into their pitch decks. This can include everything from detailed financial models to a full history of the company’s founding story. While it’s important to have all this information ready, it’s best to save it for when you’re actually speaking with investors.

Your pitch deck should be focused on your idea and the current state of your company. It should be set up in a way that clearly lays out who you are, what problem you’re solving, and how you plan to solve it. You want investors to see the actual value in investing in your startup so avoid including anything that’s not absolutely necessary for them to understand this concept.

– Do not include unnecessary information or graphics

– Keep your pitch deck to a maximum of 20 slides

– Stick to clear and concise language

– Make sure all the data is accurate and up to date

Be cautious about adding in anything that doesn’t support your pitch deck theme or the key points you want to make. If it isn’t relevant, remove it! You don’t have time for extra fluff when pitching investors; be direct and focus on what matters most.

Early-Stage Pitch Deck Example

The following pitch deck template is a good example of how you can tell a story that builds investor confidence in your startup idea. Using this format will set a great first impression and can help you with raising capital.

This is the most important slide in the whole deck, you need to grab the attention of the investor with a title slide that convinces them to keep reading. Your title slide must:

• Showcase your logo and brand name.
• In one phrase, state your value proposition.
• Engage the reader by promising them an interesting pitch.

It’s important to make your startup feel credible and trustworthy. Just as people will judge a book by the cover, investors will judge your pitch deck in less than five seconds, so make sure you have a strong first impression!

A common mistake that founders make with the title slide is not making the most of the opportunity. Taking inspiration from other industries, a prize-winning sticker on a book cover or a wine bottle has a tremendous impact on sales. What can you do to make your pitch deck stand out?

After catching your audience’s attention, you should include a company summary on slide one. Investors are unlikely to know anything about you or your company, so this is where you need to tell them what you do, where you’re going, and why they should care.

In just a few sentences, you should be able to concisely state the following:

• What your company does
• The stage you’re at
• The traction you’ve made so far
• Where you’re heading

If the title slide is about grabbing attention, the executive summary is about keeping it.

You need to get investors hooked and hungry for more information.

With the investor’s attention now captured, it’s time to give them some context. What industry are you in? What trends are happening in that industry?

Trends are the market conditions that you have zero influence over. But, by showing how you understand them and how they impact your startup, you can demonstrate that not only is your startup inevitable, but that the risk of failure is also reduced.

Your goal with the trends slide is to show that your startup idea isn’t some crazy gamble, it’s obvious and inevitable, and that the market is about to change in a big way.

In the context of startup ideas, the important things to consider about trends are whether they are weak or strong, societal and cultural, or technological.

Weak Trends: These are usually easy to spot and include things like the aging population, increasing internet penetration rates, or a growing demand for a new product or service.

Strong Trends: These are hard to argue against. They will be big and happening quickly. They could be something like the rise of mobile payments, a technology reaching critical mass, or a new way of thinking about an old problem.

Technological Trends: These trends focus on the development of new technologies. For instance, the rise of drones, Web3, and artificial intelligence technologies are all technological trends that would be relevant to an investor pitch deck when combined with a startup idea.

Societal and Cultural Trends: These trends are about the way people are living their lives, and integrating new technologies into them. A good example of this is the trend towards health and wellness. This could be anything from the increasing popularity of mindfulness to people taking more interest in their food.

It’s important to consider societal trends alongside advances in technology, just because a technology is possible, doesn’t mean that people will want to use it (remember Google Glass?).

Building into emerging trends can lead to you raising millions without even having a pitch deck , like Hopin, or still whilst the world is in lockdown and your app is still in beta – like Clubhouse.

Now that you’ve got the pitch deck rolling, it’s time to talk about your startup idea. What problem are you solving? What is happening right now? What are people not happy with?

When it comes to the problem slide, be specific. Don’t just say that there is a problem. Tell them what it is and make your audience feel the pain; they should be able to recall having had it themselves or easily empathise with those that do.

As a founder, you need to prove that you have a deep awareness and understanding of the problem you’re solving. You need to demonstrate that you can stand in the shoes of your customers and see the problem as they do.

Ideally, you should be able to summarise all of this into a problem statement. This is a simple one or two-sentence explanation that describes the problem, identifies the pain points, and explains why it needs solving.

Providing data to back up your problem statement is also important, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. You’re not trying to show the size of the market, just the severity of the problem.

Having built up an understanding of the problem, you now need to explain how you plan on solving it. What is your solution? How will your startup solve this problem? What makes your product or service different?

Your solution slide should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. You should have a brief paragraph explaining what your startup does, followed by supporting information in the form of screenshots, images, or diagrams.

Remember, during live pitching or conversations, you may be able to talk about your solution in more detail – maybe even showcase a live demo – but in your pitch deck, you need to keep it simple.

If you’re having trouble boiling down your complex solution then consider how you would sell it to a potential customer. If you can pitch it to them in a way that they understand and see the value, then your pitch deck will be able to do the same.

With the problem and solution explained, it’s time to move on to your business model. This is a critical slide for any pitch deck as it demonstrates how you plan to make money from your startup idea. It’s showing your investors that you understand the business side of things and that you have a plan for growth.

This slide can be a little tricky to get right, as you don’t want to overload your audience with too much information (especially at idea stage, when you don’t have a fully formed business model). However, you need to convey that the unit economics make sense and that there is a path to profitability.

There are lots of different ways to structure this slide, but the most common model breaks it down into a one-paragraph pitch of your business model, followed by one or two diagrams showing the relationships between your costs and revenue. By using simple visuals, you can convey complex ideas far more effectively than words alone.

Unfortunately, pitch decks don’t have the space to explore every aspect of your business model. It’s a good idea to create a separate document for this, which you can then share with interested investors or partners.

Now it’s time to move on to the all-important question of market size. Market sizing for early-stage startups can be a contentious issue.

Many entrepreneurs think that they need to show huge total addressable markets (TAM), and pitch themselves as the next billion-dollar startup. However, most sophisticated investors how that for most early-stage startups this is not appropriate.

Pitching a large TAM isn’t going to impress investors, they’ve seen it all before, but pitching yourself as the best company in your segment will demonstrate that you have a great understanding of your industry and the opportunity at hand.

It’s most important to be able to show that there is a market for your product or service, that it’s growing, and that there is room for you to compete. You don’t need to pitch yourself as a billion-dollar company, just pitch that you have a good understanding of the market segment, that people are spending money solving this type of problem, and that you’re going to be one of the best companies in your space.

For example, if your idea is to launch the next big analytics platform, don’t pitch a market size that includes every business in the world. Instead, focus on a specific industry or sector and show how behaviours in that industry are changing, paving the way for your product or service.

Again, you don’t need to go into too much detail in your pitch deck. A one-paragraph pitch of your market size is usually enough, followed by a simple diagram showing the trends that are opening up opportunities for your startup.

This is another key slide for any pitch deck, as it demonstrates that you have done your research and that you understand the competitive landscape.

Start by defining the market segment you are targeting, and then show the key points of differentiation when compared to your primary competitors.

Describe how they fit into the customer’s perspective of the market, show where their strengths and weaknesses lie, and how you plan to compete with them.

This isn’t the place for a full analysis of your competitors, but you should be able to pitch yourself as the best company in your space, with a clear understanding of how you’re going to win.

There are two common ways to visualise your competitor analysis, the magic quadrant (or 2×2 matrix) and a comparison table.

The magic quadrant is a way of plotting your competitors on two axes, based on two factors that you’ll pluck from thin air. These visualisations are rarely credible unless you have a lot of experience in the market you are analysing, or they’ve been produced by large consultancies like Deloitte or Gartner.

On the other hand, comparison tables can be very effective as they’re easy to digest, position you alongside recognisable brands, and allow you to highlight the key differences between your company and your competitors. By comparing factors that are demonstrably important to customers, you’ll come across as more credible and able to back up your pitch with cold, hard facts.

Now it’s time to talk about marketing and sales strategy, or how you’re going to get your product or service in front of customers. This is where you’ll pitch your go-to-market strategy. Your go-to-market slide should include the following elements:

• The channels you will use to reach your target audience
• The actions you will take to put your product in front of potential customers
• The milestones you will hit as you progress through your go-to-market plan
• The resources you will require to reach your target successfully

Start by describing your target market and how you plan to reach them. This might include explaining your distribution channels, sales strategy, or marketing approach. You can also use this slide to talk about any partnerships you have in place, or how you plan to leverage them.

Next, explain the actions you will take to reach your target audience, and how you plan to measure success. These actions should fit within each of the channels that you’ve already identified. For example, if you’re using digital marketing, your actions might be things like website development, SEO, or social media campaigns.

Lastly, list the key milestones you will hit as you progress through your go-to-market plan, and identify the resources you will require to achieve them. You can include your team, budget for marketing activities, or specific assets like signage.

As a startup, traction is key. Investors want to see that you’re making progress and that your product is resonating with customers. This slide is often one of the trickiest for startups at idea-stage, as it can be difficult to show commercial progress and it will be too early for product-market fit.

There are a few different ways to pitch traction, and you need to choose the one that works best with your company and the stage you’re at. Some options include user base, revenue growth, or market validation.

If you’re focusing on your user base, you’ll want to pitch a clear and compelling story about your customer base. If you have a small data set, it’s worth showcasing your first 100 customers as this makes the numbers seem more real.

If you have a large customer base, pitch your exponential growth in terms of percentage or absolute figures. For example, pitch how many customers you signed in the past quarter or year.

Revenue Growth

If you’re focusing on revenue growth, pitch your current (or projected) sales figures. You can also pitch the average ticket size or value of your deals. Alternatively, pitch your revenue growth (in terms of percentage or absolute figures) over the past year.

Market Validation

If your product is still at idea-stage and still has a long way to go before it’s ready for market, pitch your progress in terms of real-world validation. For example, pitch the number of people who have registered to use your product or service, or pitch the number of companies that have expressed interest during interviews.

Most importantly, be honest about your progress. If they are interested, investors will dig into your traction claims and you’ll need to back them up with data – if it turns out that you’ve lied or embellished the facts, you’ll not only lose trust and credibility, you’ll probably lose the investment too.

Having set the scene in which your startup operates, it’s time to introduce the management team behind your startup. Investors will be keen to learn about who is leading your company and how they will transform your idea into a profitable business.

The focus here must be you and your co-founders. People invest in people, so you’ll need to show how you have the vision, experience, and motivation required to deliver on your pitch.

Keep your team slide short and sweet. You’ll want to include the founding team, highlighting their relevant experience in the industry or field that you’re operating within.

Pictures help to make your presentation more personal, so make sure you have a good quality headshot of each team member, consistently formatted so that everyone appears the same size and in focus.

The team slide should only include the founding team, though it is acceptable to include key team members, as well as notable advisors or investors if beneficial. If you do this, ensure that there is a clear visual separation between the two groups.

This is the big one. The pitch deck wouldn’t be complete without a clear proposal of what you’re asking for from your investors. This slide should clearly state the amount of money you’re seeking, as well as what you plan to do with it.

It’s important to remember that investors are looking for a return on their investment (ROI), so your proposal must be realistic and demonstrate how you will use the funds raised to reach key growth milestones.

To convince investors, your “Ask slide” will need to answer these three questions:

• How much are you seeking to raise?
• What will you do with the money?
• What do you intend to accomplish with the funds?

Always remember to pitch the ask in terms of how it benefits the investor – not just you. For example, if you’re seeking a £100,000 investment, explain how that money will help you reach a specific milestone that will create value for your investors.

Be specific about how much you need to raise, and where you plan to deploy the money. This will show that you’ve done your homework and understand how you will grow your business.

A simple pie chart with the breakdown of how you plan to use funds can go a long way towards demonstrating to investors that you’re serious about using their money wisely. For example, if 25 percent goes towards marketing spend, 30 percent for technology development, and 45 percent for new hires, that’s a good indication you have your priorities straight.

It’s unlikely that you will be profitable before the next round of funding, but it is usually worth highlighting the key numbers from your financial projections to give investors an idea of the scale and trajectory of your business.

Perhaps the most important factor in your investment ask is demonstrating that you understand how much capital you require to hit key growth milestones without requiring further funding rounds for at least 12-18 months. This is something that almost every investor will expect you to have a solid plan for.

Pitch Deck Design

Whether you’re sharing your deck by email or presenting on stage, the design of your pitch deck matters. However, you can’t afford to hire a professional pitch deck designer to help. So, what do you do?

KEEP. IT. SIMPLE.

Your pitch deck is not the place to show off your design skills – or highlight any lack of expertise in this department! The only goal of your pitch deck is to communicate information clearly and concisely so that investors understand what you’re pitching and can get excited about it.

Keep your presentation simple, use bold typography, highlight key information, and stick to a maximum of two or three colors. Resist the urge to use lots of graphics and animations, as these can be distracting and take up valuable space on your slides.

How to design a better pitch deck

There are a lot of things to consider when designing your pitch deck presentation. Below are some tips on how to make your pitch more effective:

The average investor has a short attention span, so keep your deck concise and easy to follow. Use clear language, avoid complex graphs and charts, and stick to a maximum of 15 slides.

Use the same fonts, colors, and layouts throughout your pitch deck to create a cohesive look.

Slides that are crowded with text and images will be difficult for your audience to read and comprehend.

A pitch deck template is a great way to ensure that your pitch deck looks professional and follows the proper design guidelines.

Pitch deck design tools

Today, there is a huge selection of online design tools and no-code builders to help you build your perfect deck. Below are just a few of the design platforms that can help you craft your pitch.

An easy-to-use platform that allows startups to build a beautiful slide deck without any special design skills. Start from scratch or create your slides using predefined pitch deck templates.

https://slidebean.com/

Offers a wide range of design tools and templates for creating professional pitch decks. The free version includes limited features, while the paid plans start at $12/month.

This pitch deck design app is great for startups and entrepreneurs who need to create a pitch deck quickly. The basic plan starts at $12/month (billed annually) but there is a 14-day free trial.

https://www.beautiful.ai/

The tools provided by Pitch allow you to quickly produce a high-quality pitch. Even if you’re not a designer, you can create a strong pitch deck that looks great. The basic plan is free, but you’ll need to upgrade to the paid plans for more features.

https://pitch.com/

While these design tools can be extremely powerful, it still pays to follow the same basic guidelines to ensure that your pitch deck is easy for investors to understand; Keep it simple, avoid animation, stick to a consistent layout, and make sure your text and images are easy to read.

When you’re trying to capture investors’ attention and raise equity funding, you need to show them that you have a good plan. But startups aren’t traditional businesses and they don’t use traditional business plans.

like the Holy Grail, the business plan remains largely unattainable and mythological. Most experts wouldn’t agree, but a business plan is of limited usefulness for a startup because entrepreneurs base so much of their plans on assumptions, “visions,” and unknowns. Guy Kawasaki

This is why pitch decks are the perfect approach to sharing a startup business plan.

Fundamentally, your pitch deck is used to share your vision, attract investors, and start conversations. As a founder, you should be prepared for investors who may not “get” your pitch deck right away — this doesn’t mean that they aren’t interested in what you’re doing.

Be prepared to answer questions and have an engaging conversation about your startup. Investors want to see that you have a clear understanding of your business, the problem you’re solving, and how you plan on making money. They also want to know that you’re capable of executing your vision.

Remember, pitch decks are just one part of the overall investment process. If you’re able to create a pitch deck that effectively communicates your idea and leaves investors wanting more, then you’re on the right track!

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How to Pitch Your Business Plan in Just 10 Minutes In the new book "Write Your Own Business Plan" business expert Eric Butow explains all of the points you need to hit in order to be both succinct and thorough during a pitch.

By Entrepreneur Staff Oct 10, 2023

Delivering a good pitch for your business is as much about conveying emotion as conveying information. The saying "They don't care what you know until they know that you care" is good advice to follow. A pitch doesn't need to be long, and your audience will appreciate it if you keep the pitch as brief as possible. In the updated second edition of our best-selling book Write Your Business Plan , Eric Butow, CEO of online marketing ROI improvement firm Butow Communications Group, explains how you can put together a pitch in ten minutes that's broken down into one topic every minute.

Order Write Your Own Business Plan Now and Get 1 Month of Free Access to Business Planning Software Liveplan Premium

• Easy step-by-step business plan generator
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10-Minute Pitch Planner

• Minute 1: Personal introduction. Let the audience know that you personally care about the people and the problem you are trying to solve.
• Minute 2: State the problem . People with this problem have emotions invested. They may be struggling, irritated, angry, and/ or disenfranchised. Keep human emotions real. Break down the problem into its component parts accompanied by a diagram.
• Minute 3: Present the solution. Show excitement and passion for your business's solution. Walk the audience not only through how the solution works but also through the great benefits of the solution.
• Minute 4: Show your business model. Now is the time to tell the audience how you will make money. Explain how you are going to charge people for the solution you are offering.
• Minute 5: Talk about your competition. Do not talk about how you're better than the competition. Instead, focus on how you're different. Your attitude toward the competition gives the audience a peek into your business soul. Are you dutifully respectful of their presence and power or are you arrogant enough to think your little startup will have no problem beating them? Err on the side of humility.
• Minute 6: Talk about your market and how you'll sell to them . Get excited as you talk about how many potential customers are out there and how you're going to get them. Take the audience through the market data, your chosen point of entry, and your sales and marketing strategy.
• Minute 7: Tell the audience about how much money you'll make . Talk about how selling to your market shows the unit economics of a single customer (price), and the size of the market shows how many potential deals are out there (quantity). Armed with this information, you can describe how revenue builds over time
• Minute 8: Introduce your team. It's important to introduce your team in the context of the business so the audience understands why it is what it is. If you introduce the team up front, you will have to circle back to describe their roles later, which wastes time.
• Minute 9: Prove your business has traction. You need to show results to get investors and customers to buy in. So, answer important questions such as: What has the team accomplished? Does the company have revenue? Are the customers happy?
• Minute 10: Ask for the buy-in. You need to spend the last minute asking for people to buy into your business and your vision, no matter if that's asking investors for money or asking someone to work for you. In this last minute, paint a clear picture of what you need from the audience and what investing with you will look like.

Write Your Own Business Plan is available now at Entrepreneur Bookstore | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Use as many charts, tables, and other graphic elements as it takes to get your point across. But don't count on lavish visuals to sway a skeptical reader. Some readers actually are put off by plans that seem to be trying to wow them through the presentation.

To dig deeper, buy Write Your Own Business Plan and get 1 month of free access to business planning software Liveplan Premium.

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8 Expert Tips for Pitching to Investors

Published: July 06, 2021

So you have a million-dollar idea. Naturally, you're thrilled and ready to make your bold, big-time vision a reality — that much you're clear on. What's less clear is how, exactly, you're going to get the funding you need to set your plans in motion.

New businesses generally can't kickstart and sustain the momentum they need to thrive solely through elbow grease and power of will — they usually need some serious cash to get things going. So when you're looking to push a bold new idea, business plan, or strategy that needs capital to move forward, you need to have some idea of how to secure it.

That's why any aspiring entrepreneur has to understand how to pitch to investors. Here, we’ll go over some tips, tricks, and tactics that will help you pitch your ideas and business plans confidently and effectively. Let’s take a look!

How to Pitch an Idea to Investors

When you have that light bulb moment, it can be tempting to reach out with a couple of halfway fleshed-out ideas and a dream, but investors are too savvy and practical to bite on that.

They need to know they’ll receive a promising return on their investment — and ideas and dreams aren’t all that compelling when it comes to demonstrating that potential.

That’s why you need to consider these steps before you start pitching.

1. Tailor an Elevator Pitch

Seasoned comedians generally have something known as a “tight 10” rehearsed and ready — it’s a solid, reliable, short set of jokes they can count on to make people laugh. And while there might not be a ton of overlap between business and comedy, new business owners can still take a cue from that strategy.

New and aspiring entrepreneurs should have an intriguing, informative elevator pitch on hand — a 30-or-so second description of the nature of your business, offering, and value proposition, designed to help you earn a second conversation with a potential investor or network connection.

2. Narrow Down Your Target Audience

Preparation is half the battle when it comes to pitching — your efforts can only do so much for you if they’re not tailored to suit the investors on the other end of the table. That's why you need to thoroughly research who you’re going to be talking to.

Take a close look at the other types of businesses they invest in and the degree to which they tend to be involved in those companies' operations. Get a feel for how new they are to investing. And see if you can learn more about their individual personalities.

This step will be much easier with some firms than others. Many investors will have a lot of public information available, but several tend to keep their efforts and preferences closer to the chest. Still, you can’t skimp here — do everything you can to approach your meeting as well-prepared and thoughtfully as possible.

3. Market Research

One of the best ways to prepare an effective pitch is to have your market research done and organized. Being able to demonstrate an ability to compile, analyze, and draw meaningful conclusions from market data shows investors that you’re dedicated, incisive, and trustworthy.

It can make your idea seem sounder. If you can show that market trends are conducive to your offering’s success, you’ll make your pitch significantly more interesting than it would be if it was based on conjecture.

4. Create a Business Plan and Model

If you want investors to take you seriously, you can’t just walk in with an idea and nothing else. Even the most exciting concept means nothing without concrete plans behind it.

At the end of the day, investors are investing to make money — you need to demonstrate that you have the framework and courses of action in place to deliver on that.

You also need to give them an outline of the return they can expect to see on their investments. A sound business plan isn’t impressive if you can’t show accurate, attainable, intriguing results that will stem from it.

5. Prepare a Demo

Whether you’re looking to fund a physical product or digital services, prepare a demo and be sure to work out all the technical issues before appearing in front of investors.

Make sure the product model works as intended and any electronics or batteries are operating and fully charged. For digital products or services, make sure everything is in working order even minutes up to the pitch.

How to Pitch a Business Plan to Investors

Pitching an idea to investors goes hand-in-hand with pitching a business plan to investors, so always come prepared with a business plan when you want to pitch your idea.

1. Make it thorough and thoughtful.

The business plan will include the nuts and bolts of the business — that means providing a picture of what you are selling, the need your offering will fulfill, your target audience, plans for marketing and operations, budget, expected revenue, and any other market research data you collect. You want to be detailed and transparent when presenting your business plan, so investors know you have done the research and are trustworthy.

2. Show the data.

Explain current data and how it applies to your business plan, and be as open as possible. Share how many customers you currently have and how many new ones are coming to you each month or quarter. Discuss exactly how the business plan will generate revenue and how much revenue you expect to see, going forward.

3. Put a pitch deck together.

Once you’ve collected the data, it’s time to organize it in a clear, easy-to-follow pitch deck. Learning how to write a pitch deck is simpler than you might think. After compiling all the data for your business plan, break it down into different segments of the pitch deck, which can be presented easily in a slideshow.

You’ll start by explaining who you are, introducing any team members, and explaining the problem you want to solve with your business. Like an elevator pitch, you’ll share why your business is different from your competitors.

Explain the product or service, and include a pause to implement your product or service demo. Share your target audience, expected revenue model, and your budget. Conclude the pitch deck with contact information, so investors can reconnect later if they are interested.

Prepare to Get Funded

Having a brilliant idea is just the start of making your dream business a reality. Even before your company starts, you have to conduct research and make comprehensive plans if you want to attract investors.

The more research you prepare, the more confident and transparent you can be in your pitch — showing investors you are dedicated to knowing your business inside and out and helping them boost their ROI.

Don't forget to share this post!

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Blog Business 10 Business Pitch Examples for Your Next Client Meeting

10 Business Pitch Examples for Your Next Client Meeting

Written by: Letícia Fonseca Oct 30, 2023

We tell presenters that it’s okay to feel scared during your upcoming sales pitch because investors will always be a pressing and intimidating bunch.

Great elevator pitches are similar to memorable stories. They intertwine visuals and narrative to keep the audience engaged. And it needs to be completed in the duration of an elevator ride.

In this guide, we share 10 business pitch examples you’ll want to use in your next investor or client meeting.

You don’t need design experience to create a business or sales pitch. Create an engaging presentation in just minutes with Venngage’s professionally designed pitch deck templates !

What is a business pitch?

A business pitch is a concise and compelling presentation that is delivered to potential investors, clients or partners to communicate the value proposition of a business idea , product or service.

The main goal of a business pitch is to persuade the audience to take a particular action, such as investing in the business, partnering with the company or purchasing the product or service.

When creating a business pitch, always remember that a well-crafted business pitch should be clear, concise and tailored to the specific needs and interests of the target audience. It should effectively communicate the value proposition and potential of the business idea, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

To help smoothen the process for you, I’ve curated 10 business pitch deck examples you can use for your next client meeting. Keep scrolling to find out!

10 business pitch examples you can use:

Choose a simple and short elevator pitch template, guy kawasaki elevator pitch examples for business, modern pitch deck example, effective startup elevator pitch examples.

• Business idea pitch deck

Dark marketing pitch deck

Classic airbnb pitch deck.

• Statement yellow elevator pitch example
• Short franchise elevator pitch example

Nonprofit pitch deck

Your elevator pitch needs to address the biggest business concern: the sales funnel .

This simple pitch deck example gets to the heart of the business problem within just 12 slides. It’s short, sharp and to the point, enough to keep prospective clients interested.

This is a great sales pitch deck template to accompany a brief presentation. You can easily share your business model with investors or clients.

Customize this template by adding your branding and business information. Include data about your target audience and team members. This is information that potential investors need to know.

With a Venngage business account, you can access the My Brand Kit feature, including the Autobrand tool.

Add your website when prompted and the editor will import your logos, fonts and brand colors . You’ll be able to add your branding to all your designs with a single click.

Related:  How to Create an Effective Pitch Deck Design [+Examples]

The Guy Kawasaki method for elevator pitch templates has been successful for numerous businesses. The minimal text keeps investors focused during the entire pitch.

Presenters can fully concentrate on sharing the key metrics and pain points of their target market. The pitch deck includes overviews that guide investors’ thoughts.

Venngage has two versions of the conventional Guy Kawasaki elevator pitch format. This gradient version is a bit more modern. It certainly draws the eye without overwhelming the design.

The template’s simple and minimalist-inspired design makes it easy to customize for any brand completely. You can swap out the gradient panels and add brand-relevant product images instead.

You can also use this non-gradient pitch deck template. This is an ideal way to highlight your brand colors.

Make the easily customizable pitch deck examples shared above your own by adding your text, data and graphs.

Creating a pitch deck  just got easier. Venngage’s real-time collaboration  allows multiple members to work on a design at once. Share instant feedback and design a winning sales pitch.

This unconventional pitch deck uses icons to tell a compelling narrative. Visuals can spice up presentation decks and give make them aesthetically pleasing.

This template works well for startups and small businesses demonstrating to investors their brand’s potential.

If the deck is too dark, you can switch out the panel colors and icons. Add your own research to make your sales pitch convincing.

Related:  Everything You Need to Know About Picking and Using Brand Colors

Elevator pitch decks focus on quick, one-minute proposals to convince potential investors that you have something valuable.

This investor pitch deck example is excellent for a startup elevator pitch. With just five slides, this deck makes it easy to breeze through your business model.

The added charts make the proposal and presentation much more convincing. You can share the necessary details that investors will want to know about.

Import your data from Google sheets into the Venngage editor and easily create charts for your presentation.

Related:  Everything You Need to Know About Pie Charts

Business idea pitch deck

How do you highlight your business model to a potential customer? You start with your value proposition.

The below pitch deck example opens with the business’ value proposition in the first slide. It also includes many elegant ways to showcase the brand. Plus, it provides essential business data to investors simultaneously.

You can use the business idea pitch deck template above as a guideline for a good sales pitch of your own or modify and adjust it to your branding needs.

The marketing pitch deck example below has a dark but unique personality. It works well in a product launch setting or as an elevator pitch deck for marketers.

The color combination is unusual but striking. Not to mention, on-trend. Bold colors are one of the resurgent graphic design trends  of the past few years.

You can use the above marketing pitch deck example as inspiration for numerous business presentations.

Art and multimedia businesses can also use it as a template for client presentations.

Related:  20+ Business Pitch Deck Templates to Win New Clients and Investors

We all know what Airbnb is and how much the business has grown over the past few years.

One of the best pitch deck examples you’ll see is Venngage’s version of the Airbnb pitch deck.

It uses sample data, addresses the core customer problem and outlines the business plan to capture the audience’s attention.

The pitch deck example above is one of the standard elevator pitch decks but manages to be sophisticated. There’s a finesse to this pitch deck design . That’s why it was so successful.

Statement yellow elevator pitch example

The yellow motif of this artistic pitch deck will immediately hold the audience’s attention.

The color is bright and bold but isn’t overpowering. Instead, only two slides use the background color across the whole slide.

The majority of the slides only include hints of yellow or use it as a highlight.

This template works for companies that use one prominent color across their branding. It’s also a professional pitch deck for small businesses, startups, or software companies.

Short franchise elevator pitch example

Pitch decks don’t depend on length to make a point. Instead, it uses fewer headers as overviews and depends on presenters to share pitch details with investors.

This is one of the best pitch deck examples for a short and classy presentation. It uses a small number of icons and bullet points to draw the eye and keep the presentation flowing.

As an elevator pitch, this is an effective method for maintaining the audience’s focus.

Related:  A Complete Guide to Line Charts

This elevator pitch example for nonprofits uses minimalism and icons to keep potential investors engaged throughout the presentation.

The subtle use of color and icons asserts the brand’s personality. This template can work for businesses in the graphic design sector.

Alternatively, the nonprofit pitch deck example above can also work for digital marketing agencies that want a cutting-edge appeal to make themselves attractive to clients.

Famous sales pitch decks to inspire your pitch

Minimalist airbnb pitch deck.

This minimalist design of the Airbnb elevator pitch example shared above is perfect for startups.

You can easily add product or location photos and adjust the colors to suit your branding, alongside your logo and fonts.

Buffer pitch deck

The real Buffer pitch deck was confusing for investors. You can read more about it in our round-up of the best pitch decks .

Venngage designed a cleaner version using icons and charts. This makes the information easier to understand. You aren’t bombarding your audience with too many details.

Facebook pitch deck

The winning Facebook pitch deck was text-heavy. But what made it stand out was how many popular schools had already signed up with it.

Plus, the deck was nothing short of ambitious, with a clear expansion plan. It is no surprise that Facebook is the behemoth it is today.

How to write a business pitch deck

Creating a compelling business pitch deck is essential for effectively conveying your business idea to potential investors or partners. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you write a business pitch deck:

• Cover slide: Include the name of your company and a visually appealing image that represents your business.
• Problem statement: Clearly define the problem your product or service solves. Use statistics or real-life examples to emphasize the significance of the problem.
• Solution: Describe your product or service and how it addresses the identified problem. Use visuals, such as product images or diagrams, to help illustrate your solution.
• Market opportunity: Present market research data to showcase the size, growth potential and trends of the target market. Use graphs, charts, or infographics to make the information more engaging.
• Business model: Explain how your business will generate revenue. Describe your pricing strategy, sales and distribution channels and any key partnerships or collaborations that will contribute to your business model’s success.
• Traction and milestones: Highlight any significant achievements, milestones, or partnerships that demonstrate the progress and potential of your business. This can include user metrics, revenue growth, or notable endorsements.
• Competitive analysis: Analyze your competitors and illustrate how your product or service stands out in the market. Highlight your unique selling points and any barriers to entry that provide your business with a competitive advantage.
• Go-to-market strategy : Outline your marketing and sales plan. Describe how you will reach and acquire customers, including your marketing channels, customer acquisition strategy and sales approach.
• Financial projections: Present your financial forecasts, including revenue projections, cost structures and expected profitability. Use charts or graphs to display key financial data and assumptions.
• Team: Introduce your team members and highlight their relevant expertise and experience. Emphasize how the team’s skills and strengths contribute to the success of the business.
• Use of funds: Explain how you plan to use the funds you are seeking. Provide a breakdown of how the investment will be allocated across different aspects of the business.
• Conclusion and call-to-action: Summarize the key points of your pitch and clearly state what action you want the investors to take. Encourage questions and provide your contact information for further discussions.

Remember to keep your pitch deck concise, visually appealing and easy to understand. Use high-quality visuals and compelling storytelling to make your business pitch deck engaging and memorable for your audience.

Four tips for creating a great elevator pitch

Here are four easy ways to recreate the pitch deck examples above or build your own pitch from a template.

Create a visual style for your sales pitches

A visual style or theme creates flow and sophistication in any presentation. These involve using recurring elements in a subtle and obvious manner.

For example, this Venngage template uses our color gradient along with elegant and bright icons.

Choose visual elements whose characteristics become the pitch deck’s focal point. Great pitch decks use the brand’s colors and visual motifs to keep the brand top of mind.

Give an overview of your business model

Pitch decks act as content anchors that guide your client toward your topic’s main points.

All the other information in your pitch deck or the explanations in your presentation will be aimed at supplementing that data.

Like this Uber elevator pitch template that emphasizes customer pain points and how the business will solve them.

Examples of added data include situational examples, charts and graphs and case studies .

Focus on your unique proposition

Your pitch deck has a central idea that is its unique selling proposition. Pitch deck creators build their pitch ideas around this aspect.

As a result, they’ll have a solid, communicative and persuading pitch deck that convinces investors.

Simplify hard concepts in your sales pitch

Scientific knowledge is enriching to those who understand its meaning.

Hard concepts, long-running and poorly constructed sentences and jargon make reading challenging for investors who have a very short time to spare.

This deck ensures that information isn’t overwhelming, either in the overview or the traction slide.

Make sure to simplify hard concepts and use simple words. That’s what the best pitch decks do.

Use templates to create successful pitch decks and win over investors

Delivering a good elevator pitch can be overwhelming. The pressure to get the tone right and impress investors is huge.

We’ve shared 10 elevator pitch examples that you can use as inspiration.

And with Venngage’s pitch deck templates, you get a competitive advantage. With no design experience, you can create elevator pitches that win over investors.

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How to Pitch to Investors

Free The Art of Perfect Pitch E-book

• February 24, 2024

12 Min Read

After validating your business idea and refining it through a business plan, it is now time to pitch your business potential to the investors.

Now, pitching is a nerve-wracking job. Even the most promising business ideas will fail to secure funding if they aren’t pitched properly.

According to Forbes , less than 1% of businesses are successful in acquiring funds through their pitch. This puts you in an intensely competitive market space where you cannot afford to mess up.

Well, don’t sweat. If you too, like most startup entrepreneurs are struggling with how to pitch to investors , this article is for you.

It covers everything that you need to know about making a successful pitch and if you follow it thoroughly, you are most likely to increase your chances of getting funded.

Ready to get started? Let’s dive right in.

What do investors look for in a pitch?

Everyone says a captivating pitch deck sets you on the right path in capturing the interest of potential investors. But what is it that actually makes a pitch interesting?

Well, here are 4 distinct key elements that an investor looks for in a pitch deck.

Business Idea

Investors want to get a clear overview of your business idea and evaluate it based on its viability, growth predictions, market demand, and target market .

• Problem and the solution

A clear understanding of the problem you are solving and the solution you have to offer. A pitch deck must reflect your unique position in the market.

Financial projections

Investors want to know that the financials of the business are as good as the business idea. They want to see financial projections for the next 3-5 years, the business’s profitability, ROI, and its exit strategy down the lane.

Business plan

Pitch decks are concise. However, investors would generally prefer they get a detailed business plan after the presentation to understand minor nuances of your business in detail.

And most importantly, an investor is looking for a simple, easy-to-grasp pitch that serves all the essential information with no fluff.

How to make a business pitch for investors

Now that you understand what an investor looks for in a pitch deck, let’s create a solid pitch for your business.

1. Create a stellar pitch deck

First things first, you need a stellar pitch deck to get the investors excited about your business idea.

A pitch deck primarily explains your business concept, captures the investor’s attention, and propels them to offer funding for your business.

However, creating a compelling deck from scratch is a bit taxing. In fact, most startup entrepreneurs have no understanding of how to create a successful pitch deck . In such cases, a poorly made deck will be the reason you lose potential investment from the investors.

To avoid getting into such situations, build a fool-proof presentation using an AI pitch deck generator. This tool offers AI assistance, a pitch deck template, and step-by-step guidance that will enable you to prepare a stunning business plan presentation from scratch in less than an hour.

 Ditch your old-school pitch deck creation methods

Make compelling pitch decks in minutes with AI

2. Know who you’re pitching

Before you approach any investors, take a step back and evaluate if that particular investor or VC firm is even suited for your business.

You see when you accept the investment, you are entering into a partnership with someone. This partnership will go in vain if your interests, fundamentals, and values don’t align with them.

So, here are a few things you need to analyze about an investor before approaching them:

Industry of operation

Certain investors and VCs usually limit their investments to specific industries and business sectors. It is better to research and evaluate beforehand, whether the investors of your liking are open to investment in your segment or not.

Stage of Investment

Investors usually have a pattern of investing in a specific business stage. While some invest in growth stages, many investors only invest in startups and incubators. Know the investment stage for your business and then find investors that align with your needs.

Investors’ track record

Your chances to secure funding increase substantially when you pitch the right investors. Before pitching someone, gather certain details like the type of companies they invest in, their usual investment amount, core philosophies, etc.

It’s better to get as many details as possible on a specific investor before you approach them with a pitch request. Such research will help you customize your deck and thereby increase your chances of getting funded.

3. Deliver your elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is a crisp snapshot of the entire pitch summarized in less than 60 seconds. Consider it as a pitch that will probe the investors to know more about the business idea.

Now, an elevator pitch must include details about your business, its product, and the business owner. It should sell your USP and highlight your value proposition to pique the potential investors’ attention.

Lastly, it’s mandatory to add a clear CTA emphasizing the amount you seek for a steady launch.

4. Explain the problem with a story

Adopt the art of storytelling if you want to be heard, resonated with, and valued at your presentations. However, don’t beat around the bush and get straight to the problems.

While telling your story, talk about your inspiration to launch a particular product or service. Highlight the pain point of your market and bring interesting data points to make your story relatable and relevant.

5. Present your market research

A thorough market research solidifies the foundation of your business idea making it more of a concrete plan. It instills the faith of angel investors in your business idea and its potential scope of growth.

Now, whenever you include market research always back that data with relevant sources to prove that the research is relevant and fruitful.

For instance, when you include details regarding your market size , show a clear demarcation of your TAM (Total Addressable Market), SAM(Serviceable Addressable Market), and SOM(Serviceable Obtainable Market) through numbers.

Further, offer a brief understanding of who will be your ideal customer, their potential income, hobbies, interests, and pain points. The investor should be able to visualize your target market and its potential size to contribute to your growth.

Also include any industry-specific trends, risks, challenges, and how you plan to overcome those strategically.

6. Introduce your product/service as the solution

Introduce your product or service and show how it manages to solve the problems mentioned earlier.

In this section of your presentation, you can offer a practical demo of your services or a beta version of your product. If it’s a certain type of app, ensure that its core functions are perfectly adept to be presented during the presentation.

If you don’t have a product or service for demonstration, at least embed a video of how it works or plugin the testing results to gain some credibility for your solution.

Again weave a compelling story and present your solution in a distinguishing light.

7. Explain your revenue and business model

This is the most important section of interest when you pitch investors with funding requests. Explain your business revenue model answering how will you make money.

In this section, lay out a clear pricing plan for products and services. If you are planning a subscription model, show the prices for different subscription plans and their monthly and annual fees.

With data points and figures, show how the prices are perfectly in line with your sales and revenue goals.

8. Your customer acquisition strategy

Earlier in your market research you proved that there is a sizable target market for your solution. It is now time to explain your strategies to capture that target market.

Begin by explaining your acquisition plan highlighting your overall process of sales from lead to conversion. Elaborate on this section by defining your sales channel and marketing strategies.

For instance, cold calling, email outreach, paid advertisements, social media marketing, etc.

Now professional investors are interested in figures that demonstrate your cost of acquisition, conversion rate, retention, and related financials to measure the success of your overall business. So be prepared with these growth metrics and prove your point statistically during the presentation.

9. Early traction and milestones achieved

Win your potential investor by sharing your early business achievements in terms of sales, growth, revenue, contracts, product launches, and much more. This will help you build credibility amongst the investors.

However, don’t stop just yet. Go on and talk about the milestones you plan to achieve with the investment capital. Show them the roadmap to the future and present granular details of different milestones.

10. Introduce your team

When you pitch your business idea to investors, they would like to know that their money is in the right hands. Moreover, they want an assurance that you have the right people with the right skill sets to turn your business idea into reality.

Romanticize your team and talk about the interesting skill sets and achievements they bring to the table. At the same time, also talks about the shortcomings be it in terms of limited teams or lack of expertise in certain areas.

Bear in mind that you want to show a realistic picture and not something that just sounds ideal.

11. Present financial projections

A successful pitch is incomplete without thorough financials offering an overview of your revenue projections over the next 3-5 years. So while you do that, make sure that you back those financial numbers by sharing your realistic assumptions.

Investors may have a couple of complicated questions at this stage to get a clear understanding of your financial position. To not fumble then, ensure that you have a thorough understanding of what these numbers interpret.

Now, don’t complicate this deck by adding way too many numbers. Attach your key reports and detailed financials to your extended pitch and refer to that when the investor asks you to dive deep.

12. Discuss competition

The competitive analysis section of your business plan presentation will help the investors understand the competitive landscape of your market.

An effective way to present this section is by evaluating your key competitors based on their strengths, offerings, target customers, pricing, expertise, and revenue. Ideally, the slide should subtly indicate the areas where your competitors lack and you excel.

That being said, discuss your competitive advantage over other players by highlighting your USPs, strengths, and opportunities.

13. Funding requirements

It’s now time to get to the point. Clearly state how much funding you will require to achieve your business goals. Justify your funding needs and convince investors by presenting your key metrics.

Talk about the funds you have already invested and where they come from. Explain the current equity distribution and the investors’ stake if they agree to invest in your business. Also, clarify if this would be one-time financing or if you plan to raise money through multiple rounds of financing.

Overall, the investor must know where the money will be used, the company’s position after receiving the finance, and whether they will be investing in the early stage or growth stage of a company.

14. Explain your exit strategy

The investors would be interested to learn about your exit strategy, especially if you are seeking large funding. Down the lane after 10 years, do you plan to get acquired or go public? Do you have any other exit plans?

Well, whatever it is that you plan, explain why it is in favor of an investor to venture down your path. All in all, they are interested to know if they will get their money back before the exit.

And that’s pretty much all the information pitch decks must include. However, let’s now talk about the mistakes you should avoid during the presentation.

What are some common mistakes made when pitching to investors?

Let’s have a look at a few common mistakes you should avoid to enhance the efficiency of your overall pitch:

1. Not practicing the presentation

If you don’t practice your pitch, you will take an unnecessarily long time and lose the attention of your target audience. So, always practice your pitch and time your presentation to make it short, crisp, and informative.

2. Not backing up the data

Always back the data with reliable high-end sources. This is essential to prove that your business and growth strategy are built on relevant research and analysis.

3. Not pitching to the right investor

Take your time identifying the right investor and venture capital for your business idea. Pitching alone is not sufficient. You have to pitch the right investors to ensure maximum funding approvals for your business.

4. Poorly designed presentation

While pitching, if your presentation is crammed with long slides with no visual aesthetic, you are likely to lose your investor. Follow Guy Kawasaki’s 10/20/30 rule while designing your presentation, where 10 is the maximum number of slides, 20 is the maximum time of presentation and 30 is the minimum font point.

5. Not leaving time for questions

Ideally, your pitch should be concise and brief touching on all the essential informative topics. However, always leave room for Q&A towards the end where the investors can probe further into topics they want additional information about.

How can Upmetrics help?

By now, you must have a rough understanding of how to pitch your potential investors. However, unless you go out and make your first pitch, all this information will just remain a theory.

So, let’s take the first step and create your pitch deck with the Upmetrics AI pitch deck generator . With features like AI assistance, a customizable pitch deck template, and a step-by-step guide, you can create your entire presentation in less than an hour.

Sign up now and unlock the features that will help you strengthen your overall business planning.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should my pitch be.

In terms of slides, a startup pitch deck should have no more than 10-15 slides. Remember that the number of slides has nothing to do with the efficiency of your pitch deck.

If you can convey the crux of your business idea and offer all that an investor needs within 7-8 minutes, nothing like it. However, even if we consider an extended pitch, the presentation should not be longer than 20 minutes.

What should be included in my pitch deck?

A pitch deck should offer a thorough insight into your business idea and its key financials to enable the investors to make the decision. However, here are a few things that a pitch deck must absolutely contain:

• Business Overview
• Mission objectives
• Market Opportunities
• Competition
• Revenue Model
• Early Traction and Milestones
• Key financials and projections
• Funding request

What are the must-have slides in an investor pitch deck?

An investor pitch deck is a stepping stone that will help you acquire the funding for your business. Considering the essentials, an investor pitch deck must include details about the business, the problem and the solution, business and growth strategies, tractions and milestones, market research and competition, and funding requests.

What is the ideal length for a startup pitch to investors?

The ideal length for a startup pitch varies considerably. Now, if we talk about elevator pitch, it should be made within 60 seconds or 4 minutes at max. However, if we talk about short-form pitch and long-form pitch, you get about 3-12 minutes for your presentation in general.

How do I prepare for potential questions from investors?

Here are a few ways that will prepare you for the potential questions from investors:

• Explain why you need a particular amount and how it will be used.
• Prove the product’s efficiency with MVP and beta testing.
• Offer a clear picture of your revenue model, growth projections, equity stake, and other key financials.
• Show your competitive advantage in the market.
• Define the TAM, SAM, and SOM for your business.
• Talk about your shortcomings and show how you plan to succeed despite that hurdle.

How do I start my investor pitch to make a strong first impression?

Always begin an investor pitch with a compelling story narrating your aspirations and ideas behind the startup. Once you have successfully managed to evoke the emotion in investors, remove all the fluffs and get straight to the point. Offer everything that an investor looks for in a pitch and make it crisp, on-point, and interesting.

About the Author

Upmetrics Team

Upmetrics is the #1 business planning software that helps entrepreneurs and business owners create investment-ready business plans using AI. We regularly share business planning insights on our blog. Check out the Upmetrics blog for such interesting reads. Read more

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How to Write a Business Plan: Step-by-Step Guide + Examples

Noah Parsons

24 min. read

Updated May 7, 2024

Writing a business plan doesn’t have to be complicated. 

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to write a business plan that’s detailed enough to impress bankers and potential investors, while giving you the tools to start, run, and grow a successful business.

• The basics of business planning

If you’re reading this guide, then you already know why you need a business plan . 

You understand that planning helps you: 

• Raise money
• Grow strategically
• Keep your business on the right track 

As you start to write your plan, it’s useful to zoom out and remember what a business plan is .

At its core, a business plan is an overview of the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy: how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

Most business plans also include financial forecasts for the future. These set sales goals, budget for expenses, and predict profits and cash flow. 

A good business plan is much more than just a document that you write once and forget about. It’s also a guide that helps you outline and achieve your goals. 

After completing your plan, you can use it as a management tool to track your progress toward your goals. Updating and adjusting your forecasts and budgets as you go is one of the most important steps you can take to run a healthier, smarter business. 

We’ll dive into how to use your plan later in this article.

There are many different types of plans , but we’ll go over the most common type here, which includes everything you need for an investor-ready plan. However, if you’re just starting out and are looking for something simpler—I recommend starting with a one-page business plan . It’s faster and easier to create. 

It’s also the perfect place to start if you’re just figuring out your idea, or need a simple strategic plan to use inside your business.

Dig deeper : How to write a one-page business plan

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• What to include in your business plan

Executive summary

The executive summary is an overview of your business and your plans. It comes first in your plan and is ideally just one to two pages. Most people write it last because it’s a summary of the complete business plan.

Ideally, the executive summary can act as a stand-alone document that covers the highlights of your detailed plan. 

In fact, it’s common for investors to ask only for the executive summary when evaluating your business. If they like what they see in the executive summary, they’ll often follow up with a request for a complete plan, a pitch presentation , or more in-depth financial forecasts .

Your executive summary should include:

• A summary of the problem you are solving
• A description of your product or service
• An overview of your target market
• A brief description of your team
• A summary of your financials
• Your funding requirements (if you are raising money)

Dig Deeper: How to write an effective executive summary

Products and services description

This is where you describe exactly what you’re selling, and how it solves a problem for your target market. The best way to organize this part of your plan is to start by describing the problem that exists for your customers. After that, you can describe how you plan to solve that problem with your product or service. 

This is usually called a problem and solution statement .

To truly showcase the value of your products and services, you need to craft a compelling narrative around your offerings. How will your product or service transform your customers’ lives or jobs? A strong narrative will draw in your readers.

This is also the part of the business plan to discuss any competitive advantages you may have, like specific intellectual property or patents that protect your product. If you have any initial sales, contracts, or other evidence that your product or service is likely to sell, include that information as well. It will show that your idea has traction , which can help convince readers that your plan has a high chance of success.

Market analysis

Your target market is a description of the type of people that you plan to sell to. You might even have multiple target markets, depending on your business. 

A market analysis is the part of your plan where you bring together all of the information you know about your target market. Basically, it’s a thorough description of who your customers are and why they need what you’re selling. You’ll also include information about the growth of your market and your industry .

Try to be as specific as possible when you describe your market. 

Include information such as age, income level, and location—these are what’s called “demographics.” If you can, also describe your market’s interests and habits as they relate to your business—these are “psychographics.” 

Related: Target market examples

Essentially, you want to include any knowledge you have about your customers that is relevant to how your product or service is right for them. With a solid target market, it will be easier to create a sales and marketing plan that will reach your customers. That’s because you know who they are, what they like to do, and the best ways to reach them.

Next, provide any additional information you have about your market. 

What is the size of your market ? Is the market growing or shrinking? Ideally, you’ll want to demonstrate that your market is growing over time, and also explain how your business is positioned to take advantage of any expected changes in your industry.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write a market analysis

Competitive analysis

Part of defining your business opportunity is determining what your competitive advantage is. To do this effectively, you need to know as much about your competitors as your target customers. 

Every business has some form of competition. If you don’t think you have competitors, then explore what alternatives there are in the market for your product or service. 

For example: In the early years of cars, their main competition was horses. For social media, the early competition was reading books, watching TV, and talking on the phone.

A good competitive analysis fully lays out the competitive landscape and then explains how your business is different. Maybe your products are better made, or cheaper, or your customer service is superior. Maybe your competitive advantage is your location – a wide variety of factors can ultimately give you an advantage.

Dig Deeper: How to write a competitive analysis for your business plan

Marketing and sales plan

The marketing and sales plan covers how you will position your product or service in the market, the marketing channels and messaging you will use, and your sales tactics. 

The best place to start with a marketing plan is with a positioning statement . 

This explains how your business fits into the overall market, and how you will explain the advantages of your product or service to customers. You’ll use the information from your competitive analysis to help you with your positioning. 

For example: You might position your company as the premium, most expensive but the highest quality option in the market. Or your positioning might focus on being locally owned and that shoppers support the local economy by buying your products.

Once you understand your positioning, you’ll bring this together with the information about your target market to create your marketing strategy . 

This is how you plan to communicate your message to potential customers. Depending on who your customers are and how they purchase products like yours, you might use many different strategies, from social media advertising to creating a podcast. Your marketing plan is all about how your customers discover who you are and why they should consider your products and services. 

While your marketing plan is about reaching your customers—your sales plan will describe the actual sales process once a customer has decided that they’re interested in what you have to offer. 

If your business requires salespeople and a long sales process, describe that in this section. If your customers can “self-serve” and just make purchases quickly on your website, describe that process. 

A good sales plan picks up where your marketing plan leaves off. The marketing plan brings customers in the door and the sales plan is how you close the deal.

Together, these specific plans paint a picture of how you will connect with your target audience, and how you will turn them into paying customers.

Dig deeper: What to include in your sales and marketing plan

Business operations

The operations section describes the necessary requirements for your business to run smoothly. It’s where you talk about how your business works and what day-to-day operations look like. 

Depending on how your business is structured, your operations plan may include elements of the business like:

• Supply chain management
• Manufacturing processes
• Equipment and technology
• Distribution

Some businesses distribute their products and reach their customers through large retailers like Amazon.com, Walmart, Target, and grocery store chains. 

These businesses should review how this part of their business works. The plan should discuss the logistics and costs of getting products onto store shelves and any potential hurdles the business may have to overcome.

If your business is much simpler than this, that’s OK. This section of your business plan can be either extremely short or more detailed, depending on the type of business you are building.

For businesses selling services, such as physical therapy or online software, you can use this section to describe the technology you’ll leverage, what goes into your service, and who you will partner with to deliver your services.

Dig Deeper: Learn how to write the operations chapter of your plan

Key milestones and metrics

Although it’s not required to complete your business plan, mapping out key business milestones and the metrics can be incredibly useful for measuring your success.

Good milestones clearly lay out the parameters of the task and set expectations for their execution. You’ll want to include:

• A description of each task
• The proposed due date
• Who is responsible for each task

If you have a budget, you can include projected costs to hit each milestone. You don’t need extensive project planning in this section—just list key milestones you want to hit and when you plan to hit them. This is your overall business roadmap. 

Possible milestones might be:

• Website launch date
• Store or office opening date
• First significant sales
• Break even date
• Business licenses and approvals

You should also discuss the key numbers you will track to determine your success. Some common metrics worth tracking include:

• Conversion rates
• Customer acquisition costs
• Profit per customer
• Repeat purchases

It’s perfectly fine to start with just a few metrics and grow the number you are tracking over time. You also may find that some metrics simply aren’t relevant to your business and can narrow down what you’re tracking.

Dig Deeper: How to use milestones in your business plan

Organization and management team

Investors don’t just look for great ideas—they want to find great teams. Use this chapter to describe your current team and who you need to hire . You should also provide a quick overview of your location and history if you’re already up and running.

Briefly highlight the relevant experiences of each key team member in the company. It’s important to make the case for why yours is the right team to turn an idea into a reality. 

Do they have the right industry experience and background? Have members of the team had entrepreneurial successes before? 

If you still need to hire key team members, that’s OK. Just note those gaps in this section.

Your company overview should also include a summary of your company’s current business structure . The most common business structures include:

• Sole proprietor
• Partnership

Be sure to provide an overview of how the business is owned as well. Does each business partner own an equal portion of the business? How is ownership divided? 

Potential lenders and investors will want to know the structure of the business before they will consider a loan or investment.

Dig Deeper: How to write about your company structure and team

Financial plan

Last, but certainly not least, is your financial plan chapter. 

Entrepreneurs often find this section the most daunting. But, business financials for most startups are less complicated than you think, and a business degree is certainly not required to build a solid financial forecast. 

A typical financial forecast in a business plan includes the following:

• Sales forecast : An estimate of the sales expected over a given period. You’ll break down your forecast into the key revenue streams that you expect to have.
• Expense budget : Your planned spending such as personnel costs , marketing expenses, and taxes.
• Profit & Loss : Brings together your sales and expenses and helps you calculate planned profits.
• Cash Flow : Shows how cash moves into and out of your business. It can predict how much cash you’ll have on hand at any given point in the future.
• Balance Sheet : A list of the assets, liabilities, and equity in your company. In short, it provides an overview of the financial health of your business. 

A strong business plan will include a description of assumptions about the future, and potential risks that could impact the financial plan. Including those will be especially important if you’re writing a business plan to pursue a loan or other investment.

Dig Deeper: How to create financial forecasts and budgets

This is the place for additional data, charts, or other information that supports your plan.

Including an appendix can significantly enhance the credibility of your plan by showing readers that you’ve thoroughly considered the details of your business idea, and are backing your ideas up with solid data.

Just remember that the information in the appendix is meant to be supplementary. Your business plan should stand on its own, even if the reader skips this section.

Dig Deeper : What to include in your business plan appendix

Optional: Business plan cover page

Adding a business plan cover page can make your plan, and by extension your business, seem more professional in the eyes of potential investors, lenders, and partners. It serves as the introduction to your document and provides necessary contact information for stakeholders to reference.

Your cover page should be simple and include:

• Company logo
• Business name
• Value proposition (optional)
• Business plan title
• Completion and/or update date
• Address and contact information
• Confidentiality statement

Just remember, the cover page is optional. If you decide to include it, keep it very simple and only spend a short amount of time putting it together.

Dig Deeper: How to create a business plan cover page

How to use AI to help write your business plan

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT can speed up the business plan writing process and help you think through concepts like market segmentation and competition. These tools are especially useful for taking ideas that you provide and converting them into polished text for your business plan.

The best way to use AI for your business plan is to leverage it as a collaborator , not a replacement for human creative thinking and ingenuity. 

AI can come up with lots of ideas and act as a brainstorming partner. It’s up to you to filter through those ideas and figure out which ones are realistic enough to resonate with your customers. 

There are pros and cons of using AI to help with your business plan . So, spend some time understanding how it can be most helpful before just outsourcing the job to AI.

Learn more: 10 AI prompts you need to write a business plan

• Writing tips and strategies

To help streamline the business plan writing process, here are a few tips and key questions to answer to make sure you get the most out of your plan and avoid common mistakes .  

Determine why you are writing a business plan

Knowing why you are writing a business plan will determine your approach to your planning project. 

For example: If you are writing a business plan for yourself, or just to use inside your own business , you can probably skip the section about your team and organizational structure. 

If you’re raising money, you’ll want to spend more time explaining why you’re looking to raise the funds and exactly how you will use them.

Regardless of how you intend to use your business plan , think about why you are writing and what you’re trying to get out of the process before you begin.

Keep things concise

Probably the most important tip is to keep your business plan short and simple. There are no prizes for long business plans . The longer your plan is, the less likely people are to read it. 

So focus on trimming things down to the essentials your readers need to know. Skip the extended, wordy descriptions and instead focus on creating a plan that is easy to read —using bullets and short sentences whenever possible.

Have someone review your business plan

Writing a business plan in a vacuum is never a good idea. Sometimes it’s helpful to zoom out and check if your plan makes sense to someone else. You also want to make sure that it’s easy to read and understand.

Don’t wait until your plan is “done” to get a second look. Start sharing your plan early, and find out from readers what questions your plan leaves unanswered. This early review cycle will help you spot shortcomings in your plan and address them quickly, rather than finding out about them right before you present your plan to a lender or investor.

If you need a more detailed review, you may want to explore hiring a professional plan writer to thoroughly examine it.

Use a free business plan template and business plan examples to get started

Knowing what information to include in a business plan is sometimes not quite enough. If you’re struggling to get started or need additional guidance, it may be worth using a business plan template. 

There are plenty of great options available (we’ve rounded up our 8 favorites to streamline your search).

But, if you’re looking for a free downloadable business plan template , you can get one right now; download the template used by more than 1 million businesses. 

Or, if you just want to see what a completed business plan looks like, check out our library of over 550 free business plan examples . 

We even have a growing list of industry business planning guides with tips for what to focus on depending on your business type.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re writing your business plan. Some entrepreneurs get sucked into the writing and research process, and don’t focus enough on actually getting their business started. 

Here are a few common mistakes and how to avoid them:

Not talking to your customers : This is one of the most common mistakes. It’s easy to assume that your product or service is something that people want. Before you invest too much in your business and too much in the planning process, make sure you talk to your prospective customers and have a good understanding of their needs.

• Overly optimistic sales and profit forecasts: By nature, entrepreneurs are optimistic about the future. But it’s good to temper that optimism a little when you’re planning, and make sure your forecasts are grounded in reality. 
• Spending too much time planning: Yes, planning is crucial. But you also need to get out and talk to customers, build prototypes of your product and figure out if there’s a market for your idea. Make sure to balance planning with building.
• Not revising the plan: Planning is useful, but nothing ever goes exactly as planned. As you learn more about what’s working and what’s not—revise your plan, your budgets, and your revenue forecast. Doing so will provide a more realistic picture of where your business is going, and what your financial needs will be moving forward.
• Not using the plan to manage your business: A good business plan is a management tool. Don’t just write it and put it on the shelf to collect dust – use it to track your progress and help you reach your goals.
• Presenting your business plan

The planning process forces you to think through every aspect of your business and answer questions that you may not have thought of. That’s the real benefit of writing a business plan – the knowledge you gain about your business that you may not have been able to discover otherwise.

With all of this knowledge, you’re well prepared to convert your business plan into a pitch presentation to present your ideas. 

A pitch presentation is a summary of your plan, just hitting the highlights and key points. It’s the best way to present your business plan to investors and team members.

Dig Deeper: Learn what key slides should be included in your pitch deck

Use your business plan to manage your business

One of the biggest benefits of planning is that it gives you a tool to manage your business better. With a revenue forecast, expense budget, and projected cash flow, you know your targets and where you are headed.

And yet, nothing ever goes exactly as planned – it’s the nature of business.

That’s where using your plan as a management tool comes in. The key to leveraging it for your business is to review it periodically and compare your forecasts and projections to your actual results.

Start by setting up a regular time to review the plan – a monthly review is a good starting point. During this review, answer questions like:

• Did you meet your sales goals?
• Is spending following your budget?
• Has anything gone differently than what you expected?

Now that you see whether you’re meeting your goals or are off track, you can make adjustments and set new targets. 

Maybe you’re exceeding your sales goals and should set new, more aggressive goals. In that case, maybe you should also explore more spending or hiring more employees. 

Or maybe expenses are rising faster than you projected. If that’s the case, you would need to look at where you can cut costs.

A plan, and a method for comparing your plan to your actual results , is the tool you need to steer your business toward success.

Learn More: How to run a regular plan review

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How to write a business plan FAQ

What is a business plan?

A document that describes your business , the products and services you sell, and the customers that you sell to. It explains your business strategy, how you’re going to build and grow your business, what your marketing strategy is, and who your competitors are.

What are the benefits of a business plan?

A business plan helps you understand where you want to go with your business and what it will take to get there. It reduces your overall risk, helps you uncover your business’s potential, attracts investors, and identifies areas for growth.

Having a business plan ultimately makes you more confident as a business owner and more likely to succeed for a longer period of time.

What are the 7 steps of a business plan?

The seven steps to writing a business plan include:

• Write a brief executive summary
• Describe your products and services.
• Conduct market research and compile data into a cohesive market analysis.
• Describe your marketing and sales strategy.
• Outline your organizational structure and management team.
• Develop financial projections for sales, revenue, and cash flow.
• Add any additional documents to your appendix.

What are the 5 most common business plan mistakes?

There are plenty of mistakes that can be made when writing a business plan. However, these are the 5 most common that you should do your best to avoid:

• 1. Not taking the planning process seriously.
• Having unrealistic financial projections or incomplete financial information.
• Inconsistent information or simple mistakes.
• Failing to establish a sound business model.
• Not having a defined purpose for your business plan.

What questions should be answered in a business plan?

Writing a business plan is all about asking yourself questions about your business and being able to answer them through the planning process. You’ll likely be asking dozens and dozens of questions for each section of your plan.

However, these are the key questions you should ask and answer with your business plan:

• How will your business make money?
• Is there a need for your product or service?
• Who are your customers?
• How are you different from the competition?
• How will you reach your customers?
• How will you measure success?

How long should a business plan be?

The length of your business plan fully depends on what you intend to do with it. From the SBA and traditional lender point of view, a business plan needs to be whatever length necessary to fully explain your business. This means that you prove the viability of your business, show that you understand the market, and have a detailed strategy in place.

If you intend to use your business plan for internal management purposes, you don’t necessarily need a full 25-50 page business plan. Instead, you can start with a one-page plan to get all of the necessary information in place.

What are the different types of business plans?

While all business plans cover similar categories, the style and function fully depend on how you intend to use your plan. Here are a few common business plan types worth considering.

Traditional business plan: The tried-and-true traditional business plan is a formal document meant to be used when applying for funding or pitching to investors. This type of business plan follows the outline above and can be anywhere from 10-50 pages depending on the amount of detail included, the complexity of your business, and what you include in your appendix.

Business model canvas: The business model canvas is a one-page template designed to demystify the business planning process. It removes the need for a traditional, copy-heavy business plan, in favor of a single-page outline that can help you and outside parties better explore your business idea.

One-page business plan: This format is a simplified version of the traditional plan that focuses on the core aspects of your business. You’ll typically stick with bullet points and single sentences. It’s most useful for those exploring ideas, needing to validate their business model, or who need an internal plan to help them run and manage their business.

Lean Plan: The Lean Plan is less of a specific document type and more of a methodology. It takes the simplicity and styling of the one-page business plan and turns it into a process for you to continuously plan, test, review, refine, and take action based on performance. It’s faster, keeps your plan concise, and ensures that your plan is always up-to-date.

What’s the difference between a business plan and a strategic plan?

A business plan covers the “who” and “what” of your business. It explains what your business is doing right now and how it functions. The strategic plan explores long-term goals and explains “how” the business will get there. It encourages you to look more intently toward the future and how you will achieve your vision.

However, when approached correctly, your business plan can actually function as a strategic plan as well. If kept lean, you can define your business, outline strategic steps, and track ongoing operations all with a single plan.

Noah is the COO at Palo Alto Software, makers of the online business plan app LivePlan. He started his career at Yahoo! and then helped start the user review site Epinions.com. From there he started a software distribution business in the UK before coming to Palo Alto Software to run the marketing and product teams.

Table of Contents

• Use AI to help write your plan
• Common planning mistakes
• Manage with your business plan
• Templates and examples

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How to Pitch Your Business Plan in Just 10 Minutes

D elivering a good pitch for your business is as much about conveying emotion as conveying information. The saying "They don't care what you know until they know that you care" is good advice to follow. A pitch doesn't need to be long, and your audience will appreciate it if you keep the pitch as brief as possible. In the updated second edition of our best-selling book Write Your Business Plan , Eric Butow, CEO of online marketing ROI improvement firm Butow Communications Group, explains how you can put together a pitch in ten minutes that's broken down into one topic every minute.

Order Write Your Own Business Plan Now and Get 1 Month of Free Access to Business Planning Software Liveplan Premium

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10-Minute Pitch Planner

• Minute 1: Personal introduction. Let the audience know that you personally care about the people and the problem you are trying to solve.
• Minute 2: State the problem . People with this problem have emotions invested. They may be struggling, irritated, angry, and/ or disenfranchised. Keep human emotions real. Break down the problem into its component parts accompanied by a diagram.
• Minute 3: Present the solution. Show excitement and passion for your business's solution. Walk the audience not only through how the solution works but also through the great benefits of the solution.
• Minute 4: Show your business model. Now is the time to tell the audience how you will make money. Explain how you are going to charge people for the solution you are offering.
• Minute 5: Talk about your competition. Do not talk about how you're better than the competition. Instead, focus on how you're different. Your attitude toward the competition gives the audience a peek into your business soul. Are you dutifully respectful of their presence and power or are you arrogant enough to think your little startup will have no problem beating them? Err on the side of humility.
• Minute 6: Talk about your market and how you'll sell to them . Get excited as you talk about how many potential customers are out there and how you're going to get them. Take the audience through the market data, your chosen point of entry, and your sales and marketing strategy.
• Minute 7: Tell the audience about how much money you'll make . Talk about how selling to your market shows the unit economics of a single customer (price), and the size of the market shows how many potential deals are out there (quantity). Armed with this information, you can describe how revenue builds over time
• Minute 8: Introduce your team. It's important to introduce your team in the context of the business so the audience understands why it is what it is. If you introduce the team up front, you will have to circle back to describe their roles later, which wastes time.
• Minute 9: Prove your business has traction. You need to show results to get investors and customers to buy in. So, answer important questions such as: What has the team accomplished? Does the company have revenue? Are the customers happy?
• Minute 10: Ask for the buy-in. You need to spend the last minute asking for people to buy into your business and your vision, no matter if that's asking investors for money or asking someone to work for you. In this last minute, paint a clear picture of what you need from the audience and what investing with you will look like.

Write Your Own Business Plan is available now at Entrepreneur Bookstore | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Use as many charts, tables, and other graphic elements as it takes to get your point across. But don't count on lavish visuals to sway a skeptical reader. Some readers actually are put off by plans that seem to be trying to wow them through the presentation.

To dig deeper, buy Write Your Own Business Plan and get 1 month of free access to business planning software Liveplan Premium.

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Maximize your business’s potential by masterfully creating documents that connect deeply with your target audience. Discover how to refine your vision and strategy to exceed the expectations of key gatekeepers such as investors, banks, landlords, and beyond.

“Entrepreneurs frequently face challenges in securing funding due to a lack of understanding of what different audiences look for in a business plan or pitch deck and how to deliver on those expectations.”

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Each resource is meticulously tailored to guide you through the nuances of crafting a compelling business plan and an effective pitch. Whether you’re preparing for investor pitches, SBA loan application, regulatory approvals, or strategic planning, our insights and tools are here to ensure your vision is clearly and persuasively communicated.

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More From Forbes

How to impress potential investors in your startup.

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By Nathan Beckord

Showing that you already have traction from interested funders can spark even more interest.

Does approaching investors make you a little sweaty? You’re not alone. It can be hard to know how to present yourself as a founder when you’re pitching. Do you act too cool for school, or do you wear your enthusiasm on your sleeve?

Fortunately, Brian Gannon of Loop has some tips for creating hype around your company and being smooth while doing it. He raised $8 million over three rounds to fund Loop’s digital photo-sharing frame that allows families to easily exchange precious pictures.

So how did he do it? In this article, Brian shares his thoughts on how to build FOMO, proving you have traction, and numerous other tidbits to help you close a round and get the funding you need.

How to get investors excited about your startup

1. prove it, samsung slashes galaxy s24 price in a major new promotion, this is your last chance to shop these 114 best memorial day sales, get up to 50 off during the hoka memorial day sale.

Social proof is a way to show traction from interested funders. Brian describes this in a somewhat crass way: “This kind of famous person believes in me.”

If you can get an investor who is well-respected or famous in your community to vouch for your startup, you’re off to a great start. When you’re out networking, talk about your idea. Brian did this and garnered the interest of one of the early investors in Ring doorbells.

2. The early honeymoon phase

You hear it all the time: investors want to see traction. And to some degree, that’s true. However, there’s something to be said for the beauty of the concept phase.

“There's actually a good honeymoon period right at the beginning, when the dream is there, and you have no data to disprove the dream,” Brian says. “I encourage people to lean into that.”

Some investors actually prefer opportunities like these, because often the entry price is lower than what it would be once there’s traction. You can position it as a chance for them to get in on the ground floor of an idea.

3. Streamline your outreach

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel with investor outreach. And like with many things, simplicity is best.

Does this mean to send out the same form email to every investor on your contacts list? No. But you can create a basic format that you replicate when reaching out. Customize a few details, but keep to the basics.

Brian recommends keeping your message brief and to the point. “This is what I do. This is what we're making. Is this interesting? Do you wanna have a phone call? Super concise, a couple points.”

4. Plan for a lot of meetings

Brian admits that he underestimated how many meetings it would take to close a round. If you’re thinking it’ll be in the tens, think more hundreds. Even Airbnb and Square had 120-plus meetings, and those are massively popular concepts. If you’ve got something more fringe, it could take many more.

You might even have meetings when you don’t expect them. There was an investor he wanted to contact at an event who was having trouble getting an Uber. Brian offered him a ride in exchange for listening to his pitch. He ended up converting his passenger into an advisor for Loop.

5. Find your believers

Rather than seeing an investor meeting as a chance to con someone into backing in your startup, see it more like dating. “You're not trying to convince people of stuff, you're actually trying to find your true believers,” Brian explains.

You’re out there looking for the people that already see you and understand you. You’re not trying to change or fix someone into believing in you. Just like your one true love, the right investor will be on your wavelength without you having to sell it too hard. They’ll have experience with concepts like yours or understand your value. That’s the fit you really need, and even if it takes hundreds of meetings to get there, it’s worthwhile when you finally hit your stride with someone.

More articles from AllBusiness :

• How to Get Government Grants for Your Small Business
• How to Build a Coaching Business

6. Confidence sells

Confidence and how you carry yourself signal a lot to investors. That means pretending you’re in the power seat instead of the investor. They have the money, yes, but you have the opportunity. You have the ability to make their money grow and bring them into something bigger.

Brian recommends coming to a meeting to pitch, but also having some good news in your back pocket. That could be another investor signing on. It could be a new product feature. Anything to show that things are going well and they should be excited to join you.

Another thing to keep in mind? Your body language. “Investors see thousands of entrepreneurs, and they can see through your fears and all your baloney,” Brian says. Have confidence. You’ve created a startup from nothing. You are impressive and have a good investment opportunity to offer.

7. Sell the momentum, create FOMO

Showing traction is a great way to prove momentum and get investors itchy to be a part of the fun. Brian suggests scheduling some early meetings with potential investors and saying we’re planning to raise in a few months when in fact you might be ready sooner.

If your pitch is compelling enough, you’ll be getting offers to write checks in exploratory meetings like these.

Too late to pretend you’re not raising? Another tactic is to put a deadline on your round. In reality, you may not have a firm date to close the round, but it helps give a sense that you need to get your funding in order so you can get to work on the stuff that actually makes the product go.

Another FOMO inducer? Asking for slightly less money than you need. It’s better to oversubscribe a round than to not make your goal. That looks more impressive from a momentum standpoint. Just make sure not to blow it completely out of proportion by three or four times. Then you’re diluting everyone’s stake.

8. Combine truth with a sense of mystery

Don’t lie to potential investors or fudge projections. That’s bad news all around. However, you can build on the hype you’ve created with the right language. Part of that is making investors feel important. No one wants to know if they’re the last people you’ve pitched to.

A better way to frame it? You’re the first round of investors we’ve contacted. That might be the first round of investors contacted that week or that month, but they don’t have to know that.

In other words, you don’t have to give away every detail. Maintaining some sense of mystique without lying is a healthy way to balance it.

9. Be relatable

It’s tempting to be generic when pitching. If you show a broad concept and broad use of it, it makes your solution look like it appeals to more people.

But it can be better to bring it down to a granular level with a specific use case. Brian found that bringing a tangible example to pitches was often more impactful than using generalities.

Once he started using a customer testimonial, walking through all the real headaches that Loop alleviated, he found something a lot of investors with families could relate to. Telling one person’s story brings a product to life in a way that bullets on a slide can’t.

And that touch of reality can make all the difference in reaching the right investor.

Article is based on an episode of Foundersuite’s How I Raised It podcast , a behind-the-scenes look at how startup founders raise money.

About the Author

Nathan Beckord is the CEO of Foundersuite.com , which makes software for startups raising capital. Nathan is also the CEO of Fundingstack.com , which is a new platform for VCs and investment bankers to both raise capital and assist clients and portfolio companies. Users of these platforms have raised over $9.7 billion since 2016.

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The Ecosystem: universities pitch founder-friendly plan for software spin-outs

A new UK guide tells universities to expect less equity and give founders room to align with the market

Photo credits: Vaughan Leiberum / Flickr

A UK blueprint for forming university software spin-outs with no underlying patents aims to define a landing zone for commercialisation agreements that is equally acceptable to universities, founders and potential investors, and makes the process of company formation smoother and faster.

On the contentious issue of equity, the guide recommends that universities take only a 5-10% stake in software spin-outs, rather than the 10-25% proposed for patent-based spin-outs. This recognises the lower input of intellectual property (IP) and other resources that universities tend to have in software spin-outs, and the speed at which software products get to market.

“The ability to agree…

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General election latest: Starmer gives blunt response on potentially rejoining EU - as police drop investigation into his deputy

Greater Manchester Police will take no further action after an investigation into Labour's Angela Rayner. Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak continues to sing the virtues of his national service policy proposal.

Tuesday 28 May 2024 20:31, UK

• General Election 2024

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Election news

• Abbott given back Labour whip
• Police drop Rayner investigation | Labour deputy hits out at Tories
• Explained: What Starmer's deputy was being investigated for
• Starmer: 'No case' for rejoining EU | Reeves won't rule out tax rises
• Daily Podcast: How long will Labour's promise on taxes last?
• Live reporting by Faith Ridler  and (earlier)  Ben Bloch

Expert analysis

• Gurpreet Narwan: Farage already has eyes on elections to come
• Adam Boulton: What makes this election particularly exciting
• Sam Coates: Labour could have difficult decisions to make

Election essentials

• Trackers: Who's leading polls? | Is PM keeping promises?
• Campaign Heritage: Memorable moments from elections gone by
• Follow Sky's politics podcasts: Electoral Dysfunction | Politics At Jack And Sam's
• Read more: What happens next? | Which MPs are standing down? | Key seats to watch | How to register to vote | What counts as voter ID? | Check if your constituency's changing | Sky's coverage plans

Until voters go to the polls on 4 July, the Politics Hub will be looking back at some memorable moments from previous general election campaigns.

The big winner from the UK's first ever TV prime ministerial debate in 2010 wasn't primary contenders David Cameron and Gordon Brown.

No, it was Nick Clegg.

As the Tory and Labour leaders looked to take chunks out of one another, they saved their more conciliatory side for the insurgent Lib Dem.

He could do no wrong that night, with Messrs Cameron and Brown both finding it completely irresistible not to simply "agree with Nick".

Cleggmania took him all the way into Number 10 as part of the coalition, where he stayed until his party was turfed out by voters in 2015.

Previous entry: The Prescott punch

By  Gurpreet Narwan , political correspondent

Recent polling suggests Reform could cost the Tories as many as 100 seats, paving the way for a Labour government by splitting the right. 

It's something Tory MPs are highly anxious about and explains why the Conservatives are pushing the following message hard: a vote for Reform is a vote for Labour. 

It's a tactic they deployed against the Liberal Democrats in 2015, warning voters that they had a choice between Ed Miliband and David Cameron. 

Farage had a comeback ready in Dover today.

In stark contrast to Richard Tice, leader of Reform UK, he conceded the election result was a foregone conclusion. 

"Labour have won, so why not vote for something you believe in," he said. 

He argued this campaign wasn't about the current election but about building the Reform movement, a process that could take six years and was focused on turning the party into a sustainable force on the right of British politics. 

This is something parties to the right of the Tories have not managed. He wants to determine the shape of conservative opposition in the UK. 

That could also have an impact on the direction of travel that the Conservative Party takes after the election. 

It was the most salient point to emerge from today's campaign event. 

We end tonight's show with a new classic of the Lib Dem election stunt genre.

Sir Ed Davey fell off a paddleboard multiple times during a campaign stunt in Windermere - admitting one of his plunges into the water was intentional.

The Liberal Democrat leader said his leap into the cold waters of the Lake District was for the benefit of the cameras - but he "just kept falling in" after that.

Despite the footage causing a splash online, he stressed there was a "serious message" behind the stunt.

"Lakes like Lake Windermere are so precious," he said. "Our environment and our wonderful country is so critical to so many people.

"It's important for public health, it's important for the environment, it's important for the tourist economy."

That's it for tonight's Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge - the show will be back at the same time tomorrow.

Adam Boulton , Sky News's election commentator, is now joining Sophy Ridge to discuss his history covering general elections - starting in 1983.

This was the poll in which Margaret Thatcher was re-elected after winning the Falklands.

"I've covered I think 10 general elections," Adam says, pointing out the July election - for which he will join Sky News - will be his 11th.

But this only includes two changes of party in government, he says.

"What makes this election particularly exciting is the possibility, according to the opinion polls, that we're going to get another change in government."

Adam adds: "We had 17 or 18 years of Thatcher, and then 12 or 13 years of Blair and Brown, and now we've had 14 years from Cameron to Sunak."

If there is a change of party in July - what will this day look like?

"It's always very interesting," he says, explaining it is "quite emotional" because you see the "utter desolation of the side that's been defeated".

Adam is then asked how much a campaign can make a difference.

He says: "I just wonder how much difference this campaign is going to make to voting intention, it's clearly going to be very important in terms of formulating what the policies are for the parties, testing the leaders."

Adam adds this is an election in which "both leaders are not known quantities, neither of them have led a party into a general election before".

However, he says, another "exceptional thing" of this election is the amount of times the opinion polls have "said the same thing", which is Labour's on course for a majority.

Diane Abbott has been handed back the Labour whip, Sky News understands.

The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington was suspended by the party more than a year ago after suggesting Jewish people did not experience racism, but rather prejudice similar to red heads.

She swiftly apologised and withdrew her remarks.

While a Labour investigation into her comments ended in December, she was made to wait for the outcome.

A report in The Times earlier this evening suggested she'd been banned from standing for the party at the election on 4 July.

Ms Abbott was Britain's first ever black female MP.

It's not yet been confirmed whether she will stand for election again.

Labour's deadline for picking candidates is 4 June.

This is fast shaping up to be the biggest spending election ever - and already the Conservatives are spending their cash begging their voters not to defect to Reform.

Take paid political adverts on Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook. Labour started strong and is still seriously outpacing the Conservatives.

And the picture on Google-owned sites - we're mainly talking about YouTube - is even more stark.

Here, the Conservatives have spent £50,200 since May 22, according to Who Targets Me. Labour has spent £250,350 - more than five times more.

Put it another way - that's roughly 10 million advert plays versus 50 million.

Our online campaign correspondent Tom Cheshire has been diving into these quite extraordinary numbers:

Bim Afolami, the economic secretary to the Treasury, is asked if he would like to apologise to Angela Rayner after Greater Manchester Police dropped an investigation into her housing situation.

He says: "No."

"The investigation has happened and the correct authorities... have made their judgement. I have nothing else to add."

The minister goes on to say that deputy Labour leader Ms Rayner "could have put an end to this much earlier" if she was "open" about the situation.

You can read more about this situation below:

Sophy Ridge  asks Bim Afolami what the Conservative policy is on national insurance, after it was reduced twice in the last year.

There have also been suggestions of plans to scrap the tax.

He says: "We would like - only when the government finances and public services funding allows - to eliminate the double taxation on work, which is what national insurance is.

"And we could do that but only when it is appropriate to do so."

Sophy pushes back, saying this is a meaningless statement.

Mr Afolami says it is "very important" to have this priority.

Next up with Sophy Ridge is Bim Afolami , the economic secretary to the Treasury. 

She points to data from the House of Commons library, which shows 4.3 million children are in poverty in the UK at the moment.

This is the highest level of child poverty since records began.

Additionally, 12% of pensioners - 1.4 million people - are in absolute poverty. This number has halved in a decade.

So why are the Conservatives prioritising the elderly?

The minister says: "I don't think it's a question of prioritising pensioners at all, I think it's about a balanced approach.

"If you look at the budget or the autumn statement last year, the two last fiscal events, we have cut national insurance by a third - that is overwhelmingly focused on working people."

Child poverty figures 'very complex', says minister

However, Mr Afolami says it is "right that we don't tax" the basic state pension - and "with the triple lock, we've increased the state pension by 8%".

He insists this is a "balanced approach".

So what are the Conservatives doing for children?

The minister says benefits have been "increased for the poorest families".

"We've also fundamentally made sure that our welfare system helps support people into work," he adds.

Sophy asks why child poverty has increased so much under the Tories.

Mr Afolami says this is a "very complex picture" with "lots of aspects to it".

Sophy Ridge   also asks Louise Haigh , Labour's shadow transport secretary, about Diane Abbott's future.

There's a report in The Times this evening that the long-serving MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington will be banned from standing at the general election.

Ms Abbott, Britain's first black female MP, was suspended by the party more than a year ago after suggesting Jewish people did not experience racism, but rather prejudice similar to red heads.

While a Labour investigation into her comments ended in December, she's been made to wait for the outcome.

Ms Haigh says she doesn't know about the assertion in The Times, saying the process "is still ongoing" and "no decision has been made".

She says it's her "understanding" that she may still end up being allowed to stand as a Labour candidate.

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Whales Have an Alphabet

Until the 1960s, it was uncertain whether whales made any sounds at all..

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Carl Zimmer

Produced by Alex Stern ,  Stella Tan ,  Sydney Harper and Nina Feldman

Edited by MJ Davis Lin

Original music by Elisheba Ittoop ,  Dan Powell ,  Marion Lozano ,  Sophia Lanman and Pat McCusker

Engineered by Alyssa Moxley

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

Ever since the discovery of whale songs almost 60 years ago, scientists have been trying to decipher the lyrics.

But sperm whales don’t produce the eerie melodies sung by humpback whales, sounds that became a sensation in the 1960s. Instead, sperm whales rattle off clicks that sound like a cross between Morse code and a creaking door. Carl Zimmer, a science reporter, explains why it’s possible that the whales are communicating in a complex language.

On today’s episode

Carl Zimmer , a science reporter for The New York Times who also writes the Origins column .

Background reading

Scientists find an “alphabet” in whale songs.

These whales still use their vocal cords. But how?

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We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Carl Zimmer covers news about science for The Times and writes the Origins column . More about Carl Zimmer

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