Investor Preferences in the Business Plan

So what is that investors look for in your business plan? The may be a number of opinions on what a investable business plan is. Depending on the investor I'm talking to their is normally a range if different responses. Everything from "as long as the opportunity is clear' to 'I really invest in the person behind the business more than the opportunity itself' Truth be told it probably a combination of the previous two for me, but in the table below I tried my best to summarize the key issues in the business plan that needs to be included to ensure you are really communicating what the investor is looking for.

Too many entrepreneurs limit their opportunities by writing weak business plans. Great ideas are common; much rarer are businesses with the people and products to enter a market and take share or dominate. Only 1 % to 2% of all business plans presented to angels or VCs receive funding. 

Companies don’t build themselves. People build companies. Ultimately, an angel investor is selecting a management team. A great team can make even a mediocre company achieve reasonable success, whereas a company with the best technology will not be successful with a mediocre management team. 

Some of the key factors of a business plan that improve the success potential of a startup are shown below.

Success Factors 

Factor	Description
Management	• Years of operational experience in a similar industry  • Startup experience with a similar business model that led to a successful exit  • Willing to be coached
Market	• Addressable market that is fragmented and growing  • Customers already lined up
Technology	• Patent protected  • Creates strategically defensible position
Competition	• Shows that company has some competition, regardless of product or service  • Clearly summarizes competitors and key threats
Business model	• Similar to one or more used by successful companies  • Demonstrates that customers have real pain that product or service solves (“must have” vs. “nice to have”)
Exit strategy	• Identifies target acquirers  • Shows deal history of acquisitions and IPOs with key financial multiples and ratios
Risks	• Objectively assesses risks and describes actions to reduce, mitigate or eliminate them
Financial projections	• Shows conservative, expected and targeted figures with assumptions for each  • Focuses on cash flow and profitability
Capital structure	• Detailed  • Preferrably shows ownership by founders and only small numbers of unprofessional or inexperienced investors
Investment desired	• Places an offer on the table - indicates valuation  • Shows uses of funds in detail  • Details expected future rounds and uses of funds from each round

A Business Plan for Business Finance

The business plan is increasingly playing a crucial role when it comes to securing small business finance. Not only with banks, where it is now mostly compulsory to have a business plan if you are hoping to apply for business finance, but also with venture capital firms and angel investors.

Today in order to get your new business going, your business plans are essential at this stage of setting up your business. In it you will already have scoped out what your money needs are and how you plan to raise the startup capital, and you'll be using it to persuade potential investors and lenders of the benefits of funding your new business.

Your financial calculations in your business plans therefore need to be thorough and accurate and presented with confidence. Everyone expects that they'll be able to stick to their business plans and only need to borrow the absolute minimum, but more often than not something unexpected crops up to throw a wrench in the works. It therefore makes good business sense to include a contingency element in the amount of startup capital you request. It's better to do that now and have the extra cash as a safeguard than it is to have to return to your lender or investor not far down the line to ask for more money.

If it wasn't in your original business plans they are likely to be concerned about your financial ability and your request may be rejected. Many people wonder how much startup capital they should request. You want to keep costs to a minimum and invest your money wisely in your new business, while still having the security of a little extra for backup if required. What startup capital you borrow should give you a realistic challenge for your new business but should not be too risky. And back up your calculation with evidence in your business plans, since it has to be credible.

With numerous organisations in South Africa now supporting the use of business plan software in order to get the business plan right, the issue is hard to ignore. Organisations such as Investors Network and the SA Venture Capital Association are all throwing their weight behind effectively constructed and well researched business plans to ensure that not only the business is successful in finding the finance it needs but also that it is able to start successfully.